Will Gardening Save Money? Here’s How

Will Gardening Save Money
Will Gardening Save Money? Here’s How – plantsheaven.com

With the current financial situation, we are all looking for ways to cut expenses. And starting and growing a garden seems like an excellent way to reduce costs and increase savings. But will gardening save money?

Gardening will save money, depending on the costs and time involved in growing the vegetables, the amounts of crops grown, and the harvest from the garden. In other words, starting a garden can reduce the amount of money spent on groceries.

In addition to saving money, gardening also has several health benefits. Let’s discuss all the amazing ways your garden saves you money.

See also: Essential Gardening Tools You Need to Start a Garden

Will Gardening Save Money? Let’s Discuss How

Growing a garden could reduce the amount of money spent on groceries. However, this “potential” depends on several factors, including the costs involved in producing the crops, types and amounts of vegetables grown, yields derived from the garden, and other additional factors (Source: Iowa State University)

Let’s discuss how gardening can save you money.

1- You Need to Travel Less When You Have a Garden

Most people rush to parks and gardens to spend some quality time with nature on weekends. But why would you need to travel when you could have the same fun at your home in your garden? The money you spend on outdoor activities for fun and enjoyment will be saved.

So, when people would ask you, “will gardening save money?” or “what good would it be to spend time gardening and get your hands dirty?” you can convince them through the advantage of fewer travel expenditures.

2- Save The Money You Spend on Gym

Gardening itself counts as exercise. The level of exercise you get from household chores, and gardening is linked with lower risks of heart attack and stroke, according to a study. And you can save the amount you spend on a gym membership.

Performing 30 minutes of any physical activity, including gardening, five days a week could reduce your rate of heart disease by 20 percent and your risk of death from any cause by 28 percent, found in a 2017 study by McMaster University in Canada.

Moreover, as it might surprise you, gardening helps you torch calories per hour.

  • Gardening: planting flowers, pulling weeds, etc., burns 200-400 calories per hour.
  • Mowing your lawn burns 250-350 calories per hour.

3- Sell Your Vegetables

If you have a vegetable garden or want to start a vegetable garden, you can make money by selling your vegetables.

Thinking how much does a vegetable garden cost? Well, it depends on different things like:

  • What sort of vegetables do you want to grow?
  • What their cost for seeds would be
  • What the fertilizer would cost you
  • How big is the land where you want to grow?
  • And what gardening tools you would need to grow, etc.

But still, the benefits of having a vegetable garden override its cost. You can sell your vegetables to your neighbors, or you can be a regular vegetable supplier to the local grocery store in your area.

See also: Here’s How You Can Make Money Gardening

4- You Can Trade or Barter

You can barter with your neighbors, friends, or relatives, maybe. Your best friend needs a bouquet to give to his partner? Ask him to provide you with the book he has in exchange. And read a book you like without spending the money.

5- Rent Your Garden for Events

Renting your garden for events is an excellent way to save money gardening. It is not that only if you have a big garden, then you can rent it.

You can rent your small garden for tea parties or small celebrations like birthdays or prize distributions.

See also: Top 16 Best Vegetable Gardening Books You Need To Start Your Garden Now

6- Meet New People Without Spending Money

Some people like to meet new people, mostly travelers. While traveling, you meet a lot of new people and establish new friendships or relations. But when you have a garden, you would rather spend your time here than visiting bars, cafes, or clubs and would save money.

So, will gardening save money? Yes, it will. You will meet people who would be interested in gardening as well. Or people would just come, visit your garden, and admire its beauty and your efforts.

7- You Could Save About $600 on Groceries

Well, why spend money on groceries when you have a garden of your own? For example, gardening could save you about $600 on groceries.

And if you are thinking, “is it cheaper to grow your vegetables?” the answer is yes. Because the annual cost of the grocery is more than the cost of growing your vegetables, not to mention that they would be way too tasty and fresh than those in the grocery stores.

8- Save Money on Medical Checkups

Will gardening save money spent on medical checkups? When you get to eat fresh and pesticide-free vegetables and fruits, you will live healthily and be less likely to visit doctors and pay their huge amount of fees.

In addition, gardening promotes healthy eating and increases your confidence in food safety and security. You know where your fruits and vegetables are coming from and what chemicals you use. You can grow organic and healthy crops for you and your family.

9- Open a Flower Store

If you are not growing a vegetable or fruit garden, you can grow a flower garden. Almost everyone gives or receives flowers from his loved ones. And thus, you can open a flower store, run a side business of your own, and make money. Marriage, birthdays, funerals… flowers are just everywhere.

In addition, you could be a flower supplier to the flower stores if at you don’t want to open a flower store. You just need to be wise in choosing your flowers when you are growing a flower garden. The more beautiful collection of flowers you have, the more your store or supplying business would work.

See also: How Long Do Flowers Really Last Without Water (And how to make them last longer)

10- Keep Yourself Mentally Healthy

There is something with the cool breeze of the morning in the gardens, or with the fragrance of flowers, planting and growing the plants, or just watching them growing, which lessens everyday stress.

As you must have heard, the famous saying ‘health is wealth’, so, concerning that, a garden does save you money because it gives you peace of mind.

Let yourself think about spending a morning listening to the sound of chirping birds while taking a cup of coffee. Such a morning will lose the burden in your heart and will make your day.

See also: 13 House Incredible Plants Benefits you Need to Know

How to Get Started With Garden?

Before starting your garden (if you are a beginner), you need to learn the basics. First, keep in mind that the location of your vegetable garden is critical. Fortunately, almost all vegetables need full sun and well-drained soil. Also, ensure that your vegetable garden is located near a source of water.

Cool-season vegetablesWarm-season vegetables
When to plantearly spring and harvested by mid-summerafter the danger of frost has passed and harvested by early fall
Type of plants – Beets
– Cauliflower
– Carrots
– Lettuce
– Eggplant
Tomatoes
– Pepper
– Squash
Will Gardening Save Money? Here’s How – plantsheaven.com

How To Grow Two or Three Crops in a Given Area During the Growing Season?

With proper planning, you can grow two or three crops in a given area during the growing season. You can use a technic called succession planting by using the same space for two or more crops.

Other techniques, including interplanting and companion planting, are different ways to use your garden space efficiently. The more efficiently you use garden space, location, and resources, the more significant the potential savings.

See also: Here’s How to Germinate Your Tomato Seeds Faster: a Quick Guide

How to Save Money Growing a Vegetable Garden?

  • Start by selecting vegetables you like, and you will enjoy taking care of them The truth is you will most like not take care of ( or even eat) something you don’t like. Therefore, don’t waste your time or money planting something you dislike in the garden.
  • Choose vegetables that you can easily store or preserve. Selecting vegetables with a long storage life or can quickly be canned or frozen is an excellent way to save money on groceries. 
Vegetables with a Long storage life (a few months at the appropriate temperature)Vegetables suitable For Extended Preservation period (canning or freezing)
– Potatoes
– sweet potatoes
– Onions
– And winter squash
Cucumbers
– Sweet corn
Tomatoes
– Beans
– And beets
Will Gardening Save Money? Here’s How – plantsheaven.com
  • Choose vegetables that are expensive to buy in your local grocery store. To save money, grow more costly items, such as melons and tomatoes, or large quantities of vegetables you purchase regularly. 

See also: The Ultimate Guide for Successfully Starting Cucumbers Indoors

List of Vegetables With Highest Returns on Investment of Space and Time in The Garden
– Beans
– Onions
– Spinach
Tomatoes
– Beets
– Potatoes
– Lettuce
– Broccoli peppers
– Peas
– Carrots
– Swiss chard
Cucumbers
– Summer squash
Will Gardening Save Money? Here’s How – plantsheaven.com
  • Do your research to find ways to reduce your expenses.
    • Collect rainwater for watering.
    • Add compost and well-rotted manure to your garden to enrich the soil and reduce the use of fertilizers.
    • Pest control insects and diseases to reduce your reliance on pesticides.
    • Find ways to reuse containers, flats, stakes, and ties.
  • Grow Your Garden Gradually Like many things in life, gardening takes practice. Your plants will require regular maintenance, watering, and harvesting. And growing many different vegetables in a large garden can be overwhelming for new gardeners and can ultimately lead to failure. Try to limit yourself to just a few types of vegetables in your first year. And after you learn and become more confident in your abilities and resources, you can grow a wider variety of crops and increase the size of your vegetable garden

In Conclusion

Plant a garden, make money, save money, and be healthy both physically and mentally. With these amazing perks, you can contribute to the environment by planting and ensuring that you eat organic and healthy.

The most important trick to saving money with gardening is to limit your costs while maximizing your yield.

Altiné

Hello friends, I am Altiné. I am SO excited you are here! I am the guy behind Plantsheaven.com. Plants Heaven is a blog that shares information about preparing, creating, and maintaining gardens in and out of your home, regardless of where you live. My goal is to help you learn to love gardening and reap the benefits that come with it. I am still learning; therefore, the information I share on this site may not always be “expert” advice or information. But, I do my VERY best to make sure the information shared on this blog is both accurate and helpful.

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