I've used leaf mold instead of peat moss, and it seemed to work well.
My city delivered a *huge* truck load of leaves for free in the
autumn. I moved the leaves to a shady unused corner of the back yard
and let them sit for 18 months, adding urine occasionally. Requires
advance planning due to the long break-down time, but otherwise a good
solution, especially if you have free access to other people's "waste"
leaves.