Many of us spend a lot of water, mowing, and hence money, keeping their grass green.   We decided to see if moving to artificial grass would be a cheaper proposition.  Some of the newer ones look pretty good.

Costco even sells artificial turf.  15′ x 25′ costs $1399.  Not exactly cheap but a lot cheaper than before. It comes with upto an 8 year warranty and is pet friendly. Many are made of recycled tires or water bottles. No more weeding, watering, or mowing. Costco surprisingly has a link to a MSDS sheet that shows it is Heavy Metal free (lead free) and is primarily made of polypropylene.

Dupont has added Forever lawn that has a 12-15 year lifetime, 8yr warranty.

There has been some controversy with regards to hazardous substances in some faux grass, primarily lead in older astroturf.  It does help people with pets tearing up grass or grass allergies.

Morningstarturf has analysis showing that synthetic grass pays for itself in 4 years.  Of course the analysis assumes you are installing new real grass. Without installing new real grass, the cost savings is faster.

We decided to stick with our lawn for now, but will be moving to something more native and water thrifty soon.

Our Water savings tips also help you reduce your water bill.