This list of the top money saving foods to grow will help you to save money on your grocery budget. With grocery prices sky high, it can help to grow your own healthy fresh food at home.
How can gardening save you money?
Growing a garden at home, even a small one has the potential to save you hundreds in produce every years. By growing things from seed, growing year round and preserving your own food, it is possible.
Check out my article here on frugal gardening for lots of tips to help you get started! So here is my list of the top money saving foods to grow at home right now.
1. Herbs
The small packets of herbs in the grocery store can run anywhere from $3-$6 from what I have seen. This is insane! A packet of basil, thyme, rosemary, etc. at big box stores will only cost you about $2 or less and you can grow more herbs than you could ever consume! Plus, many herbs are perennials meaning they come back year after year.
2. Peppers
Whether we are talking bell peppers or jalepenos, the prices for a pound of peppers is crazy. You can grow a couple of pepper plants on an apartment balcony and be able to freeze enough for months.
3. Greens
Kale, lettuce, mustards, turnips, collards, etc. are all very easy to grow. However, they are overpriced in the grocery store. Many types of greens you can cut and they will come again. Where I live in zone 8b, a lot of greens overwinter and can produce in all but the hottest months.
4. Berries
While most berries require a little more room than a container (except for strawberries), growing your own berry bushes can save you loads of money. Berry bushes such as blueberries can produce enough for you to freeze and put back for months to come. Raspberries and blackberries actually spread and produce more canes every year. That means more berries without having to buy more plants.
We actually forage gallons and gallons of wild blackberries (we call them dewberries) every year for preserves, smoothies and lots of delicious jam. If someone you know has land, ask if you can forage around. Just make sure you know what you’re picking before you consume it.
5. Tomatoes
One indeterminate tomato plant can produce pounds and pounds of fruit. They can easily be grown from seed and can be grown in containers. Plus, homegrown tomatoes taste waaaay better than store bought!
A cherry tomato plant can save you just as much money as a slicer or paste. Those small clam shells of cherry tomatoes at the store are priced way too high for the amount you get. Cherry tomato plants are very hardy too and great for the beginner gardener.
6. Winter squash
This is harder to grow if you don’t have a lot of space. However, if you do you should definitely go for it. One butternut squash at the store seems to cost a small fortune. Plus, winter squash store so well they can lasts months in your pantry.
7. Sweet Potatoes
I live in the deep south where it is very easy to grow sweet potatoes. This past year I grew about 85lbs. of sweet potatoes in one raised bed. We have eaten on them for months and still have some in our pantry.
8. Summer Squash
Zucchini has a reputation for over producing. But that does not have to be a bad thing! Whether it is zucchini or another summer squash, freeze what you can’t eat fresh. I grew up with my mamaw and momma pressure canning yellow squash for future squash casseroles. But there are loads of creative recipes online that can help you find ways to use it up. One variety that is a big producer for us in the Tromboncino. It can also be left on the vine to harden into a winter squash. It grows best when trellised.
9. Beans
We are still eating through last summer’s green beans. I pressure canned most of them, but I also froze some. If you have the room, bush beans are highly productive. Plus, they can be tucked in-between a lot of plants in the garden and still produce well.
10. Cucumbers
While not the most expensive thing in the store, cucumber plants can be highly productive. And when you have lots of cucumbers, you can make lots of pickles!
If you can’t grow it, check with local farmers.
Many farmers sell excess produce at a discount. You can buy it in season and preserve it at home. Plus, you get to make connections with people in your community. Most people who garden and grow real food love to share their experience and advice. These relationships can make you a better gardener.
I hope this list of top money saving foods to grow helps you. If you would like info on how to stock a frugal pantry, check out this article here. Are there any crops that you grow to save money? I would love for you to drop them in the comments below!
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26
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