I keep seeing these articles on how much people are saving (money wise) by growing their own produce. The numbers are usually astronomical.
So I’m going to attempt to track how much I’m spending on my garden this summer. Its not going to be perfect. For example, I’m not going to track how much gas I used to pick up stuff. And a LOT of the seeds I’m planting were from packages bought in previous years, and the seeds I buy this year will likely also be enough to plant from the same packages next year. But I’m going to try. And I’m going to try to track what similar produce would cost at the store or farmer’s market and compare. I’ve added a new post category for this for ease of tracking.
To start with:
seeds bought this year: $36.40 However most of these will provide enough seeds to grow the same plants again next year at bare minimum, some of them, like the carrots, will be enough for several years.
dirt/compost: $10
garlic: $31.75
So far I’ve not spent anything else on the garden for this year. The tires for the addition were free, and I’ve been able to re-use the trellis and most of the stakes etc from last year.
The first year is always the most expensive. Although this place had raised beds when I bought it, the beds are in horrible shape and I am tearing them down to start over. Plus, I am putting in a third bed. So far I have spent about $70 on materials to build the new bed and rehab one of the old beds. I got seeds, but never got them started, so bought a few plants while they were on sale – $20 for tomatoes, peppers and basil.
I have oregano and lavender from last year (assuming they survived the harsh winter – not a given for the lavender). This year, I probably won’t save much (if any if last years lack of produce was any indication), but I am getting a lot of exercise and it keeps me busy – so priceless!
Not to mention the enjoyment of “playing” around in the garden! But yah, getting set up is very expensive!