Plan Your Purchase
Only buy seeds you intend to grow and only grow foods you intend to eat. If everyone in your family hates turnips, as they should because turnips are disgusting, why buy turnip seeds? If you have never actually tasted kohlrabi, don't invest money and time into planting a crop that you don't want and can't use. Instead, make a plan for your garden then seek out the seeds.
Know Your Zone
Guess what? Not everything grows everywhere. If you live in Casper, Wyoming, you will have a shorter season for summer crops than if you live in Mobile, Alabama. Keep this in mind when deciding when and if to plant long-season crops like watermelon. Also, if you have a garden that is mostly shaded, some plants that like full sun won't be wise financial choices for you.
Look for Discounts, but Shop Wisely
When you buy the most inexpensive seeds, you can save a lot of money. I have purchased seed packets at four for one dollar at the local dollar store. However, once I arrived home, I found that one of the packets had no seeds in it at all. I have also purchased some very inexpensive seed packets that never sprouted. I usually assume this is my fault, but it could also be the fault of poorly sealed, stored, and old seeds.
Collect Your Own
Now this is where we really get into the cheap of the cheap. I have actually never done this before, but I intend to try it out this year. I have already collected seed heads from my chives and I will certainly do the same for many of my flowers. The vegetables, however, I'm a little iffy on. If you really want to give collecting your own seeds a shot, I suggest you read through this guide at Mother Earth News. Note that if your currently growing crops are hybrids, they may not grow true to type or may not grow at all from the seeds that you collect.
Buy at the End of the Season
I admit that I already have two envelopes filled with seeds for next year's garden. Many stores that carry seeds discount their packets significantly during this time of year. Most gardeners are not interested in seeds in July and do not realize that seeds can stay in sealed packages for an extended period of time and still yield hearty crops. Indeed, the carrots I had last year were one of my only crops to actually grow and the seed packet I used was about five years old at the time. Purchase your seeds on discount, then store them in a cool, dry place.
Buy in Bulk
Generally speaking, you can save money when buying anything in large quantities. Though you may not have the need for 1,000 zucchini seeds, you can find friends and neighbors who are willing to share the seeds and the expense. You can also host a seed swapping party. Have your like-minded gardening friends bring all of their unused and unneeded seeds to share and exchange with others.
Shop Online
For the most part, online seed sellers are less expensive than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Many companies offer free or inexpensive shipping. I have ordered from Dirt Cheap Seeds a number of times and have always had a very positive experience. Listed below are a number of other seed sites that offer inexpensive options for the home gardener. Please note: I have not purchased from all of these places, therefore I can't attest to their quality or ship times.
You can also find great deals through Amazon. A number of people swear by purchasing their seeds through eBay, though I have also heard mixed messages about the quality of the seeds.
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