“How I Save $6K a Year with My Garden!”

Find out how you, too, can save thousands of dollars a year! [Food Gardening Network Spotlight]( August 16, 2022 [How I Save $6,000 a Year With My Garden … and How You Can, Too!]( With minimal investment, I’ve managed to combat inflation by saving a lot of money with my garden, growing a lot of my own food—and I’ve managed to have a great time doing it! Dear Gardener, I have to tell you about an absolutely shocking experience I had at the grocery store recently. The story begins with a friend of mine. She and her family of four moved back home to Massachusetts recently from across the country. She’s an avid gardener, but hasn’t had time to start her garden, so she needed to stock her kitchen. I offered to go shopping for her so she could start unpacking boxes. It’s no secret that feeding a family is expensive, but filling a completely empty kitchen makes it clear just how expensive it is. I was adding the total up as I went along gathering staples such as dried herbs and spices and fresh fruit and vegetables. And the truth is … I was stunned! It didn’t take long to hit $100, then $150. When the total continued creeping toward $300, I had to sit down and take some deep breaths. This wasn’t some full basket of groceries, either—I was just stocking up on kitchen staples and some fresh produce for a few dinners. I hadn’t even made it to the olive oil, dairy, snacks, or cleaning supplies. And in case you’re wondering, I wasn’t at some fancy boutique shop. This was a major grocery store chain: - $10 for tomatoes - $6 for a container of strawberries - $5 for a bag of onions - $4 for a pound of frozen green beans - $4 for less than an ounce of dried basil - $4 for a half ounce of dried oregano - $4 for a half ounce of dried thyme - $3 for a 5-ounce bag of spinach On their own, these items don’t seem terribly expensive. And it’s easy to miss how much this adds up when you aren’t buying everything all at once. But it got me thinking about how much money I save by gardening and growing so much of my own food. On spices alone, I save over $200 per year. [A Food Gardening Magazine, Unlike Any Other!]( [FGN Magazine]( Monthly digital Magazine issues, containing Gardening Guide Close-Ups; expert tips and advice; and tasty and easy-to-make recipes in every issue. Plus, instant access to the Magazine Library of back issues with even more plant-specific premium content, tips and advice, and delicious recipes! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes Magazine & Much More!]( I know it’s hard to eat well on a budget. But a garden can make those dollars do so much more. You can eat well without spending a small fortune on groceries every week! You don’t have to be a master gardener, either. And you don’t have to spend hours every day working in the garden. I have a full-time job, a preschooler to care for, and a household to manage. I’m not some homesteading guru with an army of interns to do the grunt work. It’s just my family of three spending a little time in the garden before dinner and on the weekends. I won’t lie—gardening takes some work, and there are some up-front costs. I’ll get to that in a minute. What makes it worthwhile is the return you get. And, there are plenty of ways to do it on a budget. You can literally save hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars every year on your grocery bill, just by tending a garden. Let me give you some specific examples. I haven’t paid for basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, or thyme in years. The sage, oregano, and thyme are perennials—they come back year after year in the garden, and I harvest enough in October and November to dry and last until the following spring. I bring my basil and rosemary plants indoors for the winter, where they continue to provide fresh herbs. Tomatoes? They might as well be gold. For about $20, I can get seed packets for four or five varieties of tomatoes every year. If I plant 8 of each variety and get an average of 15 pounds of tomatoes per plant, that’s 600 pounds of delicious heirloom tomatoes that would retail for about $2,400! You read that right. I grew $2,400 worth of tomatoes for $20! And I want to share with you how you can do it, too! [55+ Gardening Guides: How to Grow & Enjoy Specific Plants!]( [Gardening Guide]( Gardening Guides are plant-specific about how to grow, harvest, and enjoy foods from your garden—including Plant Profiles that highlight the major varieties of specific foods; Recipes that are easy-to-prepare and delicious; Health Benefits & Home Remedies; and more! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes 55+ Gardening Guides & Much More!]( I realize not everyone wants to grow 40 tomato plants. But even 10 plants gives you about $600 worth of tomatoes for that same $20. It wasn’t just tomatoes, either. I grew Crookneck squash, zucchini, purple potatoes, Black Beauty eggplants, leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce, bell peppers, broccoli, peas, Honeynut winter squash, strawberries, basil, sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme, tarragon, ginger, and more. In total, my garden gave me over $6,000 in produce in a single year! How much did I spend to get that? About $500, but that’s only because I built several new raised beds. I won’t have to buy those supplies again, so my budget for next season is around $300, and most of that is just because I want to replace a few old garden tools. By saving seeds and composting, I could easily generate the same produce for less than $100 per season. [I made some big mistakes, but you don’t have to.]( I didn’t start with a garden that gave me $6,000 in produce. In fact, my first few attempts were … not so great. I honestly didn’t know much at all about gardening. But I like to cook, and I love fresh produce, so it made sense to give it a go. I knew I should start small, so my first attempt at gardening included two squash plants, three tomato plants, several herbs, and a few other ill-fated vegetables. I felt so accomplished getting the garden started—but, as with many things, there’s good news and bad news. [9 Cookbooks, Packed with Easy-to-Make & Delicious Recipes!]( [9 Cookbooks]( New in 2022. Get more than 700 healthy, easy-to-make, and delicious recipes —including “Beverages,” “Bakery,” “Breakfast,” “Appetizers,” “Salads & Dressings,” “Soups,” “Entrées,” “Sauces & Side Dishes,” and “Desserts.” Make a single dish or an entire meal with the recipes in these cookbooks! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes 9 Cookbooks & Much More!]( First, the good news. The story begins with a friend of mine. She and her family of four moved back home to Massachusetts recently from across the country. She’s an avid gardener, but hasn’t had time to start her garden, so she needed to stock her kitchen. I offered to go shopping for her so she could start unpacking boxes. That was about it, though. My first garden was truly a disaster. Hornworms ate my tomato plants, skunks enjoyed my strawberries, something ravaged my basil, and I only managed to get one squash before the plants succumbed to the lousy soil conditions I’d subjected them to. Yes, worn-out clay soil that doesn’t drain is not ideal for squash! But I didn’t know that. I didn’t even realize that I had clay soil! I thought if I put some seeds in the ground and kept the plants watered, I would enjoy a rich harvest of delicious fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Little did I know. I think it’s safe to say that first garden cost me more than I got out of it. Of course, gardening isn’t just about money, and I did enjoy watching those little seedlings grow into lush green plants. I also learned a lot, and my garden has improved each season. But let’s not kid ourselves. Even a small garden is an excellent way to supplement your food budget. [36+ Videos with Tips, Tricks, & Recipes for You!]( [Videos]( Get 36 upcoming videos, covering seasonal plantings that are appropriate, gardening tips and tricks, and easy-to-make recipes that will delight your family and friends. Plus, get instant and unlimited access to the library of videos—streaming and on-demand, so ready whenever you want to watch! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes 36+ Videos & Much More!]( Yes, gardening is—and should be—fun. It feels good to dig your hands into warm, healthy soil. But with the prices of herbs, spices, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, sauces, jams … you get the idea. You don’t want to grow a garden only to watch your plants get eaten by pests or wither and die from poor health. That’s why I love working with [Food Gardening Network](. This group of dedicated food gardeners is ready to help you feel more self-sufficient; enjoy the success of growing your own fruits, herbs, and vegetables; know exactly where your food comes from; and share hundreds of recipes so you can use all that good garden produce on your table in the most delicious ways possible. [I’ll let you in on THE secrets to cutting your food budget by hundreds of dollars!]( Whether you have a small patio garden or a 500-square-foot garden in your backyard, you can cut your grocery bill by hundreds of dollars, if not more. How? It’s not just about what you grow, but what you do with it. Those 600 pounds of tomatoes I harvested is a LOT. I love tomatoes. My daughter and husband love tomatoes. But there is no way to eat that many tomatoes before they go bad. So I made sauces. I stewed and canned some tomatoes. I could tell you the same story about cucumbers or winter squash or onions. I had way more than I could use at once. I learned to pickle cucumbers and other vegetables (it’s WAY easier than I thought). I learned how to cure and store winter squash, onions, garlic, and root vegetables. I learned how to dry herbs. And with all the scraps, I learned to compost, which saved me hundreds of dollars each spring. [A Full Year—Plus the Library—of RecipeLion Magazine!]( [RL Magazine]( Get instant access to hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes in the magazine issue library, plus tips and tricks to help you develop your cooking skills. You’ll always make tasty meals—and you’ll have fun doing it—when you follow the recipes in RecipeLion Magazine! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes RecipeLion Magazine & Much More!]( It’s not just about growing fruits and vegetables, but it’s also about learning what to do with them. That’s where the real savings come from. I don’t keep all of this garden bounty for myself, by the way. I get to share the joy and save even more money by turning some of my harvest into gifts. If you want to give a gift that’s truly appreciated and you know will get used, put together your own blends of herbs and spices. Mix up a batch of herbes de Provence, and put it in a cute jar with some ribbon. Make jars of homemade pickled vegetables. Make strawberry jam, kale chips, dried fruit mixes, your own blend of Italian seasoning … the list goes on. Your garden isn’t just for you. It’s filled with gifts for your friends and family. Everyone loves a gift of handmade pickles, jam, or limoncello. I save at least a $1,000 every year on gifts that come from my garden. [“But Amanda, I don’t have the money to start a garden.”]( I thought this, too, when I first started my garden. I thought I needed all sorts of different shovels, trowels, hoes, pruners, weeding tools, expensive landscaping supplies, screens, and more. It turns out, I didn’t need all of this. You only need a couple of basic tools, seeds (or seedlings), and a few bags of garden mix to start a garden. Sure, you can get fancy. And sometimes it’s nice to have those specialized tools. But you don’t need them. It’s like cooking. It might be nice to have expensive copper pots, a six-burner stove, and a dozen knives to use. But I’ve had and made some delicious and exquisite meals with an old pot from a home-goods store, a hand-me-down pan, one knife, a rickety stove, and about 10 inches of counter space. [Member-Only Email Service, So You Don’t Miss a Thing!]( [Gold Member Insider]( Get guided previews of premium content, highlighting key foods, recipes, and gardening topics to help you quickly find the information you need. An exclusive email service, reserved for Food Gardening Network Gold Members only! [Get Your $10 Deal: Includes Gold Member Insider & Much More!]( Speaking of which … [But, oh so many recipes for you!]( Whether you grow a garden because you love to cook or you love to cook because it saves you money, it’s always helpful to have some trusty recipes at hand. At [Food Gardening Network]( we don’t just help you grow a garden, we have hundreds of recipes so you can put all that produce to work for you and your family. If there’s one thing that makes Food Gardening Network unique, it’s all the recipes—and I enjoy cooking and sharing the recipes. Honestly, even if you don’t garden, you can still save on your grocery bill by cooking meals at home. And with kitchen-tested recipes that use fresh ingredients and that will delight everyone’s tastebuds! Welcome to Food Gardening Network! [How Food Gardening Network was Born—and Why it Should Matter to You!]( I’ve been working with Food Gardening Network since it first began—we’re a band of like-minded food gardeners with a mission to serve other gardeners with tips, tools, advice, and recipes for growing and enjoying good food at home. In the spring of 2020—as a health pandemic started to grip the world—a group of us home food gardeners got together on a virtual-meeting platform, seeking to connect and share ideas about how to weather the storm. And it was unanimous! Food gardening mattered even more than ever to all of us—some had already started to ramp up their food-gardening efforts by expanding their gardens to grow a wider variety of items. But, what struck our avid band of food gardeners most was that no single reliable resource existed for getting advice about planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and cooking home-garden foods. Yes, some resources covered various aspects—but no single, all-in-one-place online resource existed to support our community of food gardeners in our quest to grow and enjoy good food. And so, Food Gardening Network was born! A true community-focused effort to support home food gardeners with the best advice around! Now, as we face the challenges of rising costs and sometimes-scarce supply chains, Food Gardening Network has become even more important for our community as a way to share cost-saving methods for growing and enjoying your own food at home. And did I mention again that it has to be fun? Yes, there’s some work involved in having a garden—but, you’ll save time and money, you’ll control your own food supply with the items you grow, and you’ll feel more productive and spend more time outdoors. Plus, you’ll avoid lurking grocery-store food contaminations, maximize your family time, and grow and eat locally. You can’t beat all that! [The special $10 introductory deal that will have you wondering why you haven’t acted on this before …]( When you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( for just $10 for an entire year right now, you get access to an entire food gardening library—everything we have about growing good food at home—all access and all the time, including: - Instant access to the Food Gardening Magazine filled with articles about how to start, maintain, and harvest food from your own garden at home. Plus, a full year’s subscription to upcoming monthly issues! - Instant access to all of our Gardening Guides—more than 55 comprehensive guidebooks that are plant-specific about how to grow, harvest, and enjoy the bounty of your home garden. Learn all about different foods, recipes to enjoy with friends and family, plus tips on health benefits and home remedies using your harvest! - 9 Cookbooks—New in 2022! You’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor with these healthy, easy-to-make recipes! From single dishes to a whole meal—we’ve got you covered! - Instant access to our Video Library, with 36 new upcoming videos, covering plantings that are season-appropriate, and gardening tips to help you make the most of your gardening efforts! Plus, find just the right gardening inspiration with unlimited access to our full video library! - RecipeLion Magazine Library—New in 2022! Get hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes at your fingertips, and develop new cooking skills along with special kitchen tips and tricks. Plus, a full year’s subscription to upcoming issues! - Exclusive Gold Member Insider delivered to your inbox, to guide you through the Food Gardening Network Library and highlight articles, magazine issues, gardening guides, videos, and recipes that you won't want to miss! And all of this is available to you—right now—when you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Charter Gold Membership]( for just $10 for a whole year! Become a [Food Gardening Charter Gold Member]( today—while this special introductory $10 Charter Offer lasts! I’m really excited to share all of this with you. I truly believe that you can lower your grocery bill and enjoy healthier, tastier food. It just takes some knowledge and a little effort, and we’re here to help you! And come on, ten bucks is an incredible deal for an entire year of access to all this money-saving advice! Please give it a try. [Amanda Signature] Amanda MacArthur Senior Editor & Producer Food Gardening Network P.S. I can tell you that my family are as happy as clams that I’m working with Food Gardening Network—my husband loves that I save so much money, my preschooler daughter loves to help in the garden and the kitchen, and we all love enjoying the delicious taste of fresh food from our own garden! P.P.S. Your own success with food gardening depends on you acting now—please claim your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( today, while this introductory Charter Offer is available to you for just $10 right now! That’s a 79% discount off the regular price, so why wait to act? [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, Recipes, and more! [FGN Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from Food Gardening Network. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [Unsubscribe]( Help us be sure your email update isn't filtered as spam. 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