Penny Pinching in the Garden - Guest Post by Jennie

I asked my dear friend Jennie if she would be willing to write a guest post for us this week. She hosts her own blog; The Canadian Housewife, where she blogs about their large garden and all the fresh produce they grown themselves!  Enjoy her tips for Penny Pinching in the Garden

Without Further to do - I give you The Canadian Housewife, Jennie

When Jessie asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I felt honored and excited to have been chosen. I had always wanted to write a guest post and I finally had the opportunity to do so. I hope I meet her expectations and that you enjoy what I have to share about penny pinching in the garden!

Growing your own vegetables can be a big money saver in the long run. Yes, there are some up front costs to it and you’ll have to put a bit of money into it from year to year, but overall, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying fresh all year round.

There are plenty of ways to go about gardening, from small container gardens on a patio to full scale backyard gardens. I don’t have much experience with container gardening as my garden is currently a 20’x28’ plot in my backyard, but I feel like many of my tips can be applied to all types of gardening.

 

First of all, only grow vegetables that you like. You won’t save money if you plant something you won’t eat, just because you think you should. If you don’t like carrots, don’t grow carrots. Choose your seeds according to your taste buds.

Secondly, don’t go crazy planting huge amounts. Just because you like beans doesn’t mean you should plant enough to feed half your neighborhood. If you plant more than you can eat of something, most of it will go to waste and you once again won’t have saved any money. 

Third, don’t waste food. If you have too much produce, find other ways of using it up. Whether by freezing it, canning it or giving it away, you don’t want the food to just rot and then get thrown out. If you have a killer crop of tomatoes one year, try more recipes that include tomatoes and learn to can the extras. If you have too many beans, blanch and freeze them for winter use.

Read about Freezing our Winter Beans Here

Growing your own food is so rewarding and definitely worth the time and effort you put into it.  gardening does take a lot of hard labour but when you sit down for your first meal with a side of fresh garden veggies you just picked that day, it will all be worth it. Plus, it’s also nice to know that the $3 bag of seeds you bought is now feeding you for half the year.

For me, gardening is a nice way to save money on food. I’m cutting back on my grocery bills without having to compromise my health. 

If you want to read more about my garden, swing by my blog for my post “What’s Growing Wednesday?” weekly updates.