Growing your own fruits and planting a vegetable garden can really reduce your food expenses.  Preserving your harvest is like money in the bank, an insurance plan, so to speak, for when times are lean.

     The convenience foods that you buy at the supermarket can be made at home with a little forethought and effort.  The satisfaction of seeing a full freezer or a pantry closet filled with jars of your homemade soups, pasta sauces, fruits, relishes, etc… far outweigh the time and effort you put into it.  Jars or bags of dehydrated vegetables on your shelves means that you can make your own cup of soup or meal helper in a jiffy, and for a fraction of the cost.

     Here’s just one example of my cost savings:

     One summer after canning 110 quarts of green beans pick from six 60′ rows, I still had three large garbage bags of beans to give to my neighbors.  My costs: about $2.50 for the seeds, new canning jar lids ($1.89/12), a little bit of canning salt, and a small increase in my electric bill.  If I had saved seeds from the previous years garden I could have saved the $2.50.  I haven’t been to the grocery store to check the price of canned green beans so I’ll let you do the math for your location.  Figure the cost savings:  110 qts=234+, 15-16oz cans

     234 X price in store =                

                 Subtract            $2.50    Seeds

                                       $18.90    120 jar lids

                                         $2.00    Electric

                                                     Cost Savings

     This cost savings can be replayed with everything in your garden.  Don’t have a garden, no problem.  If you buy in bulk through a co-op, farmer’s market, produce market, or even a produce auction, you get a substantial reduction in cost for seasonal produce.