I can think of very few decorative items for the house that give me more pleasure than seeing fresh flowers set out on a table or countertop. There’s something so wonderful about seeing fresh buds soften a room with their bright faces. Today I am sharing how to create a frugal bouquet to add beauty and elegance to your home on a budget. 

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If you’re into fresh flowers, you know that buying them can be pretty pricey. A bouquet of mixed flowers that may include something like four roses, some daisies, mums and carnations can run you right around $50 locally (In larger metropolitan areas it’s even higher). A dozen roses can easily run you $100 or more.

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So what is the thrifty solution? Aldi. It’s great because Aldi always has $3.99 bouquets! They typically have a variety of roses and mixed blooms for you to choose from and they are always $3.99 a bunch. On I Friday afternoon I love to buy three bunches and mix and match my own large bouquet at home. What would normally have been around $50 or more only costs me $12. Who can resist such a beautiful and thrifty luxury? 🙂

Here are some tips to keep your frugal bouquet fresh and vibrant!

• A great way to keep fresh flowers fresh is to cut the ends at an angle. This allows water and nutrients to enter more freely through a larger surface area than cutting straight across.
• Add a teaspoon or two of sugar, a tab or two of aspirin and/or drop of bleach to the water before putting the flowers into the vase. The sugar helps feed the flowers and the aspirin and bleach prevent bacteria from forming, allowing the flowers to stay fresh longer.
• Also, always trim off extra leaves and branches from the area of the stems that will be submerged in water. This also helps prevent bacteria from forming and the stems from rotting.
• Change the water every few days if you can help it. If you find good fresh flowers (beware of ones that look a little old and sad!), you can make your bouquet last a week or so.
• Psst! You can also get rid of dead ones and make a smaller bouquet with what’s left that is still fresh.