About Dirt Cheap Garden
Dirt Cheap Garden exists because most garden content never tells you what a project actually costs. We do. Every build on this site comes with a line-by-line receipt, a total, and the cheapest way to buy each item without buying junk that fails after one season.
What we publish
- Project receipts: step-by-step builds with every material, quantity and typical price listed.
- $0 projects: things you can build from cardboard, pallets, scraps and cuttings.
- Cost guides: how much a raised bed, patio or fire pit really costs, DIY versus hiring out.
- Best cheap gear: the lowest-priced options worth buying, compared on cost per square foot, per season or per gallon.
- Free calculators: soil, gravel and savings tools that turn your measurements into a shopping list.
Who we are
We are a small independent team of budget gardeners. We are not owned by a retailer or a garden brand, and no one pays us to include a product.
How we price things
Prices are typical US retail prices from major home and garden retailers on the date shown at the top of each article. We round to the nearest dollar and give a range when prices vary. Full details are on our How We Price page.
How we use tools
We use software tools, including AI writing assistants, to organize research and draft outlines. An editor checks every article, every calculation and every price before it is published.
How the site is funded
The site is free to read. We earn from advertising and from affiliate links, including Amazon Associates. That never changes what we recommend; read our Affiliate Disclosure.
Questions, corrections or a cheaper method we missed? Tell us.