DIY paving slabs: would making my own actually save money?
By Greg the Geeza · 4 October 2026
I’m building a garden pathway on a budget. Six big concrete slabs, gravel around them, and hopefully something that looks decent without emptying my bloody pockets.
So naturally, I thought: why not make the slabs myself?
First bright idea: pallet wood.
I already had pallets and tools. Make a mould from the boards, pour the concrete, job done. Lovely.
Except the boards split, and the timber wasn’t suitable for a decent mould. Free materials are only a bargain if they actually do the job.
Then I started counting the costs.
Proper mould timber. Screws. Cement, sand and gravel. Reinforcement. Mixer hire and delivery. Suddenly, “I’ll knock them up myself” wasn’t looking quite so cheap.
My DIY budget came to €341. And that’s before the time and effort of mixing, pouring, curing and lugging everything about.
Meanwhile, a local supplier quoted around €30 a slab, plus €20 delivery. For six slabs, that’s roughly €200 delivered.
My plan: buy the slabs, do the installation myself.
I like making things, but the whole point is to make the budget work. Sometimes that means doing it yourself. Sometimes it means knowing which bits to buy.
About €141 less, with the mixing and curing taken out of the equation. Sometimes DIY just doesn’t make bloody sense. I’ll buy the slabs and put my effort into laying them.
I still need to confirm the supplier’s final price, colour and specification before ordering.
Watch the comparison.
Part 3 is now published on my social channels. It shows the comparison and why I’m choosing ready-made slabs for this job.
What would you do?
Would you make your own or buy them ready-made? Tell me why—you might save another poor sod some money.
Email Greg your thoughts, or find me on social media.
Part 4 & Blog: the concrete border reveal
— Greg the Geeza
