A few years ago, my husband and I moved out of our apartment and into a camper on family land. At the time, we were over $90,000 in debt and trying to completely change our financial future.
This move really ignited something in us. It sparked a deep desire to learn some self-sufficiency skills and start building toward our future homestead.
One of the first things I wanted to try? Growing our own food.
Starting a Garden Without Spending Hundreds
I told my husband that I wanted to build a couple of raised beds. The only problem? I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on new materials.
We were living on acres of land. There had to be something laying around that we could use to make these beds.
Then my husband said, “why don’t we ask my mom if we can use those concrete blocks over there?” There were stacks of them. Probably 60 or more. She kindly said yes, so we got to work.
Building the Raised Beds (For Free)
We kept it really simple. I honestly didn’t have a plan. I just wanted two equally sized raised beds.
We chose a sunny spot that also gets a little shade from a nearby oak tree and stacked the blocks:
- Two blocks high
- Three blocks wide
- Four blocks long
This gave us two modest raised beds with enough space to start growing without overwhelming ourselves. The best part about this? The blocks were completely free.
Tip: You can often find concrete blocks for free or very cheap on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
How We Filled the Beds for Almost Nothing
Next came the biggest question: How do we fill these beds without spending a ton on soil?
We used the Hugelkultur method as a guide (The Old Farmer’s Almanac has an excellent step-by-step guide if you want more details). Instead of filling the entire beds with soil, we layered materials we already had on the property:
- Cardboard on the bottom (from boxes we already had)
- Logs and sticks (from the property)
- Leaves, grass clippings, and hay
- Food scraps
- Old cattle manure (from our own small herd- great for nitrogen)
- A thin layer of soil and mulch on top
We bought two large bags of Jungle Growth soil from Lowe’s, which cost about $9 per bag. Everything else came from the land or things we already had.
This layering method saved money and helped improve the soil naturally over time.
What We Planted (Simple + Budget Friendly)
Since we were just starting out, I didn’t want to overcomplicate things.
I bought a simple vegetable and herb variety pack (this is the one we used, and it’s great for beginners because it includes a nice mix of easy-to-grow options).
For starting seeds, we used a basic seed tray like the one listed below. It was super beginner-friendly and worked perfectly for us.
We also used:
- Peat pots for easily transplanting the seedlings
- Simple plant labels
Money-saving tip: Popsicle sticks from the dollar store work just as well for labeling.
We used the Jungle Growth soil we already had on hand in the seed starter tray.
Everything sprouted really well. We definitely had some struggles later (hello pests and heat), but we learned a lot. I’ll share those lessons in another post.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We genuinely liked the Sereniseed pack and the starter tray worked great for us as beginners.)
What You Actually Need (Budget Version)
If you want to get started with something similar, here’s a simple list:
- Sereniseed Organic Vegetable & Herb Variety Seeds
- Burpee SuperSeed Seed Starter Tray
- 2 bags of garden soil
- Peat pots
- Plant labels (or popsicle sticks)
Total Cost Breakdown
- Concrete blocks – FREE
- Natural materials (cardboard, wood, etc.) – FREE
- Mulch – FREE
- Soil (2 bags) – ~$18
- Seeds – ~$10
- Seed tray – ~$10
- Peat pots – ~ $5-8
- Labels – ~$4
Total: About $50
What We Learned Starting a Garden on a Budget
- You don’t need a big budget or perfect setup to start
- Starting small prevents overwhelm
- Use what you already have
- You’ll learn more by doing than planning
- It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth it
Why This Meant So Much to Us
At the time, we were living in a camper, trying to get out of debt, and just doing the best we could. Starting this little garden might seem small, but it felt like a huge step forward. It gave us food, confidence, and a glimpse of the homestead life we’re working toward.
My Final Thoughts
You don’t need a ton of land, a big budget, or a perfect plan to start growing your own food. Just start with what you have. Even if it’s something small like saving cardboard or planting your first seeds.
What’s one small gardening step you could take right now? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear your story!