Do It Yourself and Save Big

Repair a Dead Spot on the Lawn

Time: 15 minutes, plus growing time.

What you need: A rake, a shovel, top-soil ($8.50), turf-grass seed of the same variety as the rest of your lawn ($8), peat moss ($4; all at acehardware.com), and a hose.

How-to: Pull away the dead turf grass with a rake or your hands, then remove a couple of inches of soil using a shovel. Replace it with a couple of inches of fresh topsoil. Sprinkle grass seed over the topsoil, then cover with peat moss, which will keep the seed moist and protect it from birds. Water the patch every two or three days, depending on your rainfall. Within two weeks, the seed will begin to germinate. In a month, you’ll have a full-fledged picnic spot.

A pro charges: $100
DIY cost: $0, after the initial $20.50 for supplies