I concur with pretty much everything said so far. We get by on a good half day at the weekend each plus mid-week watering. That's the bare minimum for our plot but we are not too fussy about having it pristine. What worked for us, and our plot was really overgrown, was not to try and clear it all first year. We did enough to start planting and left the rest. The overgrown brambles and old raspberry canes were left for clearance over our first winter.
There's still a little bit left to sort out, I'm not sure what to do with it. We grow the staples of what we like with a few others thrown - but the range of veg we eat is fantastic. I made my own version of "allotment soup" one year with 15 types of veg in it!
We are not self-sufficient but then we aren't trying to be. It's a hobby that helps us escape the ravages and stress of working for a living. The work can be hard but the rewards are great if you stick at. New friends are made, new skills are learned and the results of your labours are very tasty indeed. I've even discovered I do like Aubergines now!!
