27 Apr
2010

As nights and afternoons get warmer, more and more homeowners want to set up a great outdoor space. Before you take out a personal loan to buy a new barbecue, patio set and all the accessories, though, here are some tips for keeping your costs low:

1) Use what you have. Rather than buying all new accessories, take a close look at what you have. If your patio set is serviceable, maybe you can repaint it. Consider replacing just a few items – like a broken chair – rather than buying everything new.

2) Create a great lawn. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to create a great outdoor space is with lots of green, lush grass. Forget the expensive accessories and fertilizers. For under thirty dollars, you can buy a huge bag of grass seed and basic fertilizer. In most cases, this is all you need. The trick is to plant the grass thickly and water just before the evening, so that your grass will not bake.

3) If you need new outdoor garden accessories, compare sales and used items in classified ads. Many building centers have sales on outdoor furniture at this time of year and you may also find gently used accessories through classified ads.

If you want to save on more than just your outdoor space, don’t forget to check out our guide to saving cash.