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Apr 12, 2007    |       10 comments

Frugal Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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The other day, I asked if you had any questions for me in regards to how I keep our costs low. I received a question on whether I had any frugal backyard ideas and I do!

1.) Use old things and turn them into landscaping centerpieces. Sometimes some great landscaping treasures are right under your nose covered in dust. Old bricks found in a crawl space or obtained from old buildings can be used as borders for a flower garden or can be used for a walkway if you have enough of them. Old wheelbarrows, wood barrels cut in half and metal washtubs can be filled with dirt and flowers planted in them. Note: Make sure they have adequate drainage so they do not flood when it rains. That may involve drilling holes in the bottom.

2.) Skip the annuals and buy the perennial or bulbed flowers. We have tulips, crocuses, daffodils and irises in our yard (all bulbs) and they come up year after year. It is an investment for the initial planting, but after you spend once you have years of color.

3.) Look for programs for free or low cost trees and/or mulch. In some communities, the utility company, conservation districts or city municipalities may have discount tree sales and/or free mulch. Keep your eyes out or even call around to ask if a company has a program available.

4.) Buy at the end of the season for next year. Would you love to have a wood border around your plantings? Wait until the end of the season and snatch it up when it goes on clearance. Don’t forget to check smaller stores like Ace Hardware for deals.

5.) Look to nature. Natural stones can line a walkway or provide a border around some flowers. A piece of driftwood can serve as a centerpiece in a display of flowers. Look to nature for some free landscaping items. Note: some beaches/parks will not allow the removal of items so if you are unsure please ask.

6.) Ask neighbors. I have fruit trees in my yard, and often come across some fruit that is inedible. If someone asked, I wouldn’t mind giving them the inedible fruit so they can utilize the seeds to plant in their own yard.

Writing this makes me want to go do some work in our yard. But we still have snow! 😛

Apr 11, 2007    |       9 comments

How I Decorated My Son’s Room for Under $60

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Last week, I asked if you had any questions for me. Stephanie asked if I had any frugal decorating tips.

There is only one room in our house that we took great care to decorate and that is my son’s room (although I am currently working on our bathroom and when it is finished I’ll detail what I did). He absolutely loved Bob the Builder and everything construction related so here’s what I did to give him a room that he loved, but was easy on our wallet.

Bedding – Bought a Bob the Builder bedding set from Walmart for $27 on clearance. I did look on eBay and I couldn’t find it cheaper when you factored in the shipping costs. With some purchases you need to be in the right place at the right time for the best deal.

Curtains – Used the flat sheet from the bedding for a Bob the Builder curtain. I also went on eBay and found a flat sheet for sale ($4.55) and a valance ($7.54). Total Cost: $12.09 (NOTE: Bob the Builder was “in” at the time I did my son’s room and now you can find things at a great deal. You can also make your own curtains by buying material and sewing them. Unfortunately, I do not know how to sew).

Wall Decorations – I scoured the local thrift shops for shelves. I bought two smaller matching ones ($1.00) and one larger one ($1.50). It took some patience to carefully scrape off some paint splatters that were on the smaller ones but they were in good condition overall. Total Cost: $2.50

Shelf Decorations – Bought a large firetruck from a garage sale to put on the large shelf ($1.00) and used a few of my son’s cheaper plastic construction trucks and road signs to place on the smaller ones (not more than $4.00). Total Cost: ~$5.00

Wall Border – Instead of buying expensive border, I used some printable sticker paper to print out construction trucks to cut out and stick on the wall for a border. I also used some stickers to decorate the light switch plate and his bed. Total cost: Probably around $2.00.

Laundry Hamper – and bought a garbage pail ($4.94) the one with the rounded top and the push flap for his laundry hamper. I bought bright construction orange spray paint for $3.47 and spraypainted the top orange and then painted stripes on the bottom. It ended up looking like a construction barrel that you see on the side of the road. Total Cost: $8.41

Miscellaneous Item to Tie the Look Together – Bought some orange cones to place on top of his dresser. Total Cost: $2.96

Total Cost To Decorate My Son’s Construction Room: $59.96

I’m glad we didn’t spend too much on our son’s room because a few years after we decorated it, we switched rooms with our son. So yes, mom and dad are sleeping in the room with the construction truck border and Bob the Builder curtains. Probably this summer we will get around to removing the stickers and getting new curtains (if funds are available). 🙂

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