How much do you reckon to save by growing your own?

[Amypinga]

We’re all saving our health too,our apples for example are less than two years old (did you see that program on tv where apples are in storage for two years in some sort of growth stopping environment) & ours have more nutrients because they’re fresh & no chemicals that stay in your body for years,health advantages we can share with friends & family.

....though my plot neighbour was saying something about spraying his weeds to get rid of them!!

[Thelma Sanders]

All you can do is keep your own plot chemical-free, if that's what you want
What other people do on their plots, is up to them. Everyone makes their own decisions.

[Chrissyteacup]

I definitely spent more than I’ve saved by growing my own. Totalling up cost of compost seeds, equipment (heated prop, tools etc) but the flavour the satisfaction and the excitement of seeing those tiny seeds producing tomatoes chillies various squash cucumber carrots parsnips beans lettuce...(or other veg) is unbeatable.
That feeling when I cooked my first potatoes from the garden last year, served to oh (who didn’t know they were mine) asking me what I had done to them differently as they were so tasty!! that feeling is priceless to me.
Maybe one day hopefully next year my costs will be lower as I plan on save and swap seeds better this year and then I’ll break even - well providing I’m not costing my time

[veggiechicken]

Its a bit like keeping chooks for eggs. By the time you've added up the initial cost of the coop, run, feeders and the chooks themselves, each egg costs ££££s.
If you disregard the cost of the coop etc and just take the day -to- day cost of feed and bedding, each egg costs pennies.

[Trouvere]

Last year we spent £135 on tunnelhouse bed rent and, completely coincidentally, £135 on seeds and plants. We harvested just over 200 kg of produce which would have cost £715 at estimated Tesco prices. The limited space at home brought in another 9 kg worth £63 (relatively more because soft fruit is so expensive). Or to look at it another way, we generated 94000 kcal of food, enough to keep one person ticking over for about 63 days. Or yet again, ignoring potatoes, the fruits and vegetables were the equivalent of 6 portions a day. Not quite self-sufficient yet!

I've stopped counting quail eggs. Maybe I get 300 eggs per year per bird, and I have 15 girls at the moment (that number varies a bit, because they're not very long-lived. That said, my oldest girls are approaching 4 years old, which isn't bad for birds that are only meant to live 2.5 years, and they are stubbornly refusing to make way for replacements), so I get 4500 eggs, or 375 dozen, per year. At supermarket quail egg prices, that's just over £1000. But that does not seem like a valid measure if they're providing all my eggs - chicken egg prices would be more sensible, and so at 5 quail eggs = 1 hen's egg, that's more like 75 dozen and £125! I think I'm probably spending £250 a year on feed, bedding straw, dustbath sand and whatever else. Oops.

[muck lover]

Well we are completely entitled to spend our money on our passion/ hobby.
Not that I object in any way to saving or being frugal. It’s part of the fun.
I’m just away to sieve some more old leafmould- I’m saving a fortune on potting compost!

[PepperMonster]

Yeah, I don't *need* to grow my own food to survive (yet!?) I just enjoy growing things.

And while I do spend money I don't get back on some things (ornamental plants, fancy seeds...) I save money elsewhere (Not buying plug plants, soft fruit, not going to the pub because I'm too tired after gardening...) soooo I don't begrudge myself the odd extravagance...