Gardening to Save Money

If you have good soil, carrots are easy to grow and store well.

Gardening to Save Money

Victory gardens were planted during World War I and World War II by many countries, including the United States, to supplement the food supply during uncertain times. During the COVID pandemic, people again turned to gardening to supplement their food when prices skyrocketed. Gardening also helps boost morale and provides stress relief during worrying times. Vegetable gardening provides exercise to help manage stress, but also gives people something tangible they can do that makes them feel more in control.

Given the uncertainty and increasing prices in the United States and the world today, I predict people will again turn to gardening this spring (2025) and next year as well. (Update Aug 2025: as many predicted, food prices increased this summer; produce prices alone increased almost 40% in July of 2025). Some may start a garden for the first time, while others may increase the size of their current garden to save money. But does gardening save you money? It depends.

​I consider gardening a hobby and do not expect it to pay for itself. Like other hobbies, gardening costs money, but with this hobby, you can get a return on your investment. Although I stick to a budget, I also enjoy trying new seed varieties, so I tend to buy more seeds even when I already have plenty of other varieties I could plant. That being said, I did not always have the budget I do now to buy seeds and other gardening materials, so I’ve had some practice gardening on a budget.

How to Garden on a Budget

Tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers are prolific and fairly easy to grow. Peppers can be frozen without blanching. Tomatoes are often canned but can be dehydrated or frozen as well.

Soil

If you have decently fertile land, the cheapest way to garden is to plant in the ground. Unless you want to hand-dig the soil using a broad fork, you may want to invest in borrowing, renting, or buying a tiller, at least for the first time you turn over the soil. If your area to garden is currently covered by sod, you may want to put down a tarp or plastic sheet to kill the grass for several months to a year before you dig. If you do not have good soil, using a raised bed is the best, but not always the cheapest option. If your soil is terrible, it is likely more cost-effective to build raised beds and fill them with soil than try to repair the ground that could be compacted, too sandy, or have too much clay. For more information on raised beds, see my blog post here. Another option is to rent a community garden plot. If you share that plot with someone, you can split the costs and the labor (but also the food).
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Even if you use an in-ground garden, you should supplement the soil with compost or other amendments. Start saving your vegetable scraps as soon as possible to start a compost pile. The cheapest option is to compost on the ground, but you can buy a composter if you want it off the ground or in a container. We produce so much compost that we keep it in a large pile on the ground. If you know someone who raises animals, you can likely get manure for free. Ideally, it should be composted for at least 6 months before using it to reduce possible pathogen load. We get free horse manure from a neighbor. Horse manure isn’t the best due to the presence of weed seeds, but it is free. Rabbit, chicken, duck, cow, goat, and sheep manure are all great options.

Seeds and Plants

If you are new to gardening, I would suggest starting small. Buy only the seeds or plants that you think you will use the most. Gardens can quickly become overwhelming, and the cost of seeds or plants can add up. Some seed companies sell mixed gift bags at the end of the season, much cheaper than regular seeds (True Leaf Market and MIgardener). You may also be able to get free seeds from seed swaps, local gardening sites online, or on a local “buy nothing” group. Heirloom seeds tend to be much cheaper than hybrid seeds, but depending on your location, disease-resistant or bolt-resistant hybrid seeds might be worth the extra cost. I have much better luck with hybrid broccoli and cauliflower than I do with open-pollinated, but with peppers and tomatoes, I mostly buy heirlooms. If you are confused about the differences between types of seeds (you aren’t alone!), see my post on ​Open-Pollinated, Heirloom, Hybrid, and GMO Seeds.

One other advantage of heirloom seeds is that you can save seeds from your plants and eliminate having to buy more seeds in the future. This is easiest for self-pollinating plants like tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Even if you do have some crossing between two different varieties, the fruit is still edible. For some plants, it is more difficult to save seed. Squashes tend to cross-pollinate, and other vegetables, like carrots, are biennial and so will not set seed until the following year, which means you have to find a way to overwinter the plant. Most seeds will also last several years or longer in storage (cool and dry is best). A few types of seeds quickly lose germination ability, such as onions/leeks/shallots, parsnips, and spinach, so I buy these new every year.

Some vegetables are better planted as seedlings and not as seeds. Most tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., are generally started early indoors and then planted outside when they are bigger. Starting seeds on your own saves you the cost of buying plants, but it does cost money to buy pots, soil, and lights. It also takes quite a bit of time. See my post on The Basics of Seed Starting if you want to learn more.

Buying pre-started seedlings has also gotten more expensive. We have Amish greenhouses nearby that have better prices than most traditional greenhouses or big box stores. If your growing season is long enough, you can also delay buying plants until they go on sale near the end of the planting season. Another option is to check Facebook Marketplace. Many people who start seeds sell extra plants that are more affordable than traditional plant nurseries. I usually set up a roadside stand in the spring and give my extra tomato and pepper plants away for free. I will take donations if someone wants to donate, but that isn’t necessary.

Winter squash and summer squash are prolific and easy to grow. Winter squash also store well in a cool, but not refrigerated, space.

What to Grow

​If you want to get the most bang for your buck, I recommend growing vegetables that are easy to grow and prolific. I have great luck growing kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, peppers (bell peppers tend to produce less), tomatoes, beans, summer squash, beets, carrots, and winter squash. Lettuce and mustard greens are also easy to grow as long as it doesn’t get too hot. Some more difficult vegetables, at least for me, are cauliflower and broccoli (they also take up quite a bit of space), turnips/rutabagas, spinach, corn, and Chinese cabbage. Space is also a consideration. If you only have a small area and want to grow winter squash, consider bushy or compact varieties.

Maintaining a Garden

Once you have the garden planted, the biggest cost is your labor. Weeding and thinning are time-consuming but necessary. I recommend making seed tapes (see my blog here). This reduces seed waste and the time needed to thin.  You can buy seed tapes, but they are more expensive than regular seed. To reduce weeding, I mulch everything. This also reduces the need for water. I use cardboard boxes and wood chips in the aisles to keep weeds down, and shredded (non-glossy) paper and grass clippings (no herbicides) around plants. If you add lots of compost to your garden before planting, you may not need to fertilize much throughout the season since compost releases nutrients slowly. Otherwise, you can buy fertilizer. I tend to fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer for my fruiting plants or a nitrogen-based fertilizer for my greens. All-purpose fertilizers are fairly cheap, but if you want organic, this will dramatically increase the cost.

Harvesting and Preserving

The best way to get the most out of your garden is to preserve your extra produce. There are multiple options available. The easiest and cheapest way is to freeze your produce. This generally requires a large pot or steamer for blanching (some vegetables like onions and peppers do not need blanching) to maintain the best quality in the freezer. A vacuum sealer is also handy, as is an extra freezer, but these come with extra costs.

If you do not have much freezer space and cannot afford a second freezer, then dehydration and canning are good options. Check out my post on Dehydrating Food for more detailed information. Dehydration requires you to purchase a dehydrator; some are expensive, but you can get a decent starter one for about $50. Dehydrating vegetables also generally requires blanching beforehand.

Canning is the third option, but the most expensive. You must buy jars, lids, and a large pot or steam canner for high-acid foods or a pressure canner for low-acid foods. Much of this you may be able to buy used (buy lids new, as they cannot be reused except for Tattler and Harvest Guard brands, which can be trickier to use). Do not buy an electric pressure canner or use an Instant Pot for pressure canning. Thus far, no electric pressure canner has passed third-party testing, and they are expensive. A Presto stove-top canner with a weight is a great option if you are just starting, and costs about $80-$90. See my blog post on Safe Home Canning for more information.

One last option for preserving food is to plant vegetables that store well. Many winter squash and storage onions will last for months in cool, dry storage. Carrots, parsnips, and cabbage will also store well in a refrigerator or root cellar if you are lucky enough to have one.

Conclusions

​Gardening on a budget is possible, but it may take more planning. Look for sales on gardening tools, fertilizers, potting soil, seeds, etc. Buy the minimum amount to get started and slowly add more over time. In my opinion, spending your money on soil health is the best investment you can make. This will directly affect how much produce you get from your garden plot. 

Swiss chard is easy to grow and freezes well.