[GYO Girl]

I've just spent a very pleasant afternoon in my nice warm greenhouse on a sunny winter's day pricking out 200 onion seedlings into individual modules.  The cost of the packet of seeds was 98p.  So I've got 200 onions for the princely sum of less than 0.5p each!!

I spent £1.05 on a bag of 10 onions from Tesco on Saturday.  Now my maths isn't great, but surely that makes my 200 onions bloomin' good value!!

Sorry, I know I'm preaching to the converted, but this is my first full growing season and I had to share it!

[PurplePixie]

This will be my first full season as well and I had a similar sort of 'smug' moment yesterday on the phone when I was talking about sowing winter gem lettuce seeds and my Mum was complaining about how expensive the little gems are in the supermarkets

I've only ordered seeds for things we will eat and I think it gets really noticeable when you look at the price of things like peppers and tomatoes 

It's a no brainer really .... and it's fun 

[maxyboo]

It's brilliant isn't it! I harvested my onions last Autumn and we are still enjoying them. I don't know if the joy of growing your own wears off at all but I certainly hope not

[gavinjconway]

Great feeling growing your own veg and seeing the prices in the shops and realizing you are saving a fortune...

[GYO Girl]

I'm now really looking forward to seeing how many rows of salad leaves I will get from one 79p seed packet, bearing in mind I pay £1 or more every week for one pathetic bag of mixed leaves!

Oooh, and cherry tomatoes!!... and broccoli!!.. and... and.....

[Herb]

I've just been given about 20 packs of seed - mostly different brassicas, as well as some courgette, beetroot and carrots.

So that's even better VFM!

[allot2learn]

................. and it all tastes so much better too. 

[PurplePixie]

................. and it all tastes so much better too. 

It does... and I can get my green-phobic hubby to eat more veg when I tell him that it's something I've grown

I think he feels he's being supportive when he eats it and will admit it tastes better .... just don't tell him that I put chopped spinach in things and tell him it's basil 

[shokkyy]

This year I'm determined to do better with brassicas, leeks and root veg. Yesterday I paid 75p for a single leek 

Pity there's no realistic way to keep tomatoes and cucumbers going through the winter, because no matter how much passata you make or tomatoes you freeze, you'll still need fresh ones to go with a salad.

[snowdrops]

It's brilliant isn't it! I harvested my onions last Autumn and we are still enjoying them. I don't know if the joy of growing your own wears off at all but I certainly hope not

No it doesn't well not with me anyway,I've been growing veg for nearly 30 years & still get excited about it each year

[gobs]

I've just spent a very pleasant afternoon in my nice warm greenhouse on a sunny winter's day pricking out 200 onion seedlings into individual modules.  The cost of the packet of seeds was 98p.  So I've got 200 onions for the princely sum of less than 0.5p each!!

I spent £1.05 on a bag of 10 onions from Tesco on Saturday.  Now my maths isn't great, but surely that makes my 200 onions bloomin' good value!!

Sorry, I know I'm preaching to the converted, but this is my first full growing season and I had to share it!

Of course it does. Him indoors, had to go shopping to some place, when I got unwell some 2 years ago. Came back with in a franzy: I have never even been near to vegetable isles for years! The money they ask for three sad looking organic carrots! I thought I might faint.

[BabbyAnn]

After I got made redundant several years ago and had to take up a much lower paid job (then there was the credit crunch & recession that followed), I took up growing my own specifically to save money.  Now I know there is a frugal way of starting off but to get seriously into it I had to make some initial investments (tools, greenhouses, fruit trees and bushes) as well as the consumables such as compost, manure, plot rent etc.  At first it just looked like a very expensive hobby and I started to wonder if it was worth it in the end, especially when the weather is poor and some crops failed or when blight hit.

Then I walk down the fruit and veg aisles in the supermarket and it is a jaw dropping experience  - how much for runner beans, sweetcorn, courgettes and I can't believe a lettuce costs that much to grow?!  It is definitely a sobering experience and reminds me that growing my own has definitely paid off in the long run.

Pity there's no realistic way to keep tomatoes and cucumbers going through the winter, because no matter how much passata you make or tomatoes you freeze, you'll still need fresh ones to go with a salad.

From a frugal point of view, I would consider the sacrifice of a few fresh salad veg worth it and much prefer to get into seasonal cropping instead.  Besides, when these are ready they are much more appreciated 

[joyfull]

and the price of the baby veg (tiny caulis, romanesco, leeks, carrots etc.) in the supermarkets makes your eyes water when you can just pick your own 

[sunshineband]

and the price of the baby veg (tiny caulis, romanesco, leeks, carrots etc.) in the supermarkets makes your eyes water when you can just pick your own 

and time from plot to plate is so short too ---- no foodmiles to worry about there 

[Thrift]

The taste is so superior. How do they get carrots and beans etc. to  be so tasteless!

As sunny says it's marvellous to pick and cook, sometimes within minutes. I think we're all well and truly hooked.