Okay people . . . talk me down!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Okay people . . . talk me down!
13
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 8:44am

I hate this time of year. It starts to get nice out and I can find a million and one things that I want to spend money on!


I need to redo the garden. Its such a mess its embarrassing. I have been working on the front part so that the neighbours don't have to deal with it, but the back part is just terrible. It would easily cost $500 to do everything, but I think I can eek it out for $250.


I want a bike. I want new patio furniture. I want to go back to school!


All these wants and no funds to fund them, lol.


So here I am, begging you ladies to TALK ME DOWN, lol.


Any ideas what I can do to make the yard look a little better for cheap? I need to fill in some holes that my dog dug. I can weed it and I don't have to worry too much about flowers because a lot of them are annuals. The grass is just


Bex -

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2006
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 9:22am

I was just thinking about how I want to buy all these flowers to add color to my yard and how I can't afford it. Green is good right?! LOL.

Seriously you would be surprised how nice our yard looked after a good raking to get rid of the dead grass. A bag of grass seed is relatively inexpensive. The hard part will be keeping the dog off it while it grows!

As for the bike talk to friends and family you might be surprised to find someone with a bike who hasn't used it in ages and would be happy to lend you theirs.

I would LOVE new patio furniture but *sigh* it is SO expensive. Instead what we did was get a unfinished wood picnic table and we stained it ourselves. Then I bought ONE comfortable chair to sit and read outside in. Not glamorous but it works.

I too am saving for classes July is going to come too soon and too fast with my tuition bill. hang in there and stick to your spending/savings plan. A day in the sunshine is amazing on its own; even without flowers and patio furniture!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2009
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 9:32am
One thing I did when I was living in a place with a yard was turned 1/3 of the backyard into a raised vegetable garden. It was not cheap to do, but instead of water and mowing lawn, I hardly had to buy produce during the summer and saved quite a bit, not to mention everything tasted so much better fresh from the garden ... Just a thought.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-30-1999
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 9:44am

I'm probably not a good one to comment...I just spent about 1000.00 on our yard..lol

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 9:51am

This gals up the same tree.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 10:59am
Buy flower seeds and a starter kit. We use one to start out tomatoes and peppers inside. 72 plants for less than $15--starter kit, seeds, and all. The little greenhouse thingy is idiot proof, and you don't have to transplant (a big cause of wilt). It comes with soil discs that pop up with water and provide all the nutrients your seeds need to grow beautifully. It's much cheaper than buying plants!

Photobucket


Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket



Goal #1 $UCCE$$!

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2008
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 11:35am

LoL - I had to wait for Norma to comment on Bex post first!




iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 12:47pm

No Rhubarb.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 1:30pm

I feel the same way.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 2:34pm

We moved in my bf's parents old house. Lots of perenials there! Holy smokes, we just did a lot raking yesterday and there are a ton! I will just have to buy a few annuals for my little pots. $20. Now the garden, that is a different matter. My bf's mother and I are going to do it together. I can't wait for fresh veggies! Not sure on the cost but the garden is large and will split with bf's mother. So I was thinking $100?

Anyway. Don't forget that garage sale season is coming up and other people are selling their patio furniture for new stuff. Might be able to get something cheap.

I was looking online on our local page and there is a selling category. I might be able to get a decent used bike for $30-$50.

Someone once told me you can have a dog or a back yard. How about a couple of nice pots with cheap pretty flowers and call it a day?

So slow down girl........keep saving!



iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2008
Thu, 04-16-2009 - 2:55pm

Pages