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Tips For Your Garden and Homestead Budget
June is a busy time for most households. Whether you are an urban homesteader, a farmer, a market grower, or a backyard gardener, there is never enough time to do all that you want to accomplish. This is also a time when your budget tends to get cast aside. I have found some useful ideas to help keep your budget in check while also exploring the possibilities of expanding your homestead.
1. Grow some food!
You would be surprised at what you can grow if you simply give it a little effort. If you have limited space, try a tomato or two in a pot. You can try sprouting seeds for fresh nutrient-packed additions to salads and sandwiches in a jar. Certain herbs can be grown easily in most conditions. Even in the late summer, plants can be grown that will save you money. It doesn’t take a lot of money to grow something, and it will be more nutritious than anything you can buy on the shelf.
2. Get some mulch.
There are several resources out there that allow you to obtain free or low-cost mulch. How does this help your budget? Mulching your garden or landscape allows you to save on watering costs. If you don’t already live in an area that has water restrictions, it’s still a good idea to conserve. Mulch applied to planting beds or used within your existing landscape retains moisture and decreases weeds. It also has a cooling effect which slows down the rate of water evaporation within your soil. By mulching, you can conserve a precious resource as well as save money on your water bill.
To obtain low-cost mulch, you have several options. If a small amount is all you need, then wait for the big DIY stores to have their sales. You can usually get 5 bags of mulch for $10, and they usually offer this sale multiples times throughout the growing season.
If you have a good size garden or a moderately sized need for mulch, check with your local government. Many towns offer free or low-cost mulch by the truck load. You will need to check some websites, or even ask around, but they do exist, even if they are poorly advertised. It took me 3 years to discover that my county gives away free mulch because they only advertise it in a newsletter that you must subscribe to.
If you need a large amount of mulch, I suggest the website ChipDrop. I have no affiliation with them, but their service is an excellent resource to your budget. ChipDrop has many locations throughout the US and usually, it’s free of charge. ChipDrop will deliver a gigantic load of wood chips to your property, so I would suggest you only use this resource if you have a large need for wood chips. Even if you don’t need this enormous amount of mulch, you can always share with your neighbors or a community group. The best part is that you don’t even have to be home to enjoy the service, just tell them where to dump the pile.
3. Hit up those garden centers.
Now is the time to enjoy the sales of the season. You can find plants, seeds, and tools all on sale as the season ends. Check out the clearance rack of plants in the DIY stores. If the plant has some life in it, try saving it. Don’t be too shy to ask the salesperson of a small shop if they would lower the price if you plan on buying more than 5 of the same item. If it’s not on sale, don’t buy it. Only buy stuff you plan on using or planting within the same week. It can be tempting to buy several plants because they have a great sale, but if you get overwhelmed and they die because you didn’t have time to plant them, then it’s just money wasted.
4. Slow your roll.
This is the time of the season where we all start on projects around the house. If you have plans for several projects this year, you may be in danger of completely blowing your budget. Stick to one project at a time, and don’t move on to start something else until it’s been completed.
We all know that once you start a project, you will have to spend a little extra on the stuff that you may have overlooked or forgot. This is why it’s better to focus on one thing at a time.
5. Cook some food. Don’t spend your money on eating out.
I know the last thing you want to do is to turn on your oven in the middle of summer, so don’t. You should have access to plenty of cheap veggies this time of year. Combine with rice and maybe even a protein and you can have a low-cost healthy dinner ready in 30 minutes or less.
Turn that grill on. Grilling is fairly easy and it gives you a chance to get outdoors. Hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, and chicken are all menu choices that will save you money when you eat in. No need to go out to a restaurant because you don’t want to turn on your oven.
Salads can be a great filling meal with the right ingredients. And you don’t even have to cook. Just a little washing and chopping and you could have a great meal that will help save you some cash.
6. Raise some protein.
Even in the smallest backyard, you can raise some animals. If you prefer not to kill anything you have raised, get a small flock of hens for fresh eggs. Chickens are easier to keep than dogs. You don’t have to take them on walks, and they can provide you with a daily source of protein. If you have a larger property, you can add a few goats for dairy.
If you do want to raise animals for meat, chickens, goats, and rabbits are all possibilities that you can absolutely raise in an urban setting. Raising your own meat, dairy, and eggs are all ways to feed yourself organically without the astronomical cost that you may find in stores.
Do some research and seriously consider raising your own livestock for harvest. It’s budget friendly and more people are embracing the backyard homestead these days, so there are plenty of resources to get you started.
7. Never stay in a hotel.
Many people take this time of year as an opportunity to take a vacation. If you plan to vacation in the US, then don’t stay in a hotel. There are several websites that offer vacation homes, cabins, and other types of lodging for the same price or less than a hotel room.
The advantages of renting a house for vacation are endless. You will have extra space to spread the family out in. You will have a kitchen to be able to cook in if you desire, and a fridge to keep leftovers and drinks in. Instead of room service, you can shop at the local grocery store and save some money by having your own food available.
I rented a cabin one year for less than my hotel would have cost, and I was able to bring along my 2 giant dogs. I will never stay in another hotel again!
I hope I have provided you with some useful tips to save yourself some cash on your summer budget. There are so many ways to save, you just have to look for them.
Enjoy your summer!
