Save on Gardening with These Tips
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Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Whether you’re a hobby gardener, or running a small hobby farm, there are plenty of ways to save money on your supplies and tools. Those costs add up fast, especially if you’re planting your garden for the first time. Follow our tips, and you might just grow your savings account, as well as a few tomatoes.
- Search online. The internet is your go-to resource for used or reduced-cost goods. Start with these three popular sites:
- eBay.com: eBay lists thousands of items every day in their home and garden section. Look carefully at the item’s photo, particularly for used goods, and don’t be afraid to ask the seller any questions.
- Craigslist.org: Find the Craigslist site for your nearest city or town and hunt down the farm and garden section under the sale listings. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try posting on the “Wanted” list and see if a potential seller doesn’t find you, first.
- Freecycle.org: Freecycle is a website dedicated to exchanging free goods instead of throwing them in the trash. Join your local group and browse to see what people in your area are giving away. The listings change frequently, so be sure to browse often.
- The newspaper. Yes, even in this day and age, with Craigslist, eBay, and Freecycle, plenty of people still post sale goods in the newspaper classifieds. Check your local paper’s Saturday or Sunday edition, as these typically are the big days for classifieds.
- Try a thrift store. Not only could you find the garden tool you’re looking for, you might be struck by creative genius. Perhaps a vintage pot that would be perfect for a small container of herbs, or a chipped tea-kettle that makes an attractive watering-pot.
- Garage sales. Come springtime, these will be popping up like wildflowers. Garage sales are an excellent place to find gardening tools and supplies, as people will put out virtually anything that has use. Maybe a half-full bag of potting soil, for example, isn’t quite right for the local Goodwill, but in an effort to unload, you may find these sorts of things on people’s lawns for absurdly low prices. Garage sales also happen to be a fun way to meet your neighbours.
