Let the Garden Growing Begin: How A Real Mom’s Budget-Friendly Garden begins!

by CasieBlog, Mom ThingsPosted on No Comments
3 raised garden beds sitting on a lawn with bags of soil

The beds have been built and ready for a while now.

The weather in Maine has decided not to cooperate! (Not really a surprise there, to be honest.)

We got our dirt yesterday! I’m excited to finally get the beds filled and get the garden started! I tried a garden probably 10 years ago, but I’m actually taking it seriously this time around.

I did a lot of research on how I wanted to layer the beds. I’m sure I could have filled them to the brim with Raised Bed Garden Soil. But let’s be real, that would get expensive QUICK.

In this economy, I’m doing my best to do things a bit cheaper where I can. It’s not exactly cutting corners—I’d consider it to be using resources wisely.

Early in the spring, I cleared a bunch of the dead leftovers from the garden out front of our front steps. It REALLY needed it and it felt good knowing the lilies would grow back in a clear spot!

I had already built my garden beds and had them sitting and waiting where I wanted them to be. So I took the cuttings and placed them at the bottom of the beds. We also had a rose bush that was so overgrown it was stuck in the siding of the house and it hadn’t flowered in the 2 years we’ve been here. So I got clippers and went to work!

Even with leather palmed gloves, the roses took their revenge.

The thorns on those suckers HURT! But I still won in the end. I used these clippings to fill the bottom of the garden beds along with the lily clippings.

This seems kinda random, but I read to add cardboard! (Plain with no printing on it.) And that it would work like a weed cloth, and will eventually break down into organic matter.

We try our best to recycle what we can, so we always have a ton of cardboard. This was a perfect way to get rid of some in an eco-friendly way! And I’m not a huge fan of weed barrier cloth—I find it only ever works OKAY (and it’s expensive).

We have a planter incorporated into our front steps that had a shrub in it for who knows how long. I was determined to rid the front steps of said shrub. I knew in time it would grow too large and the roots might crack the concrete. (The stairs are fairly old.) I fought with the damn shrub on and off for weeks, slowly getting its roots loosened from the concrete. I got her out in the rain and threw her down in triumph! I’m sorry little shrub. You were cute, but not where you were planted.

Since I wanted to add something floral and pretty, my husband took me out on Mother’s Day to get some plants! I took out quite a bit of the existing dirt and placed it in my raised beds. I figured it would be covered with new soil anyway, so I made space in the planter and repurposed the old stuff. Win-win, am I right? Anyway, I’m getting off topic.

We went to Aubuchon Hardware this weekend to get the soil. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, we figured it’s late enough in the year to get the soil and take advantage of any sales. (For those not on the East Coast, Aubuchon is partnered with Ace Hardware.) I took a long time deciding what exactly I wanted to get and what I could get for the best price. Since I managed a Garden Center at a local Lowe’s for a time, I knew I had multiple options, but it took a bit to decide what amounts of each type of soil I’d need. (I’m TERRIBLE at math.)

So after too much time thinking way too hard (while my husband and toddler were amazed by wind chimes), I went with:

  • 3 bags of Cedar Mulch
  • 6 bags of Topsoil
  • 3 bags of Organic Humus and Manure Mix
  • 3 bags of Organic Raised Bed Soil

These are the exact items I used. (The links are as close I could find online.)

https://www.hardwarestore.com/195541-miracle-gro-raised-bed-soil-15-cu-ft

https://www.hardwarestore.com/665342-scotts-lawn-care-eath-gro-top-soil-40lb

https://www.hardwarestore.com/195543-earthgro-manure-humus-1-cu-ft

https://www.hardwarestore.com/126465-cedar-valley-organics-mucd107-mulch-aromatic-natural-3-cu-ft-bag

Since I already had my base layer of clippings and cardboard, I started with the mulch. I was going to go through the woods and get more branches and organic matter, but I like the fact that cedar is a natural bug repellent. I did read it can change the pH of the soil, so I made a layer of cedar in each bed and tamped it down until it felt firm, but not compact. Then I layered on a bag of topsoil and a bag of the humus/manure mix and mixed those layers together by hand. I tried my best not to incorporate the mulch into it (which is why I did this by hand—with gloves on!). Then at the end, I topped it with a bag of the raised bed soil!

I’m going to start my seeds inside this week. I cut boxes from granola bars in half and that’s where I will plant my seeds! This way I can keep an eye on the little babies while they sprout. Once I transfer them to the garden, I’m going to put toilet paper rolls around them! This way I can keep them safer from certain bugs and slugs. Plus, it will help protect them from any birds or other critters for a while.

Am I overly ambitious? Probably. Excited? Absolutely!

I’l be back with updates once things start growing! I can’t wait to share this with my daughter and have her learn about plants and growing our own food!

We’re a One-Income Family—Here’s How We Make It Work (Barely)

by CasieBlog, Mom ThingsPosted on No Comments

When we decided I’d stay home with our daughter, we didn’t exactly have a financial roadmap, or any sort of plan to survive on one income. We just knew that daycare was too expensive, my job situation wasn’t working, and our daughter deserved the kind of care only we could give her. So we took the leap—and then we started figuring it out as we went. This post isn’t a guide or a “how-to” (because I’m not that mom), but it is a look at the real things we’ve done to make one income work in 2024-2025.

Let’s be real- it’s the question on everyone’s mind: In 2025, how is any family supposed to afford having one parent stay home and care for the kid(s)?

I’ll be honest—some weeks are just plain hard.

Technically, my husband’s a “white-collar” worker. He’s in Health and Safety at a milk company, (and working on getting an OSHA degree) while it’s a solid job, climbing the ladder takes time. Like any good elder millennial, we know it’s all about the long game—waiting for people to retire or move on so you can take the next step up. So in order to make life more comfortable, we have to bide our time until the next step becomes available.

Originally, the plan was for me to go back to work after six weeks of leave. But between the drama with my employer and the eye-watering cost of daycare, it didn’t make much sense. I’d basically be working just to cover childcare. So instead of handing most of my paycheck over to a daycare center, we decided I’d stay home and care for her myself. She’d get my full attention, and we’d raise her exactly how we wanted.

The first few months were rough—I won’t sugarcoat it. At one point, I was so deep in job boards and cover letters that I ended up rewriting my husband’s resume and applying to jobs for him. That’s actually how he landed the role he’s in now. Total win-win: better pay, and a company that values what he brings to the table and actually supports his passion for the work. A place with an actual future, and it allowed me to stop looking for a part time job, or one of those ever elusive “work from home” jobs that I’m convinced don’t actually exist.

After a while, I started looking at our subscriptions and non-essential bills. Did we really need Netflix, Peacock, and Crunchyroll? Were we even using half of what we were paying for? I asked myself: could I swap name-brand foods for cheaper versions, or just make them from scratch instead of buying them pre-made? Could we save money by switching our car or homeowners insurance to a different company? These were all things I looked at—and yeah, I made some cuts and tweaks where I could.

Next big thing? Meal planning. And I’ll be honest—meal planning isn’t always easy, especially when you’re not someone who can eat the same thing every day. (That’s me.) I try to keep a good rotation going. Meanwhile, my husband could happily eat the same five meals forever and not complain once. (Idk man, he’s weird.)

I usually shop at Walmart and Hannaford (yeah, Food Lion for some of you). I find produce and meats are often cheaper at Hannaford (and the quality seems to be higher), while Walmart wins when it comes to “center store” stuff—aka the pre-packaged and non-perishables. (Sorry, I used to work in a grocery store’s corporate office, old habits die hard.)

Each week I check the Hannaford flyer—Walmart doesn’t do flyers—and see what’s on sale in terms of meat, fruits, and veggies. From there, I either pull from my own recipe stash or do a quick Google search for something that’s easy and budget-friendly. Then I build my carts online—usually on my laptop, not the app—and either schedule a grocery pickup or use my cart as a digital shopping list and head to the store. Sometimes it’s nice to get the baby out of the house, but let’s be real… when I go in person, I tend to spend more. I see a snack I like or something I could maybe make, and into the cart it goes.

Could I be saving even more? Probably. And yeah, I’d love to monetize this blog someday. But I’m not here to sell you anything. I don’t want to be one of those moms pushing a “passive income course” or charging you for tips on how to “keep your toddler calm.” That’s not me.

I want to build a community of moms who get it—who are in the thick of it, like me. I’d never want to take someone’s hard-earned money, especially if there’s something I can teach or share for free that might make your day even a little bit easier.

This blog is still new and finding its rhythm. But my hope is that, over time, it can be a space that inspires you in your own journey through motherhood. I won’t be your typical influencer mom—but I will be honest, real, and a little silly along the way.