Fall is finally here, and it's one of the easiest seasons to decorate for. So as soon as the calendar hit Sept. 1, I broke out the autumnal decor. Since we're still social distancing, I wanted to focus on the porch. For an extra challenge, I gave myself $100 budget.
Happy to report it was pretty easy to stick to the budget. Sadly, though, the squirrels thought the pumpkins were an all-you-can-eat buffet specifically set out for them. If you've been following along on Instagram @thepvcapecod, you got to hear all about it!
I ended up getting some amazing pumpkins from Sprouts in sage, white, and a pale orange. The sage pumpkins were my absolute favorite; they just really spoke to me. And listen, when something makes you feel a little something extra in 2020, do not pass that up! I know it's not traditional fall orange-red-brown, but against our brick patio and stairs, it was a nice pop of color. The pumpkins ranged from $4-$8, and I ended up with 9 total. Grand total for pumpkins was $38 (rounding up for tax).
In addition to the pumpkins, I wanted some mums. I went to Suburban Lawn & Garden because I also needed to pick up some additional pots to put them in. However, I do know that at one point Aldi had mums on sale for as little as $3! The small mums I got were around $6, and the larger ones were $15.
I already had my doormats, as well as the DIY Wreath, so that's not included in the cost. The only other thing I purchased was a hay bale from Hobby Lobby and a few of the plastic pots from Suburban Lawn & Garden (to stay on budget, of course). Total cost for everything was just about $100.
Budget Breakdown:
- $38 for pumpkins
- $46 for mums
- $10 for pots (we already had a couple at home from previous years)
- $6 for a hay bale (with a coupon)
- TOTAL: $100!
Do you decorate your porch for fall? Do you have issues with the squirrels?
Tips for dealing with squirrels:
- Spray pumpkins with a clear coat of spray paint or polyurethane
- Sprinkle cayenne pepper over the pumpkins (however, rain washes this away)
- Spray daily with diluted bleach water
- Rabbit scram (Google it)
- Vicks vapor rub