It is impossible to be specific about costs - too many unknowns and variables involved. But with proper planning, it can cost as little or as much as you care to spend :-)

Take some time to plan out the garden layout. Get some graph paper and sketch out the garden to scale and place your planting beds where they make the most sense (sun, access to a water source, proximity to kitchen for veggies, etc.). Allow enough room between planting areas for easy access with tools and equipment and if opting for lawn, enough room to mow easily.

If laying sod, it is the most expensive way to create a lawn but may make sense if you only have a small area to deal with. Just make sure it is very fresh - sod has a very short shelf life before it starts to deteriorate. Otherwise, seeding is the least expensive method. And starting your plants from seed is less expensive than purchasing already growing starts. Also check out local plant sales and swaps - that is often a great way to obtain plants very inexpensively.

Vinegar is not the most efficient weed killer. It takes repeated applications made in full sun while the plants are in active growth. If you have a lot of weeds, that can be a lot of vinegar required. The most economical method of weed removal is hand weeding and can produce relatively quick results if you intend to plant this season. Otherwise, smothering the weeds with layers of wetted cardboard or newspaper topped with a good layer of mulch will be very effective but takes time to work.

You may be on a tight budget but the one area you do not want to skimp on is improving the soil. A good soil is the foundation of any garden and a loose, well draining, organically rich soil is what you want to achieve. That is going to get everything - flowers, veggies, the lawn - growing and thriving properly. It is worth any investment you make. Hunt out any free sources of organic matter you can find - aged manures/stable bedding, leaves, even grass clippings from neighbors - and mix into your current soil. Start your own compost pile as well. Gardeners can never have too much compost!

It is important to understand that great gardens don't happen overnight. It could take several years before you realize the garden you imagine, specially if you are working on a strict budget. The most important factors in creating a new garden are planning and patience.........and they're both free :-))

For cheap grass walk your neighborhood and collect st. Augustine runners

Along the road then tuck the runners in your soil, water instant, cheap

Grass.

It works

Also ask your friends for plants. Ask your neighbor gardeners for advice

On what to grow, they may be generous with plant starts.

think in terms of stages and seasons and do "little by little" as you can afford, over 2-3 years. All does not have to be done at once. Take time to plan. Do hardscape first because it's messy, and the workers and mess can damage already-planted plants, then plan for planting in Spring and Fall (at least in my area, those are the best planting times.)

How do you plan to water? Aside from getting rid of weeds and ammending the soil, you need to figure out your irrigation. If you are doing sprinklers in the lawn, lay those first. Drip or soak irrigation for the veggies and flowers?

I'm not planning on sprinklers right now. I have a hose which is what I plan to use. Thank ya'll so much for all the helpful comments. I am so new to this that I need all the help I can get. What are runners? And what is hardscape? I have attached pictures of my backyard as well

Whoa! That looks like a challenge! Hardscape is anything that defines an area, like concrete, wood, stone or brick planters, pathways, etc.

thank you... :)

hardscape is the "bones" -- do you want to add a patio, do you need paths, shade structures, raised planters, etc.