What is the cheapest way to get sand?

The cheapest way to get sand is to get it for free or in bulk rather than buying small branded bags. The absolute cheapest is to find free sand on local marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Freecycle, or Buy Nothing groups where people often give away leftover sand from patios, sandboxes, pools, and construction projects after they finish. You can also ask local construction sites, pool installers, or landscapers if they have excess clean sand they need to dispose of, many will let you take a truckload for free. If you cannot find free sand, the next cheapest is to buy in bulk from a landscape supply yard, quarry, or building materials yard where sand costs about 20 to 50 dollars per ton, compared to 100 to 160 dollars per ton for bagged sand at Home Depot. Many yards offer self-serve where you shovel your own buckets for 5 to 10 dollars. If you must buy bagged, buy 50 pound bags of all-purpose sand or masonry sand from Home Depot or Lowes for 5 to 9 dollars per bag rather than small 5 pound craft bags which are expensive per pound. Bring your own truck and haul it yourself to avoid 50 to 100 dollar delivery fees. For play sand, all-purpose sand is the same but cheaper than branded play sand.