Cultivating your own fruits and vegetables can significantly cut down your yearly expenses, mitigating grocery costs and safeguarding against the rise in food prices. You can garden on a budget by utilizing free community resources, repurposing old containers, and nurturing kitchen scraps. Gardening is a stress-reliever and enhances your sense of control over your environment.
Throughout history, when financial constraints have been stringent, gardening has been a go-to solution to bridge the financial gap. During the World Wars, victory gardens in people’s backyards and elevated beds were instrumental in saving money and supplying families with fresh produce and herbs. This strategy was once again employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many turning to gardening not only to augment their savings but to ensure a food supply amid supply chain disruptions.
Gardening offers more than just affordable produce; it’s a soothing, mindful activity that can elevate your quality of life, not just your wallet. Whether contemplating your first garden or seeking to expand your edible garden space, now is an ideal time to embark on this recession-proof hobby.
Eric Croak, a certified financial planner and president at Croak Capital, and Lauren Click, the founder and executive director of Let’s Go Compost, highlight the financial and mental health advantages of gardening. Depending on your climate zone, a range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs can be grown in your backyard, even on a window sill, thereby reducing your shopping list. Starting a garden is an inexpensive endeavor, especially when starting from seeds, and can lead to substantial savings on groceries.
“Gardening is one of the few pastimes that not only slashes your grocery expenses but also enhances your overall well-being,” Eric Croak states. “You’re not introducing new expenses, you’re substituting recurring ones. If you cultivate $20 worth of lettuce each week for six months, that’s $480 that you would otherwise spend on groceries.”
The more you can grow, the more you can save. As prices continue to escalate, starting a garden now can immediately help you save money and protect against future price hikes.
“A humble 4-by-8 raised bed can yield enough greens, tomatoes, and herbs to reduce a weekly grocery bill by $60 during peak months,” Croak observes. “That adds up to $240 a month and possibly $1,000 a year. When compared to food inflation of 4% to 6% annually, your garden becomes a shield against price fluctuations, effectively purchasing food at last year’s prices year after year.”
While a larger garden can equate to greater savings, it also demands more effort to maintain, which may not be feasible for everyone. However, you can still enjoy the benefits of gardening with a few low-maintenance plants, as Lauren Click, of Let’s Go Compost, suggests. A simple windowsill herb pot can eliminate the need for store-bought herbs, saving $2 to $4 per week.
You can enjoy the fruits of your labor year-round, not just in the summer. You might have experimented with canning tomatoes, but a pressure canner allows you to preserve many of your garden’s surplus, such as green beans, corn, and potatoes, for use throughout the year.
Gardening, while potentially offering long-term savings, might seem costly at the outset, but it doesn’t have to be. A backyard vegetable garden is convenient, but if you lack the time, space, or funds to start a garden immediately, there are other budget-friendly options to grow your own food.
“Gardening doesn’t have to be costly to begin with, and it should be accessible to everyone,” Lauren Click emphasizes. “Reach out to local garden clubs, seed exchange groups, libraries, and your county extension office. Many offer free seeds, discounted tools, compost bins, and training programs. Your local library might even provide free garden tools to borrow.”
Before discarding your grocery scraps, consider that many can be repurposed or regrown into plants that continue to produce food, while others can serve as a cost-effective compost alternative, reducing the need for purchased fertilizers or potting soil.
“You can regrow food from scraps like green onion bulbs, lettuce leftovers, and carrot tops, which are excellent for pesto,” Lauren Click advises. “Maximize your return on investment. Utilize food scraps for broth, then compost the remainder to create fertilizer. This provides you with three uses: food, broth, and soil, reducing trash costs and eliminating the need for purchased fertilizers or potting soil over time.”
If you wish to grow plants in pots, recycling your own containers or checking out local Buy Nothing groups for free items can be helpful. Just ensure you know the material of your container before using it for growing food.
“Remember to be cautious and safe when reusing items for gardening,” she cautions. “Avoid items like tires, paint cans, and non-food-grade plastics for growing plants. Instead, opt for items like unused terracotta pots; natural materials like cotton for grow bags; and similar natural options.”
Mental well-being is a valuable resource, and many people underestimate the mental clarity gained from engaging in hands-on activities.
In addition to financial savings, tending to your garden and growing your own food can be both relaxing and empowering.
“Gardening decreases grocery bills, diminishes waste, and offers some protection from price surges—while also reducing anxiety and stress, which can lead to indirect cost savings over time from a health standpoint,” Lauren Click explains.
“Recessions can be stressful. Prices rise, wages stagnate, and people may engage in panic buying,” Eric Croak adds. “Gardening reverses that dynamic. It’s calming and productive. You replace anxiety with a sense of control, which has real value. Mental well-being is a precious resource, and many people underestimate the mental clarity they gain from engaging in practical activities.”
Even when budgets are tight, the act of weeding or picking a home-grown tomato can offer a moment of relaxation. Listening to music, an audiobook, or involving the whole family can transform gardening into a personal retreat or a bonding experience. Whether you start with a small project or a full garden bed, you can begin to reap the rewards at any time.
