The Best-Kept Secret To Getting Budget-Friendly Gravel For DIY Landscaping Projects

You don't have to blow out your entire budget buying gravel for DIY landscaping projects. There's an unsuspecting place to get the material at a low cost, and sometimes even for free! Facebook Marketplace isn't just for buying clothes or scoring good furniture deals. Instead, there's a whole world of landscaping supplies available on there, too. You just need to know what to search for to get the best deals. Try looking for "landscaping gravel," "garden pebbles," "crushed rock," or even "leftover gardening supplies" to get an idea of what's available in your area. If you don't see the color or type of gravel that you want, check back often. New listings pop up all the time!

Often, you will be buying the material off people who over-purchased for their own project. So the materials you come across will be in open bags, or possibly pre-used. This is why the prices are so much less expensive than when you buy from a supplier. However, you might also come across people who are running legitimate supply businesses on Facebook Marketplace. These listings will typically have higher prices, since they are like purchasing from a store. They also are more likely to include delivery. If someone is going to give you heaps of gravel for free (or just a few bucks), it's more likely that you'll need to arrange pickup.  

Some sellers will list their gravel for just $1, but it's not actually that cheap. They only have that price up to make sure their listing is seen by more people, who they hope to negotiate a different deal with later on. For the best budget-friendly gravel landscaping options, avoid these listings and just stick with the regular folks just trying to get rid of overstock. Facebook groups are another great resource to find these listings. Sometimes, people won't make a direct Marketplace ad, but they will post in a local neighborhood group that they are looking to get rid of some gravel. Searching for community groups that contain your town name or zip code is a good way to come across them. If you join one, Facebook often suggests similar groups, too — so you won't miss anything. 

Since many of these landscaping with gravel deals require pick up, make sure you have a plan for transporting the gravel before you commit. If the gravel is just sitting in a large pile, using five-gallon buckets to get it home will work well, no matter the car you have. You can wear gloves and load the buckets by hand, or shovel it in. If you don't have any buckets, or want to put the gravel directly in your truck bed, lay a tarp down first so nothing gets scratched up or chalky.