For example: certain seeds are only available from certain sources. I buy planters when they are on sale or even at the occasional yard sale. If I only want one plant of a perennial flower, I try for a local garden mart so there is no shipping.

Suggest you write for a few catalogs in the early Fall. You can eventually shop on line even, but it is easier to compare prices and descriptions from the hard copies. Check out the frugal forum for recycling ideas, etc.

With other seed we plant we find it more economical just to buy. We don't have the space to keep all of our open polinated veggies far enough apart or the extra time it takes to have proper seed care & collection.

Here is where we order most of our vegetable seed and they have reasonable prices

Becky