[TPKIRK]

Hey guys,

About 6 moths ago i got my plot which is a fair size.
Today i am getting a quote for a fence and a gate installed, but after that i want to do it all 'on the cheap' or for free.
I just wondered how much money people feed in to their allotments and can you get by with spending little to nothing? Just wanting a few tips

[Beetroot queen]

Allotments can cost anything you want to spend on them, we have a fence most don't, we have defined beds, most don't. It's purely up to you.

I take a lot of pride in mine and expect it to be good if not better than my garden at home. I love the fact we have a plot and would happily waste every spare penny, but you don't need too.

Scaffold net= free
Wood palets= free
Free cycle everything free, you just have to be creative. 

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Last year was my third year on the plot and I spent a total of about £160 on all things allotment related.  (including rent of £25). I don't skimp, but equally I don't spend lavishly on it either-those "nice to have things" can come as birthday presents!

To keep costs low you could swap seeds on this forum (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=7.0), ask people at your allotment for any raspberry/strawberry runners they don't want. Check out the frugal living part of this forum too: http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=9.0

Above all, enjoy! I think mine is worth every penny. 

[alancas]

hi, have a drive around industrial areas you will see loads of pallets packing crates etc they want rid of .great for fences compost heaps etc,it costs nothing to ask and they can only say no.i built a shed doing this.

[seaside]

Why would you want someone else to fence your allotment ? It's not a difficult job technically, just a matter of bashing in some posts and joining up the dots ... my new neighbours don't have a lot of spare time but are fencing as they go, weeding and digging as they go, planting a few beds, and covering the rest they won't get to until the end of the season. That first year seems to be all important for all of us and how we intend to continue or not.

Seeds and plants, replacing pots etc,  cost me roughly £100 a year. If I were disciplined enough, and a bit more organised, it could cost me half of that, but we all have our weaknesses, mistakes and desires. A nice new cherry tree would set me back £30. I would love one, but I'll just have to dream. Any sheds and greenhouse are on top at the beginning obviously. I personally think a greenhouse is an essential part of allotment things these days considering the climate. The 12 x 6 greenhouse I built cost me £200 all in, rather than three times the price off the peg flat pack..
In the end, it's a pleasure, a hobby, a healthy activity, a source of quality cheap food, a a community, a muse... whatever one wants it to be. Many of us think nothing of spending  a lot of money on a night out, so allotments are enduring value for money.
These thoughts come from one of the most frugal people you would ever meet. I also thought I would not enjoy repetitive digging for very little recompense. I was wrong, on occasion it brightens my day, and the Summers are infinitely longer now. In money specifics, I saw purple sprouting broccoli for sale in a supermarket last week for £7 per kg !! and that wasn't even organic. Enough said

[snowdrops]

have a look at Dora's Diary on here she has a fence made out of pallets,just stood up & posts banged in down the middle I think.

[Plot_29@_Lady_Mary]

None of our allotments here have fencing of any kind. In fact we aren't allowed to fenced up. When I got my lottie last June, I spent GBP50 for a polytunnel which I think is necessary, everything else I recycled from pallets, old bunk beds, etc. I even took my old garden shed over. You'll be surprise how much stuff you can get from other plot holders at your site. Be humble, make friends with everyone. I was handed a large water butt, chicken mesh, scaffolding (very useful for raised beds!), netting, even compost! Oh yes, not to mention lots of seeds and seedlings!

[TPKIRK]

I'm having a fence put up because i don't want to be leaving supplies over night as we have issues in the area with local kids coming on and taking things and it seems professionals would do it a little quicker.
We do have a perimeter fence around all the allotments but due to the location they don't have pointy tops to them.
Cheers for the advice everyone, i appreciate it. And i thought i remembered a frugal section but couldn't remember what it was called.

[J_B]

congratulations and enjoy yourself...also take some time to enjoy ti not just plant plant