I hate grass wear. About once a month I wait for a villager to ping to move out. I deny the request and then jump forward a few months. After checking for pings that day I jump right back to the present. Be sure you have read some threads on time traveling before you do it - it's important that you have just denied a villager's ping before you go, because if you make a mistake you could lose a dreamy.
That's a great thread. I forgot to mention that in smaller areas, like where someone has moved out, I think planting trees and bushes works best. I'm not sure if it's faster than flowers, but it keeps me from walking on the area at all which is really important.