Let’s be real, we’re all trying to save money. No matter our budget, everyone loves a good deal. It’s just part of being human! Maybe we have one or two things we like to spend a little extra on (shoes, going out to eat, coffee…), but in general, we try to save some pennies where we can. But what if I told you you could save money and have the best quality food of your life? I sat down and decided to compare the costs of homegrown to store bought food. Planting my own tomato plants vs. buying them in store. And what I found was shocking.
I broke down how much it cost me per tomato seed and how much time I invested overall in terms of starting seeds, watering/ pruning, harvesting, and then preserving. I set that against the cost of organic tomatoes at the store, as well as organic salsa, since that’s what I made.
Comparing the Cost of Homegrown to Store Bought
While there is a time investment if you decide to grow them yourself, the time averages out to about five minutes a day, with a little more on either end in terms of starting seeds and preserving the harvest. You spend a couple of cents per tomato seed and each plant can yield between six and fifteen pounds of fruit. To pay for that same amount of product at the store is between $8-12. The overall cost of buying those products at the store is a whopping 80,000 – 120,000% higher!
Weighing Your Priorities
While I used tomatoes as the example, the same principle can be applied for a lot of the produce you buy in stores. It is not only more economical (most of the time), it has the added bonus of getting you outside and caring for something, and provides fulfillment for a job well done. Those intangibles can’t be bought, and will change your life.
Food for Thought
I hope this example brought to light the real savings you can make by growing your own food. That growing your own food has more benefits than just the financial side of things. I firmly believe we all have five minutes we can take from scrolling on our phones in the bathroom to devote to bettering our physical and mental health. Using those five minutes to tend to something you get to eat? Even better.
What’s stopping you?
If you’re motivated to grow some vegetables this year, but have some reservations, list them out. Time? Money? Space? There are creative solutions for all these obstacles. If you’re still stumped as to how you can grow your own food, I’m offering a course (Registration is OPEN NOW!) called How to Grow Your Own Food (anyone can do it!).
The course is five weeks long with one live webinar meeting each week. We’ll be starting from scratch and assessing your space and budget, discussing seed selection and starting, and finishing by troubleshooting common mistakes. Course members also get admitted to a private Facebook group where they can connect, ask questions, and share successes.
Act now!
The course is designed to help you start your garden in real time, so registration for the course ends on Friday, February 25th at 11:59 PM and will not open again until next year. With prices continuing to rise in the grocery store, waiting a whole year before starting your garden could really affect your wallet. Register, get excited, and learn a skill that will help you save every year.
Keep in Touch!
I want to follow your gardening journey and support you along the way! Be sure to tag me in any photos you post on Instagram or Facebook @sweetgumspot, and follow me while you’re there! I look forward to celebrating our successes and working through challenges together!