Expert Q&A Sessions, Gardening, Part 2: What gardening products do you see people frequently overspending on?

Question: What gardening products do you see people frequently overspending on, when generic or off-brand versions could suit them perfectly fine? Which gardening products do you think are most worth investing in by going premium?
Luios1013: In many cases, I think it's best to go with budget-friendly gardening tools. If you're mostly digging up small weeds and planting seedlings, you simply don't need an overbuilt trowel, as you aren't going to be putting much stress on it. Plus, I find my gardening tools degrade the most from the outdoor wear and tear – maybe I leave my pruning shears out in a rain storm, or lose my hand rake in an overgrown bed for a few months – so keeping the initial investment low makes it easier for me to replace them more frequently.

I try to put my money towards buying quality seedlings, soil and fertilizer. If you start with a healthy, thriving plant, you've got a higher chance of success than if you go for one that's already struggling to survive. Plus, the difference in price between a top-quality seedling and one that's on its way out is pretty negligible. Your local nursery may even have better prices than what you see at the big box stores!

I'll get more into the soil debate later, but I personally believe that high-quality soil and fertilizer is a smart investment. A nutrient-rich environment can greatly improve the growth of your plants. Plus, if you're growing plants that produce an edible crop, do you really want the thing that's growing your food to be running on junk?

Question: What good gardening supplies do you see most often on Slickdeals? What are the things people should definitely be sourcing through our site?
Luios1013: Hand tools and mulch are two great places to start when looking for garden deals on Slickdeals. I've seen great deals on tools and tool sets from a variety of retailers throughout the year, and as I said earlier, I like to go with the budget-friendly versions of these. Assuming the sentiment is good in the comments, you should be in good shape with whatever you find.

With mulch, you'll need to do a little more research to ensure you're getting the kind you want, but once you've got that straight, Slickdeals can save you a ton of money when buying in higher quantities. A $2 discount on a bag of mulch might not seem like much, but if you're ordering, say, 30 bags, suddenly you've saved $60.

Question: Which products are easier to find good deals for online? Which can you find better deals for at local stores/nurseries?
Luios1013: In addition to mulch and hand tools, which I mentioned above, I think it's good to look for deals on pavers and landscaping rocks online. Of course, you'll need to factor shipping costs into your decision since these products can get pretty heavy, but often the sale price more than makes up for this, and the best deals come with free shipping.

On the other hand, I think it's always better to purchase seedlings at local nurseries when possible. You can see the actual plant you're buying before you purchase and you don't have to worry about something going wrong in the shipping process that might cause it harm. One more benefit to shopping local is that there's a greater chance the seedling was grown close to your gardening zone, which means it's likely going to do well in your garden.