Save Money on Groceries Gardening

When I think about preparing a garden for my family, I think long term. The fact that I can eat healthy and save money at the same time is phenomenal to me. It makes me feel as if money is growing out of the ground. When I think about how much money my family and I actually spend on fresh fruit and vegetables, a garden is just the thing we needed. We are a large family of eight and I love using coupons to save money but I've never seen a coupon for fresh food.

A Garden Can Be Any Size

I have heard people say that they want a garden but they always seem to feel that they do not have enough space. The truth is that a garden can be any size. It can be very small or large. The biggest factor in growing a garden is to make sure that the soil is good and that there is enough sun to grow a garden. This means that the area where the garden will be can not be a shaded area with trees hovering over the garden. The sun has to directly shine on the garden.

Even people without yards can possibly grow things on a porch. A person can grow beans, lettuce, collards, herbs, tomatoes, and peppers on a porch and even more. Every little bit helps and there are people that are even growing gardens on their porches without soil believe it or not. The beans can be used in vegetable soups. Any type of beans can be grown like this. I suggest that they be picked a little at a time and frozen in freezer bags. This is a great way to grow salad. I've done this and it really works. I usually cut off only the parts that I need to use and new leaves grow pretty fast. The same thing applies to any type of greens. People might say that they are not enough to make a full pot of green but any type of greens can be stir fried in a little olive oil and onions.

Why I Love Gardening

I love growing my own garden because I enjoy making my own spaghetti sauces and soup starter mixes. Preserving food from my garden is another way that I save money. I purchase freezer bags, wash my fruit and vegetables, chop them, and freeze a lot of them. From time to time, I use the old fashioned canning method to make fruit preserves and to store food for the winter. I use the same method to store vegetables and sauce mixes. There have been times that my family and I grew so much that we could share with family members and still have food that would last for months. It's smart and it's a healthier way of living. To save money gardening is just the right thing to do. There are some that seem to feel that it is a bit old fashioned but in terms of doing what is best for family its just smarter to not worry about what people will say. A garden can be kept as neat as any other part of a yard and will not take away from the landscape.

Hard Work Will Pay Off

It may see like a lot of hard work but in the end, it is well worth it. Even if there is money spent to start the garden it is still worth it. There may be the expense of purchasing topsoil, gardening tools, or seeds but there are even ways to cut cost on these expenses. Seeds can often be found on sale at dollar stores. Gardening tools can also be purchased at these stores. If a person does not have really good soil for growing a garden, it can be purchased from stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and even Dollar Tree believe it or not. Once the ground has been tilled, the new top soil can be mixed in with the soil that is already there. All of the soil does not have to be replaced.

Starting a garden is not only economical but it can be fun and exciting. This is a great way to exert energy and enjoy the benefits of eating healthy and saving money!

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