Is Gardening Really Cheaper Than Buying Fruits and Vegetables?

[cheryl]

Is Gardening Really Cheaper Than Buying Fruits and Vegetables? - Life Hacker​

One reason people start gardens is sticker shock at the grocery store. But can you really save buckets of cash growing your own food?

With food costs rising, many people are contemplating starting a garden. This makes sense, since human beings have been growing their own food for thousands of years. The stuff just comes out of the ground and literally grows on trees. Gardening offers a lot of benefits: It can be spiritually and emotionally fulfilling, improves the look of your property, and provides delicious sustenance. The potential to save money doesn’t hurt, either.

At first blush, this might seem like an obvious win: Once you get a tomato plant going, for example, you get free tomatoes as opposed to having to buy them all the time like a sucker. But gardens have hidden costs, and not all crops are the same in terms of cost-effectiveness. Can you really save money by growing your own food? The answer is yes, but you have to be thoughtful about it.

Do some garden math

Once again, your high school algebra teacher wins. This is yet another moment in your life where you will use math.