31 - Yards don't have to take up a big portion of our budget, but often do!

As I write today's blog post, I'm sitting in the backyard at a card table in shorts and a T-shirt enjoying an unseasonably warm mid-November day. The leaves in my backyard have pretty much all fallen, while the leaves on my tree in the front hasn't even changed colors yet! I pay a landscaping service to mow my lawn each week, but service ends the first week in November, so I'm left to take care of the leaves on my own (don't you feel sorry for me!?). :)

• Money Aspect: When the landscaping service ends, it’s decision time—pay for extra clean-up, or pocket the savings and handle it yourself. Each extra service adds up, so DIY moments like post-fall leaf cleanup can really stretch your budget further, freeing up cash for things you’d rather spend it on.

I used to pay the extra $150 for fall clean-up (where they blow out all the leaves from between the bushes, behind my shed, trapped between the trees, etc.) but that was a complete waste of money because several weeks later, the leaves on my trees would BEGIN to fall! (The leaves on my oak tree out front usually stay on the tree until the buds come out in spring!)

• Money Aspect: Timing is everything with paid yard services. If the job isn’t done at just the right moment, you’re paying for a partial solution that might need repeating. Sometimes, the most frugal move is to wait and tackle the job yourself when it’s truly necessary, saving that $150 year after year.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, I wanted to share some ideas with you on how you can save or make money as it pertains to your yard. Yards can be terribly expensive! Did you know that trees need to be pruned every five years or so (I do it every ten or so). Someone has to climb up the tree or use a cherry-picker and prune all the dead branches. I was under the assumption that dead branches will fall off the tree when they're ready (like a loose tooth should pop out at some point on its own). But getting them trimmed certainly strengthened each tree, created more lush foliage, and seemed to prevent even MORE limbs from dying! But it cost me (I don't really remember) around $800 for two (HUGE) trees in my backyard!

• Money Aspect: Large one-off projects like tree pruning can hit your wallet hard, especially when pros and equipment are involved. If you can DIY safely (and legally), some jobs can save hundreds—otherwise, it’s best to budget ahead for these infrequent, but essential, expenses.

I had some bushes that were overgrown and were blocking my view of the sidewalk and street as I pulled out of my driveway, so I hired the same company to pull the bush out, roots and all, and backfill the hole. (All of this was done back when I had a full-time, good-paying job. I have no idea how I'll get these things done on my TIGHT budget of today!) That cost $300.

• Money Aspect: Convenience has its price: paying for professional removal beats a day of wrestling with stubborn roots, but costs like this are easy to forget until you’re faced with a tight budget. DIY means sweat equity; pros mean cash upfront—choose what fits you.

I asked my landscaping company how much it would cost to have the 20-25 bushes on my property trimmed and they looked at me like I was asking them to fly me to the moon, so I assumed they were going to say a number outside of my price range, so I immediately took on that project myself! It took me two days (separated by a week for my biceps to recover), but I got it all done. Not beautiful, but done.

• Money Aspect: Sometimes, the quote is too high, and a DIY strategy is the only cost-effective solution. Investing in basic trimmers—not to mention patience and perseverance—can save hundreds annually and build up your own skill set for future savings.

For the first 30 years of my life, I mowed my own lawn, but that was one of the first perks I decided to splurge on when I started making decent money. It was nice to have ONE chore done for me! I continue to have this luxury today because they only charge me $20 per week, and I don't think I would mow anyone else's lawn for that price, so sign me up! They really seem to like me too, because I was the first one on the block to use this company (I of course called around for the best price!), and now they do two blocks of houses around me! Efficient for them!

• Money Aspect: Finding a good service at a great price can be worth every penny. If a company can do the job faster and cheaper—especially as they scale up in your neighborhood—the value is hard to beat. Sometimes outsourcing really is the most budget-friendly option!

As you know, I am my mom's caretaker, and she is very particular about her lawn. She has the same mowing service as I do, but refuses to use the same fertilizer company that I've used for 20+ years (another splurge for me). I pay $169 per year for five applications throughout the summer, and they'll come out for free if there are any problem areas. I bought my mom a year's subscription to this company about ten years ago as a Christmas gift, and because everyone in our area had slugs eating the roots of our grass, her lawn never looked worse and she vowed never to use them again! Never mind that that was one year out of 20! So I have to buy the bags of fertilizer, use the seed spreader five times a year, all for her lawn, yet I pay a premium to have it done for me at my house! (Still worth it.)

• Money Aspect: Lawn care is personal! Sometimes DIY fertilizer and garden tasks seem cheaper, but products, tools, and repeat applications add up—plus your time and effort. Occasionally paying a specialist saves more in the long run and can keep costly problems at bay.

As I look at the tools that I have for the yard, I see what's never used and what gets used by me every year. I use a metal flathead rake (aka "level head rake" or "bow rake") to pull out the dead day lillies every fall (just did that one today!). I use my leaf blower to get all the dust and leaves out of my garage, off my driveway, out of my gutters and out of the bushes (to do my own fall clean-up). I use my electric hedge trimmer to... wait for it... trim my hedges. :) I have one of those branch cutters that have long handles but short snips. I use that to cut the thicker branches of my bushes and low trees. (I have a pine tree in my backyard that took up a ton of space on the ground, covering a lot of my brick paver patio, so I used those branch cutters to trim every branch off the tree as high as I could reach from the ground, and now it's a beautiful component of my backyard, when it used to be a real eyesore!)

• Money Aspect: Yard tool purchases are investments—if you use them often, they’re long-term money savers. But if a tool stays in the shed except for a single season, it can actually cost more than hiring help. Before buying, consider whether rental or sharing with a neighbor could cut expenses.

In the back of my backyard is an easement for the electric company and a bunch of "weed trees" grow back there. Occasionally I'll cut them down or trim them and for that I use a cheap $29 six-inch chainsaw that's easy to use and pretty safe. (I didn't have this when I cut my pine tree.) When I first moved into this house, a sapling was growing in the back easement area inside of a bucket! I had no idea it was considered a weed tree and it looked so perfect that I transplanted it into a spot in my backyard. It's been growing there for the past 18 or so years and is now pretty big and produces the most delicious mulberries every June! I put down tarps and shake the branches every other day from mid-June through mid-July and freeze the berries. I then make freeze pops out of them to enjoy all year long! (I bought the sleeves on Amazon - they have a Ziploc-type seal and a perforation below the zip top for tearing it open to eat.) This year was a bumper crop year and I ended up with ten gallon Ziploc bags full of berries! So I also made jelly and jam.

• Money Aspect: Growing and harvesting your own fruit is real savings. Sure, there’s some upfront investment—chainsaw, tarps, freezer bags—but the payoff in homemade produce (and the satisfaction of using every berry) can add up to major grocery savings over time.

Another of my weed trees in the backyard is a crabapple tree. It grows apples every other year and they go from under-ripe to over-ripe VERY quickly, but when you catch them at the right moment, they taste just as good as any other green apple I eat! And I love that their schedule for ripening varies, allowing for apples to be enjoyed for a couple months each summer! (I've never found worms or insects in my crabapples or mulberries, but some people recommend spraying the trees that you hope to eat the fruit from, and washing them before eating. I don't do that. I'm a rebel.) 

• Money Aspect: A crabapple crop means you can skip the produce aisle for part of the summer, but pest-prevention sprays, tools, and time need to be factored in. Sometimes DIY fruit means free snacks—but sometimes there are extra costs to protect your bounty!

I have some wooden planter boxes on my back patio. I grow potatoes, onions, and chives in them. The chives come back every year, but I had trouble with the onions and potatoes - I'll need to eventually try again, but research what I did wrong. (It's mid-November and there are still fresh chives growing!) My backyard, with all the trees, is pretty shady so my garden didn't really do too well when I first moved in, so I no longer grow one, but if I had a sunnier spot, I would love to grow and tend a garden! I did for many years in my previous home.

• Money Aspect: Home gardening can offer big savings—but only if conditions are right and you invest wisely. Researching the right crops (so you don’t waste time or money) and choosing plants that thrive cuts down on wasted seeds, soil, and labor.

My shed came with the house and is now probably at least 25 years old! It’s wooden, timeworn, and shelters my garden tools, wheelbarrow, a snowblower during summer, and an impressive collection of bags—soil, sand, mulch, you name it. For security, I’ve installed a ‘state-of-the-art’ twig in place of a padlock on the hasp and staple. Any would-be burglar should be prepared for some truly intimidating twig resistance! Of course, the door now hangs slightly ajar, so even getting past that swinging hasp requires a little extra perseverance.

• Money Aspect: Not everything needs a high-tech solution—and when your shed contents aren’t worth much, investing in fancy security (or repairs) might not make sense. Sometimes a little humor about low-budget fixes can be the best financial move!

My brick paver patio in the back occasionally gets mossy and green with algae (or maybe envy). I use my power washer to take care of that. It takes a while to do this way, but I prefer it to using chemicals. But if you don't mind the chemicals, they work a lot faster! 

• Money Aspect: Tackling patio cleaning yourself saves money every season—especially if you already own the tools. If you’re buying or renting a power washer just for this one job, consider if hiring out or trying a chemical approach might be cheaper in the long run.

I use a ladder to get to my gutters to clean out the leaves. I use concrete sealer to patch the cracks in my driveway. And I think that's about it for the tools I use regularly in my yard!

• Money Aspect: Gutter cleaning and driveway repairs cost a premium when outsourced, but owning basic tools lets you do these jobs as often as needed. Each DIY fix you pull off is money directly back into your pocket—just be sure to factor tool and material costs into your overall strategy.

At the end of the day, our yards can be a never-ending source of both pride and expenses. Whether you’re splurging on the occasional professional help, investing in the tools to become a weekend warrior, or just finding small ways to put your patch of earth to work, there’s always a balance to strike between saving money, spending smart, and enjoying the space you call your own.

No one yard—or budget—is alike. What works for me might not work for you, and that’s okay! The real trick is to know when a DIY job will really pay off (in dollars or satisfaction), when calling in the pros will prevent bigger headaches, and, sometimes, when it’s perfectly fine to let your “state-of-the-art” twig security do the trick.

Most importantly, remember that every dollar you save—or earn—outside is a dollar you can spend on something you truly value inside. So get out there, get creative, and see just how far you can stretch your yard and your wallet!