Question
We have a (maybe) hopeless issue with our front yard in that it is pitched on a 2-3 degree slope that has made seeding and growing a thick turf a failure over the past thirty-seven years we have lived in this area...but here goes again with another effort....
Mostly there are only weeds and unidentified clusters of mystery grass currently sprouting in occasional clumps around the yard...

We had considered sodding but due to the cost (we're both retired) it seemed that using a seed broadcast spreader might be more in keeping with our financial issues...

Each time we lay down grass seed it frequently rains in torrents and all of our efforts end up in our down-hill neighbors yard...

Is there an option in grass seedlings that might be able to establish strong roots in this type of environment?
:>/

Answer
There is a fairly new system tailor-made for your situation: Hydroseeding.  The landscaper comes along with a special machine that spray-paints seed onto your soil; thusly applied, the seed sticks and you have Grass germinating in the usual 2 to 5 weeks depending on the seed.  The Virginia Cooperative Extension points out they use this technique with excellent results in Appalachian Mining Country: 'In central Appalachia, surface mining generally requires reclamation of steep slopes. The most common technique for seeding and applying amendments is through a hydroseeder. Fertilizer, lime, mulch, and seed are normally mixed with water in the hydroseeder tank. Commercial cellulose mulch is typically included in the mix at rates of 1000 to 1500 lbs/acre. This material improves seed germination during dry weather and aids the hydroseeding process by marking seeded areas.'  You can read the blurb here:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/mines/460-122/460-122.html#L4C

Unfortunately, Hydroseeding is a specialty, which means that getting someone to do it will cost a lot of money.  Some people just love the idea of doing something unreasonably expensive -- I'm not kidding here -- hire someone to Hydroseed their flat, non-tilted yard just so the Joneses will watch them from across the street and be impressed.  Hydroseeding is not supposed to be used for 'flat'.  It's designed to grow a Lawn from scratch on rolling or sloped real estate, places that Ivy and Pachysandra used to be the only realistic choices.  Of course, after you sow the Grass on these rolling hills or slopes, you have to mow it, but that's another problem for another day.

Sodding of course is another option but not a thrifty one.

Planting seed that washes away when it rains is the least thrifty of all.  Assuming you have a great sun exposure and first rate soil, and a mild slope (2 to 3 degrees should not be a problem), we should figure that you need seed that grows and establishes like a house on fire, covered with a blanket.

For this problem we turn to North American Green, a highly respected company that carries a line of erosion control products, and Seedland.com, my Grass Seed Purveyor of Choice:

http://www.nagreen.com

and

http://www.seedland.com

Open mesh burlap or cheesecloth are carried at Seedland.com:

http://www.seedland.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Seedland&Categor...  

Seed Starter Mats and Burlap are two of Seedland's recommended answer for Erotion Control.  Remember to get Anchor Pins if you opt for the Burlap.  Seedland also carries 'Pennington Slopemaster', a quality professional mix of Tall Fescue, Lespedeza and Clover for slopes like yours.

NAGreen's Short Term Erosion Control Blankets come in several models, all made of agricultural straw.  The BioNet S150BN Double Net Straw Blanket is stitched with biodegradable thread and fiber nets.  It becomes a temporary cover to hold seed and soil in place on the slope through rains and routine watering while the grass germinates.  You can also use an open mesh cloth, which also is placed over the new seed and graduallly decomposes into the soil while the new Lawn grows through it.  The idea is to stop the Soil from eroding while keeping it moist.  The Kansas and Maine Depts of Transportation (and probably many others) use NAGreen products and others for their highway landscaping.  You can find a list of all Maine's approved suppliers of Erosion Control Blankets here:

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/transportation-research/qpl_pages/erosion-control-blan...

You can plug in your zipcode for a local retailer at the NAGreen website, or seek out another product that may be closer to home.  Seedland.com sells direct.

This should do the trick.