Do you grow to save money?

[SaraJH]

We are growing to experience that 'fresh off the plot taste'

Not to mention the challenge of raising plants from seeds and then the effort ending up on the dinner plate.

We have deliberately chosen varieties that you can't buy in the supermarket.

[Containergardener]

I grow for the fun.
I was never interested in gardening , my parents then created a back yard paradise for my first house. Hooked !
I have grown flowers from seeds for past 10yrs, dabbled in veg seed growing or plugs.
Gradually the pleasure from picking your own produce has taken over from the flowers I pick from seeds I sowed. Though I still do both.
I have a really short growing season. Frost early , late. But I still like the challenge .
Im sure I bore OH with my ramblings , but I'm happy ..he eats the stuff so he is too

[bramble]

I grow just because I love it. It doesnt matter to me whether I can buy the same produce in the supermarket at a lesser price. Its the joy of sowing, planting and harvesting something thats been lovingly tended from scrach.
If its not as big as it should be, if its not the perfect shape that it should be, it doesnt matter, its the taste, and the fact its been grown by me and without any chemicals added.

[cptncrackoff]

It's suprising how things add up, you can be in the money without realizing...

This year the plot has cost less than £100.. including rent, seeds, couple of plants, few bags of compost..even some petrol costs, well under £100!

Although some things in the shops are cheap, the money we save on premium price crops, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, asparagus..even the price of rhubarb and new potatoes can be suprising in the shops.

For us though it's more about getting the kids involved, knowing what's gone into and onto the soil, and the freshness simply cannot be beaten.

Until you pluck sweet corn from the plant and cook it within minutes, lift some new potatoes and within minutes plop them in boiling water..
Shop bought does not come close!

[veggiechicken]

I grow for fun The garden is my big kid's playground and most of the day you can find me out there, playing at being a gardener.
Grazing on raspberries, peas, tomatoes, apples as you wander around, you can't put a price on that.

[TattyJJ]

Well seeing as this was my first year, with buying a greenhouse, staging, compost, seeds, feed, etc etc etc....
Pretty sure i'm doing it for the fun
Next year i'm hoping to be a bit more thrifty though and see if i can save a little, until i see nice things i want anyway

[spamvindaloo]

I definitely don't save money overall but I would expect my outlay on fruit to pay me back eventually. However, what I grow (or attempt to) is fresh, not flown from the other side of the world and held in cold storage, it's usually tastier and I know exactly what exposure to chemicals it has. Plus I can grow things that I could never get in Tescos.

I do see the argument for buying some things as they are cheap and taste similar and most people don't have the room to grow everything they need. But saving money is probably the last on the list.

My allotment outlay into my second year (shed, tools - most of which I don't use , fruit trees, soft fruit etc) has possibly cost a small fortune but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it in terms of rewarding me with fresh tasty produce. My freshly harvested and steamed new potatoes last year converted me into a committed potato grower from the first forkful and a supermarket tomato just doesn't taste of anything like a home (or allotment) grown version.

[craftymarie]

I never considered that I might save money by growing edibles. We have a very good market here with fresh produce and plenty of shops but I still wanted the challenge of growing my own. As it happens, I've found it to be very relaxing, thrilling and enjoyable. It has been very therapeutic too and got me through quite a bleak time. I would spend my last penny on it.

[Guest]

I can't even do a 'save money' comparison. If I didn't grow I still wouldn't buy anywhere near the quantity of fruit and veg in the shop and certainly wouldn't buy to preserve. So I eat a lot better for starters and stretch my cooking limits when dealing with gluts.

I do save money when it comes to garden centres etc by reusing and recycling, growing from seed where the bulk comes from swaps, grafting my own trees and general keeping an eye out for opportunities.

I enjoy getting out and growing and want my girls to learn the basics in life- growing, cooking etc.
It is nice to go back to flavour, freshness and food in season.
I also like the challenge of getting things to grow.



Edit: I love the swapping social side aswell. Which is a bit limited as I am a backgarden grower but I have you lot for starters

[jonny the plant pot]

Definitely just for fun as I give most of what I grow away it gives me great pride to see folk enjoy the stuff I grow.

[gardening_gal]

Ha! I originally started growing things to save money! I naively thought I could supply the families salad and veg requirements for a fraction of what I would pay in the shops.

Fast forward a few years and I expect I've spent enough on gardening/growing to have been able to buy those flipping shops never mind the veg they sell.

I got hooked and although I only now have very small spaces to grow things, I do it because I enjoy it. I think I'm a 'nurturer' by character so it pleases me to see something grow from nothing into something healthy I can then feed to my kids. Two for the price of one if you like.

[Dorothy rouse]

Bought a kilo bag of carrots the other day 48p, can get a cauliflower for 90p, made me think, but it's the flavour of home grown veg that is so good!

Somethings cost a lot more in the shops, raspberries, strawberries etc, when you can pick loads on your plot, preserve loads, give some to friends.

But no you don't 'save money' as such, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

[Kirk]

Tend to grow almost for the hell of it.
Have given up on onions, usually an utter failure and as whoever said cheap enough at a supermarket, last week I got 3 red onions for 27p. Also for onions anyway I tend to use more then I could reasonably grow.

Presently have tomato's and peppers, convenient for salads and stir fries. Also a friend is vegan so they are good if they drop by. Pepper, tomato, fennel and grated carrot make a fast salad. Also they seem to think I am going to slip a chicken leg in somewhere so easier to point them at the garden and tell them to go harvest bits themselves.

Thinking over it I grow the items that I do not use much of, just easier to drag a veg screaming out of the ground and chop it up then drive to a shop for 1 item. Did the same with potato's, grew PFA and Anya which I could pull say 6 out of the container while leaving the rest in.

So the growing aspect is often for the items I use but not a lot of, saves me wasting what I do not use immediatly.

[Nannysally99]

We have always grown runner beans because you can't beat the fresh taste
When hubby retired we then went on to potatoes and tomatoes - his favourites - sweetcorn - my favourite.
Anything else is for fun
Cost doesn't come into it, beans are free though, saved seed every year
This is all about something we can do together, our GG eating wonderfully fresh veg and us too
Priceless

[Bren In Pots]

Its one of my hobbies with the added bonus i get something tasty and fresh to eat, its like my garden's an extension to the larder.
Thought it was funny when my great niece said. "Aunty Bren you've got a garden full of free food wow"