How much is it all costing....?

[Nigel B]

Been getting myself in a bit of a tizzy about what it's going to cost to plant up the allotment this year..

To say we don't have much spare money would be to trivialise our situation somewhat. Every seed, every plant, is precious and so it's taking some careful planning if we're going to get the best we can from it.

I was wondering what it costs you folks. How much do you spend on potato day? Or buying seeds or plants.
Once we get a year or two under our belts we'll be saving money by saving seed ourselves, starting this year.

So what do you reckon? A rough estimate even?

Niggy

[goodlife]

LOTS and LOTS..and its never ending..
You can grow perfectly good veg with very little money...seeds can be bought cheaply. I bet you can grow lottie full of basic veg and spending less than £10 for seeds.
Once you start trying something bit different, getting trees and shrubs..well it all start amounting..compost, fertilizer.
I would not like to add it all up what I spend in a year..but its my hobby and I have to spend my money for something..
It is 1st of January and this year I've already spent about £100 for various bits and bobs.. ..and I don't even 'need' anything as such. Next week I'm going to get 20 bales of straw delivered..then soon is time to stock up with all fertilizers for a year..few canes..compost later on... How long is piece of string?

[pumpkinlover]

I have never kept any kind of record, but I do know that by growing our own food we can get fantastic healthy meals and can virtually manage without the supermarket for edibles.
By using own Borloti type beans to make spicy veg burgers you can make whole meals from the plot.
What you spend in next few months will save you loads later

[cambourne7]

I think you need to think about what you are going to use/need and what are the nice to haves.

Think about your basics - onions, tomatoes, potatoes etc  and the glut crops you might be able to swap if your game enough for something non allotmenty. And if you think your going to have unplanted space look at filling it with something rampent like a squash or pumpkin.

Potato days are good but not if you have to drive miles to get to there.

Once you have done your list and gone though your personal seed collection anything your not using you can post in swapshop for things you might be looking for. I suspect the next few years are going to be bad for everyone you might want to approach your local allotment association about a local seed swap and see of your fellow allotment holders are up for it?

[manicscousers]

We get really good seed from aldi and lidl, pound shops and wilkies. Potatoes and onion sets from wilkies are good, garlic from the fruit shop. If you put a seed wish list on here, we have lots of saved seed, I'm sure there will be something you'd like . We have used herb seed for cooking and dried peas in the past, too  

[lottie lou]

I have never kept any kind of record, but I do know that by growing our own food we can get fantastic healthy meals and can virtually manage without the supermarket for edibles.
By using own Borloti type beans to make spicy veg burgers you can make whole meals from the plot.
What you spend in next few months will save you loads later

Have you got the recipe for veggie burgers please, PL?

[rugbypost]

Buy  seeds when they are on offer, good seed sites on line look in the back forums plenty of information there, also try seed swap and share 

[cambourne7]

maybe this is a new year project for the board??? We all record what we have had to spend on our plots and at the end of the year we find an average??

[pumpkinlover]

It's loosely based on a recipie in the Cranks entertaining book.

I do not really measure for this type of meal. sorry!  I just add things till it looks about right. Also I make big batches and freeze so got a "ready meal" when needed

Borlotti beans (picked as pods just going yellow and then put in freezer) Cook till soft, drain and mash with potato masher.
Onions and garlic, cooked till nice and soft.
Breadcrumbs
Egg
Pepper, chilli, curry powder, buillion powder (usually add these to the egg so get mixed in better)

Mix well and and form into little flat patties, dip into more egg and then breadcrumbs.
Then cook gently in a bit of oil.

[small]

If things are really tight, don't be seduced into buying the more expensive varieties of seed - go for Wilkinson's cheapest, they will grow and feed you, even boring varieties are so much nicer once they are home grown. Freecycle for sundries like pots and canes, and of course all the free advice on here.....also, I don't know what's on offer this year but I've had free seeds from the Beeb, from Sainsbury's.....keep an eye on here and you'll see what's going. Hope things improve for you soon.

[Digeroo]

I rather like Lidl seeds.  Seem to germinate well.  Do you have a 99p shop they are good for netting and cheap trowels and gloves.  and poundland for fleece.

Once you start to harvest it is easy to save on the food bills. 

Once you get started seed saving can be make things very cheap. 

[ktlawson]

Onion sets and spuds are usually cheapest from my lottie shop by far. (never known them as cheap anywhere else).  I buy Kings seeds from my lottie shop for some varieties, but usually stock up for the following years seeds when T&M have their 1/2 price sale around April.  They are more specific varieties so tend to cost a bit more than wilko and lidl but my yields, harvest, disease resistance are reliable.  

Excluding my lottie rent of £24 per year, I guesstimate to spend  £50-70 annually which includes all composts, feeds, seeds etc.  Due to spare seed from last year, 2012 will not cost me over £30.

[grawrc]

I started recording everything I spend at the end of July. Since then I have spent £60 on shallots, onion sets, garlic, seed potatoes, topping up seeds and getting a few new varieties and some fertiliser (liquid seaweed for foliar feed). I still have to pay £20 rent then that'll be it for the year. Unless, of course, like Goodlife I find something too irresistible!! Oh it also includes a couple of secondhand books.

When I started out I was budgeting £20 a month but I see that I can reduce that now to less than £10 since I have just about everything I need - even the promise of a greenhouse!

Freecycle, Lidl and Aldi as well as Wilkos and Poundland are good sources of cheap tools, material and seeds. Oh and Wyevale in England (don't have one here). Join the next seed saver group here and learn how to save lots of your own seeds.Also there are seed swaps in the group and many folk are happy to give you their surplus seeds.  I also get given things by other plotholders and give my surplus seedlings to them. Start making your own compost - a couple of pallets will make a free compost bin - it's free fertiliser!

Plan your plot and sow enough seeds (what you'll eat + a few more just in case) at the right time for where you live. Successional sowing of small quantities (every 2 weeks or so)means lots of young, fresh, tasty veg. Buying plants is vastly more expensive (although I've done it the odd time when a sowing failed to germinate).

Once you get going your allotment really will save you lots! To be honest my biggest worry is storing all the crops! I also find it helpful to plan meals for at least a week at a time.(I actually do it for a month now). It cuts down on waste and means you find recipes that use what you've got so spend less on the weekly shop. It takes a lot to beat a crunchy salad or a chunky veg soup with homemade bread!

Good luck ! and thank you! Writing this has got me all excited about the season ahead!!

[Mr Smith]

Just spent £17.00 on line for most of my seeds, I think you just pay through the nose even with the 3for2 deals, Brassicas plants and spuds will be bought from a local nursery, so I will be looking at another £15.00,

[shirlton]

For us its worth whatever we spend because we don't do much else. We have fresh fruit and veg all year apart from the odd onion and potato we have to buy. We get all of the excercise and fresh air we need.The excitement you get when you finally manage to grow something that you have never been able to grow before.
There are so many things that make spending money on your allotment worthwhile

[claybasket]

I think we spend £30-£40 we buy the veg seeds half price nothing to fancy we try something new each year ,last year it was melons (it was a failure )but we gave it a go.we pay £16 for the lotty 2 skinny plots ,we compost everthing and half 4 bins ,we buy chicken pellets (half price and use our tokens form Wyvales for money off 2large tubs were £12) were there pottering away most days except the winter,we have lovely Friends that we share seeds and plants with, we have fresh air ,fun ,and Friends  what price can i put on that? happy new year all

[BarriedaleNick]

For me the biggest single expense is probably compost - for growing in containers or for getting things like tomato seedlings going.
Last year my seed/spud/garlic/sets cost me about £70. Premier seeds on ebay do packets of seeds for 99p which is handy.

If there is anything you need in particular then ask here - the members of a4a have proved to be very generous!

[Sparkly]

If we take out the things we bought at the beginning etc Shed, greenhouse etc it isn't too bad. I think probably, £100-150 a year all in. I would say at our site you would have a pretty good chance of getting many plants and seeds as donations from other plotholders. Generally people love to share their plants in spring; if they thought you were struggling I think you may well be drowning in free stuff. Also a post on your local freecyle may give you an offer of packets of seeds. You can, of course, buy the seeds quite cheaply as has been mentioned from wilkos, aldi and lidl,

[claybasket]

I just remembered  the 99p shop did multy packets of salad seeds and vegs  and flowers all at  99p oh! herbs also PS( I don't work for them or have shares with them! ) look out for them this year they were fine .

[lottie lou]

If you have a local Wyevales they sometimes have a swap bin where people put in their unwanted pots and you canhelp yourself for free.  Alternatively ask around your friends they ALWAYS have unwanted small pots that they bought their plants in.