Topic: Wonderous Savings?

[Doris_Pinks]

Just curious really, which stems from just looking at our sad bank balance! :'(  Has anyone out there ever worked out how much money they save by growing their own veg, are we actually saving money, or are we just doing it for the flavour and fun? ;D DP

[eileen]

A bit of both I think Doris.
Those with acres of land probably save more that the average veggie grower but there's nothing to beat that fresh flavour when you pick your own produce.  :D

Eileen.

[Hugh_Jones]

Yes, actually, Doris. About 40 years ago we did a sort of profit and loss account. We kept a detailed record of everything spent on the vegetable plot, and every time my wife used any of the produce she put the approximate shop price in a tin.  At the end of the season there was a substantial surplus, but that was before Mr. Cohen brought Tesco to the midlands.

Even with supermarket prices I would guess that we are still in profit, but, in any case, it`s worth all the effort and some expense to not have to eat the bland, tasteless, insecticide and fungicide and preservative tainted, shrink wrapped rubbish, which has often travelled half way round the world in cold storage before it gets on the shelves.

[Mrs Ava]

Haven't tested the theory, however, my weekly shopping bill is down by about 20 quid!  (and I haven't given up the Gin!!)  The only things I buy from the fruit and veg aisles now are oranges, nanas and mushrooms.  Other than that, if I haven't grown it, we don't eat it!  Just need  a few chooks, a couple of pics, a sheep or 2 and a good milk producing cow and we will be almost self sufficient!  Wonder what the neighbours would say!?!?!  :P

[Hugh_Jones]

They`d probably complain to the Council because the cows moo`d, the hens clucked, the pigs grunted, the sheep bleated, etc.,etc. Either that, or D.E.F.R.A (The Department for the Eradication of Farming and Rural Activities) would send an Inspector with a list of 999 Euro Regulations that you were in breach of.

[Doris_Pinks]

 ;D Hugh

[Multiveg]

Runner Beans in Tescos were 90p a lb yesterday.
When I picked my early broad beans - was that late may or beginning of june? - I looked in Safeways and was gobsmacked with the price - something like £2 for about 12oz?
If you buy organic, then growing your own would save more money.
Current Asda veg prices (home shopping!):

CArrots, loose, 55p a kg;
Leeks, loose, £1.28 a kg;
Broccoli (I think they mean calabrese), loose 96p a kg;
Cauliflower - 45p each, but can't tell the size;
courgettes -loose 98p a kg;
Onions - loose, 64p a kg; red onions - loose, 96p a kg;
Shallots - 350g bag, 74p;
Aubergine - 98p each; florence fennel, 78p for one (weighs 180g); Marrow - 58p each; Parsnips - £1.58 a kg, Peas - £1.68 a kg; Swede - 48p a kg; white turnips - £1.18 a kg; prepacked runner beans - 91p for 250g; trimmed fine beans - 94p for 80g.

For more savings, grow crops for extra early harvests, though you may need fleece/cloche/etc. Grow red (or white) onions as these are at a premium in the shops...
EJ - according to the organic gardening catalogue, there was a type of mushrooms that even grow on toilet rolls!

[Mrs Ava]

I am always tempted to grow my own mushrooms, just never get around to it.  If only I could get oranges and bananas to grow well in the conservatory, I would never need a greengrocers again!

You are probably right Hugh  ;D

[Jesse]

I think Hugh is right. I was reading that if one of my chickens dies, according to EU regulations, I cannot simply bury it in the garden like you would do your pet cat, dog, rabbit etc. Because it is classified as livestock (i.e. not a pet, because "they" don't believe a chicken could possibly be a pet) it has to be disposed of "properly" which would cost a fortune. But if I cook the dead chicken first, then I can throw it away in the bin because it is then kitchen waste. Ridiculous or what?

EJ, If I lived closer to you I'd swap some of my free range eggs for some of your lovely veggies  :)

[budgiebreeder]

Ah now the bartering system i'm all for that.Tomatoes anyone..............please exchange some of these tomatoes for well .....................anything in fact you can just have them.

[aquilegia]

I must be in profit, even with my failed harvests. Most of my seeds were free (leftovers from last year, plants from mum or seed swaps with you lovely people).

My tomatoes cost me absolutely nothing - I have 40 plants. Seeds were swapped with EJ or from the packet I bought last year. They were planted in the ground (enriched with free manure from the stables) or in empty growbags (which I used last year) in a mixture of top soil (from pond excavation) and home made compost. The only thing I bought for them was canes (I ran out!) and feed, which seems to last forever!

[ina]

Interesting to read these postings but you know what?.......I don't give a d.... whether I saved any money with the lottie or not but I must admit that now I am a bit curious.
When there's a glut of something I give it away, often people would ask if they could give me something for it and I ask them for things from the greengrocers that I don't grow. Sometimes I get a nice surprise bag with goodies we can't grow ourselves, I love that.

[tina]

Personally speaking, my veggies are priceless!!

All the months of work were made worth in in the space of the second that it took my five year old to remark that " Mummy, these tomatoes taste nicer than Tesco's". :-* :-*

Tina.

[ina]

Now, that's what I call a compliment. I can't think of a greater reward.

[Doris_Pinks]

Thats wonderful Tina, My youngest remarked a few weeks ago that we were very lucky to have a Mum that grows all this healthy organic veg......and that from a 12 year old! :o See we are appreciated ;D
I think we must all be in profit, I havent bought veg in so long........how wonderful that feels! And as for taste, you really can't beat home grown!! Now if I could just get carrots to grow for me...............and had a bigger freezer, we could be veggie self sufficient! ;D  I really must try to write down what I spend on the plot every year, and how much it produces!

[tina]

Aren't kids just the most rewarding things that we grow, after veggies!!!

DP, would be interested to know if you do your analysis next year.

We don't weigh, but are on our third carrier bag full of cherry tomatoes!!!! (Took lots of advice from this board, and after planting seeds way too early, redeemed ourselves by 'burying' them really deep. We have not watered them all summer, and they are the best at our lottie site by far. Sure there is a message to us all there somewhere!!).

[Pixie]

It was my mums birthday on saturday and my dad was crewing locally for a sailing mate of his so we had a great day there and my lovers mum and dad joined us as well.

Impromptu BBQ was called for and I did some of my potato salad and my own lettuce and toms etc - no one knew they were my own grown but everyone commented on how lovely
the spuds and toms were! Made me really proud so I told them when we finished eating ;D

Both mums have now offered to pay for seeds and finished products! which says it all really  ;D

Sam