[devon]

 Not sure if this should be here but has anyone ever worked out over a season how they have saved in money instead of buying friut and veg . I tried last season  and made a healthy profit from certain things used tesco prices as my guide  Will try again this year as I cant remember when I last bought a supermarket leek or cabbage

[fatcat1955]

If you add in the cost of tool's, compost, tray's , fertiliser's etc etc i doubt that you make any significant profit.  Where you do make a HUGE profit is in the knowledge that you know exactly what is in/on the veg you eat and of course the flavour.

[mumofstig]

There's bound to be more replies  but you may like to read the comments on these old threads
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=25837.msg305739#msg305739
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=74356.msg846092#msg846092

I think they make interesting reading 

I think my rhubarb, raspberry and courgette harvests, at shop prices, would pay for everything else I buy, I reckon - so gotta be quids in by the time I harvest the other crops 

[JayG]

Some crops are always expensive to buy despite being quite easy to grow and quite prolific, probably because they are expensive to harvest and/or perishable - runner beans, courgettes, mixed salad leaves and raspberries are in that category. All are big money-savers.

Some lose their flavour rapidly after picking so are worth growing for the far superior taste irrespective of the yield or cost - e.g. peas and sweet corn.

I've never tried to work out the cost-effectiveness in detail, but I'm sure that even taking everything into account I save money overall, but you can't put a price on the satisfaction you get from growing your own food, or the fresh air and exercise you get from doing it. 

[digger1]

No supermarket can compete on the cost of the love the pleasure and flavour of growing your own fruit and veg, I started gadening with my grandfather and father worked in a seed merchant when i left school, I am retired now and still enjoy gardening and still learning.  

[devon]

I must admit I would never cost in my labour as I consider it  a pleasure not labour . My main costing come from  how much I dont pay at the supermarkets checkouts
 .

[Kirpi]

I think if you have a fair row of rasperries and possibly an apple tree you have pretty much matched your costs compared to supermarket prices these days. The rest is a bonus.

[Sparkyrog]

I will save nothing as I have put in a new greenhouse which will be a warm one ! But its not about cost its about satisfaction and pleasure !!

[allot2learn]

I like to think more about the savings for my health, like all the chemicals and pesticides which are not on the food that I eat, and also about the fresh air and exercise I get.

[DD.]

I took a harvesting of red and black currants down to a church coffee morning a couple of years ago and did a quick tot up. In the boot of my car, at Trashco prices, was £200 worth of fruit.

It was only part of the yield of the bushes!

[devonbarmygardener]

My blueberry crop (based on supermarket prices) were worth their weight in gold last year!
I had a continuous supply for about 4-5 months and always a huge tub of berries!

Definitely worth the outlay.

Otherwise I just grow veg for love - not profit

[Trillium]

My mother has a huge stand of raspberries at her place and she brought me literally gallons of frozen berries for the freezer. Can't believe I eventually had to tell her to stop bringing them as I'd run out of space. I even bartered some packages with a friend. This year I'll be buying a Mehu-Liisa juicer/steamer LINK for the surplus this year (if any).

Raspberries have their proclivities and will really produce well one year then slack off the next.

[sunshineband]

As others have said, some crops are worth a lot at supermarket prices, but if I had to buy them, for example, raspberries, I would not pay £2.50 for 500gm, so really this is not momey actually saved I suppose.

I rarely buy any vegetables, and fruit only in the winter (top fruit only, plus bananas)

Prior to having an allotment we spent about £10.00 per week

Then there are seeds etc to buy, minus the cost of enjoyment, increased quality of produce etc... complicated calculations overall

Suffice to say --- I feel like a winner overall, and that's what matters 

[richy]

Based on what we grow and eat, fruit and veg, we worked out that after all expences(compost,seeds,pots, tools and fuel getting there) we are saving more than £600 a year on fruit and veg, a little hard work pays for its self over and over, i would never ever give up my plot.

[Ema]

I can easily spend £50 a week on fruit and veg I'm really looking forward to growing soft fruits this year mainly because homegrown can't be beaten on taste. I hate buying bagged salads but had no luck growing salad last year thanks to some flea beetles.

I feel like I've spent a small fortune on seeds and seed potatos already and I can only hope that this is a really good year for us all