[4x3x2]

In my first year I grew 97 bunches of grapes (OK the vine is established and has been going for around 10 years), 84 cucumbers, 1.4kg of rhubarb, 1360 good tomaotes, 4kg approx of green tomatoes and ones with bits cut out of them, 17.25kg runner beans, 8 small melons, 2L of goosgogs, 2 bunches of carrots and 2 very pathetic and shriveled aubergines.  The biggest saving I made in comparison to the rest of you was in not forking out for an allotment!  I did this in 2 borders of a 4x3 m garden, the 2 window sills of a conservatory the same size, a fairly large quantity of upcycled big plastic paint pots scattered around the former 2 areas, 4 window sills in the house and 5 pots by the path in the front garden!
Nothing has been wasted or given away, it' s all either been eaten or is in the freezer.  After reading the entire thread in detail I've concluded that an allotment is everything that the responders who've never bothered about the cost say it is, but as a purely financial proposition it's nowhere near as cost effective as growing somewhere else that doesn't cost £55pa rental!  So for year 2 I'm modifying what I grow and where I grow it and won't be expanding into an allotment!

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on what you've achieved in such a small space and time!

Some people, of course, do not even have the outdoor or conservatory space that you mention.

[4x3x2]

Sure, and they're just the people allotments are primarily provided for, hopefully they'll all be pleased I'm not pushing them one more place down the waiting list!
If I'm honest the waiting list is also a large factor in the decision to keep it in-house!

[rowlandwells]

like most we haven't actually made time to sit down and work out just what our allotments saves us but we managed to fill 3 freezers up with veg and home grown fruit plumbs apples raspberries and strawberries so we must be doing something rite 

then there's our garden therapy many happy hours spent down the allotments doing a bit having a rest and a cup of tea or a bacon butty and watching the world go by

as I said I  don't know what we save on growing but I know what we spend

For year 2021
seed around £200
compost      £170
fertilizers    £50
garden sundries £70
Tractor and rotavator fuel £50
this is not counting any repairs or servicing inc: oil fuel filters
we also spend around £400 per year on [flower] plants and plugs
labour cost for working on the allotment greenhouses unlimited 

in year 2019 our spend went through the roof when we bought a new rotavator and 2 new Tractor tyre's 

but having said that gardening is our life and we wouldn't change it for the world its only money at the end of the day and its well spent someone asked us if we where growing to be self sufficient i never thought of it that way 
you've certainly raised a very interesting topic Stoatus and something i hadn't give it a thought about  till you raised this 

[New shoot]

then there's our garden therapy many happy hours spent down the allotments doing a bit having a rest and a cup of tea or a bacon butty and watching the world go by

That is priceless 

Having spent a fair part of the day at mine, working, chatting and generally having a great time, I have to be honest and say I don’t care that it costs money to rent.  We have few facilities, so it is only about what it would take for a couple of months of membership at a decent gym and I enjoy gardening much more than the treadmill or rowing machine.

I’ve watched a couple bring their young kids along for a few hours (they have a plot mud kitchen which looks like a lot of fun), another younger plot holder rotovate a piece of ground for one of the old boys to help him out and be rewarded with PSB and rhubarb and lots of friendships sparking back up after the winter as people emerge to get ready for another growing season.  I am lucky that we are a small and friendly site, but it is one of my favourite places to be 

[Alank]

I don't worry about what the allotment costs I spend loads of my time working and running my business so whenever I'm doing my allotment stuff its strictly for pleasure only.
If I have surplus of anything eggs or plants etc they are given away for free its nice for me not to add up the pounds shillings and pence. My allotment time is more to me than breaking it down to a balance sheet.

[snowdrops]

I’ve often thought about costing it out, but to be honest, I can’t be bothered because the advantages out weigh any disadvantages there may be, but I haven’t found what they are yet lol. I could grow my fruit & veg in the garden but I also like flowers so that’s set aside for them.
Mind you I’ve blown all coatings out of the water this year by ordering a 14 x 25ft poly tunnel  .
You only live once, & after the last year I just thought, you know what I’ve thought about this for long enough, get on with it.

[hasbeans]

Some products can't be bought from supermarkets so are almost priceless.  I consider supermarket Tomatoes and Plums close to inedible and then there's the stuff that shops don't stock.  I grew heatless Habanero's last year for the first time....wonderful things.

Then there's the growth inhibitors, pesticides, fungicides, phthalates, plastic packaging, monoculture farming, water theft, bad labour practices, habitat destruction...blah blah 

Money is important but so are taste, health and principles!

[al78]

My allotment saved me a modest amount of money for a few years, but not last year as most of my staple veg just didn't produce well, so I've been buying almost all my veg from the local market for the last year. Hoping to do better this year if we don't have another year with a locked in weather pattern.

[goose]

did someone say £55 a year ....WOW that sounds expensive!!!!

however, regardless if growing my own saves me money or not...and it normally tastes better.....but...the biggest payback of all has been having an allotment in this last year during lockdown.  having a safe place to go outside of my 4 walls has been a saviour for mine and my hubbys mental health.

we have a large garden at home and a veg patch there too, but just to go somewhere else in a safe manner and spend some time was a godsend.

i feel extremely fortunate to be an allotment holder and even more so during this pandemic.

[mumofstig]

Me too, goose 

[snowdrops]

Our plot rent goes up year on year, I think it was £8 per half plot 15 years ago when I got mine, last year it was £26 per half!

[mumofstig]

Our plot rent goes up year on year, I think it was £8 per half plot 15 years ago when I got mine, last year it was £26 per half!

It's about the same here, and that's with the pensioner discount 

[bobbyt]

Never really costed it, but for me it's an enjoyable hobby and most hobbies cost money anyway, and there is a bonus of fresh fruit and veg on demand....well mostly !

[snowdrops]

Our plot rent goes up year on year, I think it was £8 per half plot 15 years ago when I got mine, last year it was £26 per half!

It's about the same here, and that's with the pensioner discount 

Ooh did not know if we have a pensioner’s discount!