Is Growing Your Own Food Worth It in 2024?
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- Real-world record-keeping throughout 2023, reveals the costs (and savings) that can be made by growing your own fruit and vegetables.
In other words, how I saved well over a grand (£) growing my own food, even though I spent hundreds of £££!
Beginners and experienced gardeners into self-sufficiency should find this video useful and encouraging. Anything we can do to encourage cheaper ways of living and is better for the environment is surely a good thing.
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As a brand new gardener setting up a family garden from scratch, this is very comforting to know. I have spend about the same as you on all the initial investments, perennials mostly edible but an odd inedible flower here and there for vases indoors. And it feels like a LOT of money right now, but I have also made a very thorough garden plan for the whole year so I think it will be worth it even this initial first year of gardening. Thank you for highlighting this it puts my mind at ease, and gives me a bunch of motivation to get out there in the rain and plant some things!
Cheers from Denmark!
Ah, so glad it helped as I think we sometimes feel guilt about spending so much money on gardening, but if you grow food then it really can make a difference. How exciting to be starting from scratch, good luck and I hope you have a great season.
Last year I felt completely helpless even though I garden year round indoors and outdoors. But there weren't any eggs in the stores at this time last year. I couldn't find flour in my stores and I was growing food but nothing I could eat immediately. I was hungry. Really. Without a garden in the first place, I would be food insecure because I'm low income. But I felt like I needed to assess things. I got baby chicks and sold some, lost two to raccoons, replaced the two with three. So now I have 5 hens and I'm providing eggs for my household, my daughters and her ex husbands household. I had a great spring and summer harvest and for Fall/Winter, I decided to try again to grow radishes during the winter indoors and out as well as various greens. Yesterday I sat down and had a salad at the end of December in Southern Indiana (🇺🇸) and had eggs from my hens, radish greens and cut up radish from my winter garden. What a difference, truly. I have radishes and mustard greens growing in my grow tent in my bedroom. And I have pepper and tomato seedlings growing for early harvest. I have various greens, radishes and even baby cabbage seedlings growing in my kitchen in a separate area as well. My daughter got me a popup greenhouse for Christmas so most of what's growing on my back porch will be placed in there. But yes, it's worth it.
That is really inspirational to read and just goes to show the power we all have as individuals and how we can all make a difference, no matter the size. Keep up the good work and happy gardening.
A great video, I have never added up the cost of what I grow but it would be a great idea just to see. I think as my garden has become more established it has become cheaper, I started off buying compost, seeds and other things, but now I save seeds and make compost so it's really cheap now. I think the best part is the quiet, gentle feeling of just doing something outdoors in nature, I can spend 10 minutes just watching bees and butterflies on the buddliea, cup of tea in hand of course 🙂
Thank you. Last year was my first year making a note of costs as we're on a tight budget at the moment and I was quite surprised by the results. I agree with you about getting cheaper though, as the more years I have the plot and the perennials etc, everything just gets cheaper and cheaper!
Growing ones own food is one of the cheapest hobbies one can do.
I record all my spending and harvest in excel and the computer does the calculation.
In 2023, I spent $300 and recorded $2,250 worth in harvest!
That is such a good costs to harvest ratio, very impressive. I don't use a spreadsheet because I've had enough of computers by the time I get home, getting a bit old fashioned in my ways I think.
For me, growing my own veg means we eat far more than if i relied on shop bought produce. This year i grew over 150lb tomatoes and no way would I have bought that amount! Ditto three or four cucumbers per day for weeks on end and also sweet peppers.
Yes, I couldn't agree more and the variety too, there's no way we'd buy tasty heirloom tomatoes from the shops of soft fruit in the quantities we enjoy, they're soooo expensive.
Absolutely awesome video! This has to be my favourite genre of allotment video. I'm not sure why, but it's just always appealed to me. I did exactly the same exercise on my first year of growing on a half sized plot and it was absolutely appalling 😂 Was thinking of doing the same for this year now that the plot is a lot more established, and I reckon the figure will be much better!
I love the way you structured this with a real focus on the more holistic benefits which are basically impossible to quantify.
Thanks JB, that means a great deal coming from you (I've been following your channel for ages). I think growing your own food should always be about the holistic benefits rather than just the money. Costs and potential savings are important, but I always try to focus on the other reasons first.
Very thought provoking.
I didn't grow up with a garden, my own experience was my uncle who grew tomatoes on a tiny balcony (in London).
My gardening evolved for my children. We grew limited veg. My garden though the same site, actually became mine 8 years ago. And covid ramped it up as we had a holiday cancelled. So the mental aspects are valuable to me. I have mental health problems and created my channel to help me keep track and stay accountable. To continuing and setting up my way to grow food, more than the odd tomato or blackcurrants.
I am excited for 2024. The money spent is important for me so I look forward to seeing the total at the end or the year. Harvest and expenditure. I figure if I bought bedding / annual plants it'd be as much money. 😊
Great video. Thanks
Hi Jane, I think we often learn or get inspiration from our family be that children or parents. Mine comes from my mum, and she's still pottering around in her garden today, amazing! I totally know what you mean about the headspace that gardening can give us too, it's such a wonderful way to get involved with something meaningful and give your thoughts a rest. It's saved me a few times. I hope your 2024 is bountiful and full of fresh fruit and veggies. Happy gardening.
@@veggieplot that's lovely your mum is still enjoying her garden.
You're spot on about mental space. 😊🍅
Sitting in an excessively rainy (torrential day after day) west wales, you have really cheered me up and reminded me why I do what I do. Thank you 😀🥀🌻
I know what it’s like, I just popped out to the freezer (it’s in the shed!) and got soaked 😂. Dreaming of warm spring days and spending more time outside, they seem such a long way off.
They really do don't they@@veggieplot
Filling my book today, looking forward to doing the calculations at the end of 2024. Massive savings 🎉❤😊
Fabulous, thank you both for your support and here's to a warm and sunny 2024 filled with baskets of fresh food.
I daren’t do any sums yet. With setting up a new plot from scratch, my cost per kilo doesn’t look favourable this year.
I do however believe the polytunnel will pay for itself in less than 2 seasons, in terms of potential cropping (fingers crossed for successful crops now!) I have hedged my bets by choosing less common varieties of things, which would likely only be available at expensive artisan markets.
The joy of nurturing and challenge to succeed to harvest are my driving force. I’ve actually started growing to be more in touch with where food comes from. As livestock farmers, we often moan that the public are out of touch with where food comes from, but we’re also guilty. I had no idea how big my sprouting broccoli plants would be, for example.
As cows are blamed for the slow demise of the planet, trying to be part time self sufficient over summer months for fruit and veg feels a huge step towards reducing our own carbon footprint. It’s about making changes to do what you can (or are prepared to change) to help.
Yes, the sums will be heavily skewed this year although I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised at the end of the year no matter what you grow. It looks like a lovely set up you have there.
@@veggieplot thank you. I’m deliriously excited to see it all planted up this year ❤️
I really enjoyed the video. You put into words everything I love about allotment life.
Great job and thank you for sharing.
Hey Adam, thank you for you kind words. There are so many reasons to garden but just being outside and on the plot is the biggest drive for me.
@@veggieplot me too. Something I just go to the site and have a wonder about. Around dusk in spring and autumn is an amazing time to just look and listen.
Really enjoyed this reminder of how wonderful it is to grow your own. I ordered a Record Book from you and am totally delighted with it and the tomato seeds that came as a bonus. Beautifully wrapped, zero plastic. The seeds are a joy in themselves, two of each of your favourite. Watching your videos about tomatoes made me want to buy seeds for every variety!!!! So the free seeds are perfect, and so cleverly packaged. I'm sure you'll sell out quickly. Thank you 😊
Hi Anita, thank you so much and I’m really glad you like your Record Book and seeds, I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone gets on with them in 2024 and spending more time out in the garden.
Eye opening tally...well done.
Yes, for me too. Although I say I don't do it to save money, every little helps.
Hello from Ontario Canada. I love to garden. I don't monitor my garden spending ....yikes, not sure I would want to know. I think with the price of canned tomatoes here in Canada I'm sure I've saved money overall. Nice video. New subscriber.
Hi Karen, 2023 was the first year I really started recording the costs and savings properly. I always had a sneaky feeling I spent plenty, but I was never sure if it balanced out. Thankfully it seems to although I hope to spend less in 2024. Thanks for joining me on the journey.
i loved this video it was an all in one for me you touched on many personal reasons i garden and shared so much more thankyou
Thank you for the lovely feedback, it's really appreciated.
Absolutely, and to be honest I don’t really care how much it costs financially for all the other benefits you mentioned.
I quite agree, the other benefits are the main reasons for me too.
YES!
I think YES! too, thank you.
Excellent vlog. I have never calculated the savings….but for example I harvested about 200 organically grown leeks. Those range from $1-2 dollars each.
There’s also the no waste aspect. Spring onions are purchased in a bunch here. We don’t always get through the bunch before it goes off. Harvesting in my backyard, I only take what I need at the moment.
I really like your no-waste suggestion, I didn't really touch on that did I? You quite right though and even if some doesn't quite make it onto a plate, it wasn't wrapped in plastic or travel thousands of miles to get here. Thanks you for the feedback.
Fascinating. Thanks for this. When calculating what your fruit and veg would have cost in the supermarket, did you look at what they would have cost for organic produce? If not, you may have saved a lot more than your final calculation?
I agree and I did occaisionaly but not always! It certainly would have given a more like-for-like figure, although our shopping trips don’t include buying organic so it seemed a more realistic way to work it out. You are right though, organic pricing would certainly have yielded a far larger amount saved.
Greatness Chris
Cheers MrNevil01 👍
Hope you had a great Christmas 🤶 Chris. I never take stock of what I spend because as I always say, gardening is for my mind body and soul, harvesting is a bonus not simply measured in weight. But I do understand for some cost is an important factor and that’s understandable.
Hope you have an awesome Happy New Year 🥳 stay safe and see you in 2024, Ali 🇨🇦
Hey Ali, lovely to hear from you. I didn’t used to but now I find it quite fun to do and it gives me something to do when it’s dark outside or I’m stuck indoors and don’t want to watch the telly. The other thing I realised after making this video is that next year I can legitimately spend even more 🤣😂🤣. I hope you had a great Christmas too and a Happy New Year when it arrives.
👍👍👍
Sounds like a great hobby for a retiree.
I run my own business and I find it a real tonic to the daily stresses that the business brings. If I was retired, I don't think I be indoors all that often, LOL.
@@veggieplot Reading the Bible is another great activity when you're retired. 👍
👍
Thank you
Have you got sowing dates for 2024 tomatoes and what months you transplant them to the poly? Thankyou
Hi Darren, all mine were sown on 19th March in doors last year and planted out in the poly on the 26th May. I’m in Cornwall so your dates might be different. According to my notes, my last frost date last year should have been between April 1st and 10th so I could have planted them out a little earlier.
Thankyou, and Thankyou for the seeds, a +1 amazing! I'm in the Midlands. A rough idea is all i needed to guide me so that's very appreciated
No worries, any other questions, just let me know.
How do you keep your plastic down? It's the bane of my life. Any suggestions very welcome
You can buy special metal ‘U’ shaped pins designed to hold it in place and you just push them through the plastic to hold it down. You can find them on Amazon 👍.
I made some out of some fencing straining wire and some plywood drilled with a coke can sized core bit. I also made some pegs from old bicycle spokes as my bike shop always has knackered wheels and old jam jar tops with a hole in the middle.
@ibrstellar1080 will try the string wire. I think am just not using enough pegs.