Many people want to start a vegetable garden to save money. It’s no wonder, since buying produce at the market can cost eight times more than growing your own.
To help you in your quest to grow vegetables, we’ve compiled the following list of vegetable garden tips and ideas to help you keep the initial cost as low as possible, and to successfully grow all the vegetables you want for your table. If you’re ready to create your vegetable garden, here are some ideas on how to do so on the cheap.
Learn how to start a vegetable garden for cheap! Don’t miss these vegetable garden ideas on a budget!
Cheap vegetable garden ideas
There are many other good reasons why you may want to grow some of your own produce in a vegetable garden. First, you can enjoy better tasting food by growing varieties of vegetables selected for flavor rather than shipping and storage, as so many market vegetables.
Also, many people find that their cooking habits change after growing their own vegetables. They prepare simpler and less expensive meals. Still others make tending the vegetable garden a family activity to help teach children about healthy eating. It gets the whole family outside and moving — pulling weeds is a workout!
Along with these benefits, there are also some challenges to consider before starting a vegetable garden.
Know that gardening requires routine work, including planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting.
In addition, growing vegetables requires a sunny location. Most vegetables require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day, and more sunlight is better.
Upfront costs can be high, especially if you need to buy fencing or gardening tools or build good growing soil. However, you can reap the rewards of your investment for years to come.
You also need to realize that not all gardeners are successful. Some report losing some or all of their crops, particularly in the first two years as they learn how to plant, tend and harvest their crops.
However, many new gardeners take the leap every year and learn that planting a vegetable garden is a very satisfying outdoor summer activity that can save them money and help them eat healthier.
Cheap vegetable gardening ideas
Photo: Deposit Photos
Make a garden plan
Decide which vegetables you will grow is one of the most important home gardening ideas. Make sure you can provide the optimal growing conditions including sun, water and space. Ask your neighbors which vegetables they’ve had success with and which don’t do well in your microclimate. That way you don’t waste time and money on plants that are less likely to grow.
Get free vegetable garden plans from Better Homes and Gardens.
Start small with container gardening
Especially if you live in the city, container gardening is easy and scalable. Instead of planting a garden in the ground, you plant your seeds or seedlings in a portable container, such as a ceramic planter. Cheap container vegetable gardening ideas like this make it simple.
Containers can be repurposed from almost anything. Cheap containers you can use to grow vegetables include milk jugs, two-liter soda bottles with the tops cut off, five-gallon plastic buckets, metal bins and plastic kiddie pools. You can even use a plastic bag of soil as an ad hoc planter. Another idea for cheap container vegetable gardening is to pick up ceramic and terra cotta flower pots for almost nothing at garage sales and thrift stores.
- Each raised metal garden bed size: 4×2×1ft ,7.14Cu
- Upgraded quality and structure: raised garden beds outdoor are made of Q195 galvanized metal sheet, double-layer anti-corrosion galvanizing and oval structure design, which is more beautiful, can withstand greater pressure at the interface, is not easy to loose, and the interface will not Deformed and can be reused for many years.
- Easy to set up, this galvanized stock tank only takes about 5 minutes to easily assemble and continue planting plants.
- Sturdy Fabric Material: Made of 300g of thickened nonwoven fabric, these pots are moderately permeable, and BPA-free
- Great Drainage: Nonwoven fabric means the pots do not retain excess water, allowing your roots to breathe for healthier, more vigorous growth
- Durable, Reinforced Handles: While the competition uses flimsy handles that are merely strips of the same fabric the pot is made from, we use serger stitches to sew handles onto the pot so they can support a full bag of soil
- SIZE: 40-1/2" L x 15-1/2" W x 31-1/2" H overall, planting box: 37-1/2" L x 15-1/2" W x 8" deep, holds about 2.5 cubic feet soil, provide ample growing space to raise vegetables, herbs, flowers and plants
- ERGONOMIC: Elevated raised planter box with legs eliminates the need to bend over, making gardening convenient. Raised garden bed on wheels, move to anywhere you want, with handy shelf holds accessories or tools
- METAL: Made of stable galvanized steel raised garden bed with anti-rusty grey coating, not made of wood which may rot. It can place outside or indoor for long time use
- Size: 2 pack set in one box! 72"(L) x 36"(W) x 12"(H), growing area of this garden bed perfect for an array of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in your yard
- Sturdy Construction: our galvanized raised garden bed is made from thick galvanized steel for superior strength and longevity, using three additional horizontal connecting rods to make the overall structure more stable
- Natural Drainage: the open-bottom design allows for natural water drainage, promoting healthy planted soil conditions in the plant boxes
- Durable Material: Made of 300g thick non-woven fabric that can be reused for more than 3 years.
- Excellent Drainage: Breathable material ensures rapid drainage and provides ideal growth environment.
- Reinforced Handle: Strong polypropylene webbing with X-shaped stitching provides support.
- Raised Garden Bed - Add a new level of convenience to your gardening experience with the Galvanized Raised Garden Bed. Enjoy expanded yield and a more assembled garden layout with this garden accessory, each sized at 120 cm X 60 cm x 30 cm.
- Open Base Design - The open base design of the garden box let the plants' roots increase freely into the soil, gaining a broad nutrient system. Securing proper drainage, better ventilation, and healthier root systems for more lively plants and abundant harvests.
- Lightweight Galvanized Steel- The outdoor raised garden beds are made from lightweight galvanized steel, ensuring exceptional longevity and durability. Also, it prevents it from corrosion and rust, offering a long-lasting gardening solution. Moreover, the middle support strip provided exceptional strength to our lightweight Galvanized Raised Garden Bed.
- Patented Flow Through Design - Save Water - Save Space - Grow More Effieciently
- Made of Food Safe Polypropylene - Just Need To Water Top Pot
- Great For Growing Strawberries, Herbs, Flowers, Succulents, and Much More
- STACKABLE PLANTER - Stack the planters to the height you desire.
- EASY TO MOVE - Four all-directional wheels, easy for the senior.
- DRAINAGE SYSTEM - Multiple drainage holes at the bottom prevent overwatering.
- Premium Material: Made of breathable double layer non-woven fabric, material is heavy duty felt, the bag ensures good ventilation to prevent excessive moisture, also provide more oxygen for your plants. The strong and biodegradable material can prolong the service life of the bags, at the same time cause no pollution.
- Convenient Design: These potato growing bags come with large harvest window, through which you can check your plant and easily harvest veggies. These grow bags are made of sturdy material to ensure you may move around the bags filled with soil.
- Large Capacity: These grow bags for growing potatoes with large capacity of 10 gallons allow to grow veggies as much as you want. Thanks to the large size, it will create a stable growing environment for veggies and flowers.
- 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗘: EAST OAK outdoor storage box measures 22.8''L x 17.1''W x 20.86'H. Even with a storage capacity of 31 gallons, you can fit many backyard extras like patio mats, pillows, pool accessories, gardening tools and hoses, etc
- 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗙: This deck box adopted upgraded resin material (SGS 1000plus) that protects its exterior from fading and keeps its interior dry no matter what the weather is
- 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘: In addition to its use as a storage box, the small storage box also has a 170lbs load capacity, can be used as a single patio seat or table. It can be used both indoors and outdoors
Begin with a few small containers or one large one. Make sure you choose a container that suits the vegetable you wish to plant in it.
If you’d rather plant in the ground, start small by digging a 10 foot by 10 foot or smaller garden plot, or adding a few vegetables and herbs to your existing landscape.
Here is some advice for container gardening with vegetables from Farmers Almanac.
Begin with easy-to-grow salad greens
Many first time vegetable gardeners start with salad greens and herbs. Plant in succession for a continuous crop, which means plant a few heads at a time, and start a new set every two to three weeks. You can make your own salad table with these instructions.
For herbs, start with easy to grow and versatile herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme or oregano. You’ll be amazed how you can save money when you don’t have to buy an entire expensive bunch of herbs just to use a few sprigs in a recipe.
To get started, visit these vegetable, fruit and herb gardening guides from the National Gardening Association.
Plant seeds, not seedlings
As you gain confidence, you can learn to plant seeds rather than seedlings. (See “How to start seeds indoors” below.) Seeds are a cheap way to create a garden as they cost much less than potted seedlings already grown in a nursery. While seed packets are inexpensive, your bill can still quickly add up, so it’s best to think through your choices. Make a list of what vegetables and flowers you most want to grow and then list secondary choices and compare prices.
Find seeds at your local nursery, or shop online for cheap seeds. Check several sites, as prices vary. When choosing between varieties, select seeds that match your climate zone. For instance, if you live in an area that has short summers, choose varieties with the fewest days from seeding to harvest.
- 55 VEGETABLE SEED COLLECTION: Start your garden with a variety of non-hybrid, non-GMO, open-pollinated, heirloom vegetable seeds. Each type is packed in resealable paper envelopes, with all of them together in a resealable foiled mylar pouch for added protection. This collection features a wide range of heirloom vegetables known for their distinct flavors and growth resilience.
- SELF-SUFFICIENCY GARDENING: Enhance your garden with a collection of 100% heirloom vegetable seeds. These seeds are chosen for their ability to reproduce and their historical resilience. The resealable packets offer the flexibility to plant some now and save the rest for future planting seasons.
- DISCOVER QUALITY SEEDS FOR YOUR GARDEN: Elevate your gardening experience with our seed kit, featuring 55 heirloom varieties. Each variety is carefully selected for its superior growth, yield, and ability to reproduce, promising a fruitful garden year after year. Enjoy the diversity and quality that comes with our handpicked heirloom seeds, perfect for gardeners seeking reliable and productive options.
- ASSORTMENT - 35 easy to grow vegetable varieties and over 16,000 seeds. All non-GMO and heirloom varieties. Our survival pack includes lettuce, beets, carrots, onions, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, peas, beans, and more. Complete gardening kit for growing your home garden.
- PROFESSIONAL - Packed in seed packets, not plastic bags: plastic bags can harbor mold and ruin vegetable seeds. Complete growing and harvesting instructions included on every packet. Perfect for indoor garden and hydroponics growing system.
- USA - Seed bank grown, sourced, and packaged in the USA. It makes excellent gifts for moms, adults and gardening gifts for men. Provide emergency food security by growing and saving seeds or storing our seeds in a cool, dark, dry place in its water resistant packaging.
- 15 Vegetables - Detroit Dark Red Beet, Golden Acres Cabbage, Imperator 58 Carrot, Big Red Pepper, National Pickling Cucumber, Black Beauty Eggplant, Large Red Cherry Tomato, Beefsteak Indeterminate Tomato, Butternut Squash, Straightneck Summer Squash, Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Black Beauty Zucchini, Cherry Belle Radish, Parris Island Lettuce, and Dwarf Siberian Improved Kale.
- Excellent Variety - 15 vegetables for growing in a home survival garden. Enjoy healthy, good food all year round with a good mix of flavors and nutritional profiles. These vegetables include summer favorites and cool weather varieties, as well as choices that store well or can be canned or otherwise preserved.
- Produce Bounty - Many varieties of herbs, fruits, and vegetables to grow, including tomatoes, peppers, cruciferous vegetables, herbs, melons, carrots, beets, radishes, greens, okra, squash, cucumbers, and more.
- Gardening Kit: 55 Most Popular Vegetable Seeds Variety Pack NON GMO Heirloom Seeds LESS THAN $0.70 PER SEED VARIETY PACK 35,600+ seeds including: Artichoke, Arugula, Bean, Beet, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Collard, Corn, Cucumber, Curled Cress, Eggplant, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mache Corn Salad, Okra, Leek, Scallion, Onion Parsnip, Pea, Pepper , Pumpkin, Radish, Rapini, Spinach, Squash, Sunflower, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnip, Zucchini.
- Enhanced Gardening Experience: Our seeds for planting outdoor and indoor garden come in a waterproof resealable bag with 55 individual craft seed packets inside. Enjoy planting home garden with mini gardening supplies including leaf clipper, tweezers, seed dibber tool, weeding fork, and widger tool. Scan the QR codes on the seed packets to access online gardener basic growing guide and culinary book. Learn about vegetable gardening, discover everyday recipes to make the most of your harvest.
- Garden Success Assured: Whether you have an indoor hydroponic garden or an outdoor vegetable patch, our seeds are perfect for any setting. With a superior germination rate proven through various tests, enjoy fresh vegetables growing food all year round. Enjoy the satisfaction of growing seeds on your own garden, knowing that our high-quality seeds for planting vegetables guarantee abundant harvest and delicious meals for you and your family.
- Set includes 43 lightly assorted Vegetable and Herb seeds!
- All Seeds are Heirloom, 100% Non-GMO!
- High Germination Rate within 7-14 days
- Includes 30 Different Varieties! 30 Packs of Seeds!
- High Germination Rate within 7-14 days
- All Seeds are Heirloom, 100% Non-GMO (Non Genetically Engineered)
- Extensive Seed Starter Kit: This heirloom seeds pack offers 32 different heirloom vegetable varieties, providing a comprehensive assortment to diversify your garden and ensure a bountiful harvest
- High-Yield Potential: With 15,000 plant seeds included, this pack is designed to produce a substantial amount of fresh, homegrown vegetables, supporting both small and large-scale gardening projects
- Non-GMO and Heirloom Quality: All garden seeds are non-GMO and heirloom, ensuring natural growth and the ability to save seeds for future planting, promoting sustainability in your gardening practices
- Vegetable seeds for planting: Go ahead & indulge that ‘green’ thumb! Plant & grow your own vegetables at home using the seed mix offered by our vegetable growing outdoor and indoor garden kit arranged for “do it yourself” vegetable gardening.
- 20 vegetable varieties per bundle: Growing your own vegetables for eating has never been this easy. Separated into (20) varieties packaged in paper packets, our vegetable garden diy kit’s seeds yield a healthy mix of fresh produce.
- Approximately 8,000 veggie seeds: Each veggie garden set contains approximately 8K easy grow vegetable gardening seeds, including lettuce seeds, cucumber seeds and tomato seeds for growing lettuce, cucumber, tomato, carrot, onion, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peppers, beets, spinach, zucchini & more.
- Each pack includes 15 varieties of heirloom vegetable seeds that are carefully selected for quality, ensuring a natural and sustainable gardening experience.
- Our seeds are 100% non-GMO, making them safe for your family, pets, and the environment, while promoting a healthier garden ecosystem.
- Grow a mix of 15 vegetable types including tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, peppers, lettuce, and more, allowing you to enjoy a diverse and nutritious harvest.
- ALL-INCLUSIVE PREMIUM USA SEED COLLECTION – This carefully curated set includes 32 vegetable and fruit varieties, with over 16,000+ high-quality seeds from top-tier American breeders. These seeds are known for their high germination rates, strong adaptability, resilience, and rich flavors, ensuring a bountiful and nutritious harvest.
- HEIRLOOM & HIGH-DEMAND VARIETIES – A meticulously selected assortment featuring time-tested, traditional, and sought-after vegetable and fruit cultivars. These premium-quality seeds offer a diverse and nutrient-rich selection that is essential for gardeners, greenhouse growers, and farmers alike.
- YOUR DREAM GARDEN IN A PACK – This exclusive variety pack is thoughtfully designed for home gardening and small-scale farming. Each variety is chosen for its unique characteristics, including high yield, excellent taste, visual appeal, and ease of cultivation.
The easiest vegetables to start from seed are beets, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, greens (including kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and lettuces), pumpkin and winter squash, radishes, tomatoes, and zucchini or other summer squashes. Follow planting instructions on the seed packet. For a spring garden, you may need to start seeds indoors (see below). Other seeds can be planted directly in the ground.
To acquire seeds on the cheap, ask your friends and family if they have spare seeds, or if they want to share the cost of seeds with you. That’s two gardens for the price of one! Once your garden is established, save seeds from one year’s harvest to plant the next. That will save you money over purchasing seeds from the gardening center every year, and you can be generous and share with your gardening neighbors.

Photo: Deposit Photos
Grow vegetables your family eats
Start with vegetables that you are already buying and eating. Choosing to grow vegetables your family enjoys will give you the highest return over store-bought produce. Once you’re successful, try adding a new vegetable each year. You might be surprised that the home-grown version tastes better or that kids are more willing to try a food they picked from their back yard.
Water wisely
The best times to water your garden are early in the morning or later in the evening. Never water in the middle of the day when evaporation is higher; less water makes its way to your plants.
Another way to save money on your water bill is to capture rain water for use in your garden. You can buy a rain barrel at places like Home Depot or Walmart, but you can also make one for less money. Try these four DIY rain barrels.
Make your own compost from yard and food waste
You can be earth-friendly and good to your garden by taking up composting. You may need to purchase good soil to start your garden, but you should never need to buy compost or fertilizer once you’re making your own. You will need to invest in a good compost barrel to start, but that purchase will bring value, as you reuse rather than trash your food scraps and save money on your gardening bills.
If you want to acquire a compost bin on the cheap, look on your local neighborhood buy-and-sell or giveaway groups to see if anyone is ready to part with theirs.
Use cheap fencing
You might need to erect a fence to keep out critters such as deer, raccoons and rabbits — not to mention household pets and young children. For a cheap fence option, use inexpensive chicken wire attached to wood or metal stakes to protect your vegetables from being eaten by animals.

Photo: Deposit Photos
How to start seeds indoors
You can get a jump-start on your spring garden and save money by seeding veggies and flowers indoors. Essentially, you’ll start your garden early by growing seeds into seedlings in your house before transplanting them to your outdoor container or garden plot. If you can do this successfully, it’s the cheaper way to go because buying seedlings is much more expensive.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to starting your vegetable garden indoors:
- Find a container. You can plant seeds in just about any type of container, as long as it has drainage holes. You can use plant pots you saved from a prior season or cheap plastic containers from the grocery store that held produce items. You can use cheap containers to grow vegetables.
- Add soil. Fill each container with a light seed-starting soil mix that you’ve pre-moistened. Gently pat down the soil surface to make it even.
- Plant the seeds. Avoid seed mix-ups by planting each type of seed in a separate container. Sprinkle small seeds on the soil surface and cover with additional seed-starting mix in a layer the same thickness as each seed type. Light seeds require a very thin coating. Push larger seeds, such as squash, cucumber and pumpkin, below the soil surface to the same depth as the width of the seed and cover with soil.
- Label. Use a pencil to label craft sticks with the name of each plant and the date. Insert in the appropriate container.
- Moisten and cover. Mist the soil surface again with a spray bottle until it is thoroughly moistened. Cover the pots with a plastic lid, or use plastic wrap. Place the containers in a warm place.
- Maintain. Encourage seed sprouting by creating a humid environment. Keep the soil moist and the containers covered. Remove the lid or plastic when the seedlings emerge.
- Find the best light. Seedlings must receive adequate lighting. While a bright window may work, putting them under full-spectrum lighting is best. Such lighting can be found in tubes and bulbs. Place the light within two to three inches of the top of the plants.
- Water. Keep the young plants moist but not soggy. Too much moisture can lead to fungal pathogens that cause root rot, and too little water causes tender seedlings to quickly perish.
- Transplant. Once the seedlings have grown two sets of true leaves, they are ready to transplant outdoors in the garden, if the chance of frost has passed. When the weather is still too cold, pot up into containers and keep them indoors under lights. The plant should equal two-thirds of the plant/pot combination.
If you liked this article, you may also enjoy:
- How to save money with a rain garden
- Make the most of your garden’s harvest
- Conserve water, save money with a home garden xeriscape
- 5 easy, frugal steps to sustainable living
- Regrow your own green onions in your kitchen
- Great gifts under $25 for organic gardeners
Many people who need to “live on the cheap” live in apartments. You can grow food on a balcony or small patio, and even in Dollar Tree window boxes inside on your window ledges. I have grown small lettuces, green onions, basil, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries this way. I am getting into recycling my food scraps into compost using Bokashi buckets on my balcony.
In the Seattle area, Fred Meyer stores have an annual Saturday “Fuschia” sale where they will fill up your planters (even big ones–I bring the litter buckets I grow tomatoes and root veg in!) with FREE potting soil when you buy any plant; fuschias and strawberry plants are usually cheapest. I buy the strawberries. This gardening event is coming up, probably mid-April.
What great information! Thank you for sharing.