While fixing the financial mess my husband and I were in after getting married, we quickly learned just how important budgeting and living below our means actually was. The chains from our debt severely limited our ability to freely use our money in ways we wanted. This was due to thousands of dollars of our income going to various banks every month in an effort to pay off the $120,000 in debt we owed. In hindsight, we would have been exponentially better off paying MUCH less for college, and either cash flowing a business startup or saving a down payment to invest in a house.
In all of this, we learned how to be extreme cheapskates. Or to sound more appealing, you could say we learned the art of frugal living. While budgeting and stretching out the value of every dollar, we also set priorities for our money. This meant when I wanted to buy plants to help decorate our living room, I knew we didn’t have much money to prioritize to it and I would have to be creative in figuring out how to purchase the plants I so desired.
I scoured the internet, read various gardening forums, and eventually learned how to get plants for free or at very low cost. This blog post aims to share that knowledge with anyone who may be looking for the same thing.
Here is what worked for me:
Look for plants on clearance at your local gardening centers or nurseries. Especially after a storm comes through the heavy rain and wind tends to knock over plants making them look less appealing even though they are still good. You will instantly save anywhere from 50% to 75% off their original sales price.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask if they have any plants they are going to throw away. This may sound silly, but you would be surprised at what they throw out. If you know a lot about plants and have experience with them you can find clippings and plants that will grow for free!
Another way to save is using apps like Nextdoor, which help neighbors connect and see what people are selling or giving away for free. I have found plants on this app for free or extremely discounted. You will need some patience though, it is not often they come up, but when they do act fast to get one.
Friends who garden. At work, school, or in your neighborhood you quickly learn who loves gardening, and who is very eager to share or trade plants. This is a great way to get plants absolutely free. I have a coworker who grows avocado trees all the time and gives them away freely. I have another friend who loves to trade plants, so when I get my second free baby avocado tree I will trade it with her for one of her baby fig trees. WIN! WIN!
It took some time and patience, but we have some really lovely plants cheap and for free. Hope this is helpful to you.
Cheers to cheap and free plants for your growing garden! 😉
Budgetarian 