other scenery uses

I have seen alot of scenery products here lately, and I've noticed some things kinda pricey for what they are. For instance, I needed a tumbleweed, looked at them and found out that if you have an old piece of carpet that is tore on a end and that stuff balled up makes a perfect tumbleweed. A cactus, I used three green pipe cleaners and fairly impressed by it. Now I got the chance to get my hands on some "ground cover" well egg shell foam put in a blender and died green is a close match. I've seen some people with a dead plant not to sure what it is painted green. Juniper maybe? Not sure. Well the other day while at my moms I noticed an old coal seam near the creek. Guess what? yep used that too!!! Nothing a hammer and a canvas sack can't do. Any other tricks? Maybe kitty litter for the tracks.....unused. Gravel from own driveway? I just see alot of money with bought items and well other trains need bought too!!!
Any other secondary tricks out there?