Growing your own food can be incredibly rewarding.
In 2023, one gardener set out to see whether doing so in his “tiny front garden” in the West Midlands, England, could also save him money.
Andy Grows Food (@AndyGrowsFood) shared the thought process behind the idea, how he went about the experiment, and the results of a yearlong growing season in a 10-minute YouTube video. He noted that there was a “sense of crisis” about rising food costs at the time he began his undertaking.
“Some budget supermarkets introduced rationing, which made me really angry when people on lower incomes were having to make difficult decisions about what quality of food to buy,” he says.
On his 9-square-meter (97-square-foot) plot, he constructed five raised beds with room enough between them to walk.
He minimized costs by splitting the price of a bulk bag of soil with a neighbor and salvaging bark and paint, which he used to spruce up the wooden frames. His one “splurge” was a £25 ($34) compost bin.
“It was important for me to get the compost going, get it cooking to fuel later growing later on in the season,” Andy says. “Spoiler: I’m really pleased with the results of that cheap purchase.”
He said sharing the garden with the online community was especially rewarding. The garden also upped his intake of plant-based meals. In autumn, he added covers to the beds so his produce could continue flourishing through winter.
“Anyone can do this,” Andy says.
He spent £195 ($263) on setup costs, mainly for wood and soil. In April and May, he started to recoup his investment with his crops. By July, he was up £23 ($31). He continued to bank savings in each of the year’s remaining months, finishing £236 ($318) in the green, which equals £19.67 ($26.53) per month.
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His total investment had been £311 ($419), and he valued his crops at £547 ($738).
“But that’s really, really conservative,” Andy says. “Because you’re not factoring in the cost of traveling to a budget supermarket. And that’s if you’ve got access to a budget supermarket. Many people don’t.”
The results of the project were astounding.
“That is so marvelous!” one commenter said. “I know how hard it is and I get so burnt out. I live in Southeast Texas and it gets so hot it is hard to keep anything alive. You inspired me and I think I will work harder on my driveway garden.”
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