growing food – what’s the cost?

In 2014 I’m trying to grow as much food as I can in our small city front garden.

Inspired by this post from Rachel of Wittgenstein’s Watering Can on Robyn’s blog, I’ll be keeping track of how much it costs me.

This is where I’ll write how much I’ve spent, how much I’ve harvested, and how much the equivalent would have cost me in the shop I probably would have bought it from.

At the end of the year I’ll add it all up and see if we saved anything! I’ve included December as I spent a little on seeds that will form a big part of what we grow this year.

It seems there’s no easy way to install a table in here, so I’ll just add things in green (for harvest) and red (for spends) as I go along, with the most recent month at the top, and keep a running total. 

Running total

Harvest (£54.31) – Spends (£116.26) = -£61.95

October

• lavender 30p (equivalent shop cost £2.95 per 100g) = 89p
  
• Courgette 130g (equivalent shop cost £1.50 per kg) = 20p
• Tomatoes 30g (equivalent shop cost £1.60 per kg) = 5p
• Potatoes 330g (equivalent shop cost £2 per kg) = 66p
• October total: harvest £1.80 – spends £0 = £1.80

September

• Kale 15g (equivalent shop cost £1.29 per 160g) = 12p
• Salad leaves 40g (equivalent shop cost £1.12 per 100g) = 45p
• Cabbage 10g (equivalent shop cost £1.36 per kg) = 1p
• Raspberries 35g (equivalent shop cost £15 per kg) = 53p
• Potatoes 200g (equivalent shop cost £2 per kg) = 40p
• Radishes 80g (equivalent shop cost £1.84 per kg) = 15p
• Courgette 100g (equivalent shop cost £1.50 per kg) = 15p
• September total: harvest £1.81 – spends £0 = £1.81

August

• Salad leaves 90g (equivalent shop cost £1.12 per 100g) = £1.01
• Cabbage 100g (equivalent shop cost £1.70 per kg = 17p
• Courgette 180g (equivalent shop cost £1.50 per kg) = 27p
• Basil 10g (equivalent shop cost 23p per 10g) = 23p
• Oregano 10g (equivalent shop cost 23p per 10g) = 23p
• August total: harvest £1.91 – spends £0 = £1.91

July

• Purple french beans, 30g (equivaent shop cost £8 per kg for ‘extra fine green beans’) = 24p
• Courgette, 15g (equivalent shop cost £1.50 per kg) = 2p
• Peat free compost x 3 bags = £12
• Rocket seeds = £1.85
• Salad leaves, 75g (equivalent shop cost £1.12 per 100g) = 84p
• Blackcurrants, 80g (equivalent shop cost £6.67 per kg) = 53p
• Radishes, 40g (equivalent shop cost £7.41 per kg) = 30p
• Redcurrants, 170g (equivalent shop cost £13.33 per kg) = £2.27
• Cabbage, 190g (equivalent shop cost £1.70 per kg) = 33p
  
• Basil, 15g (equivalent shop cost 23p per 10g) = 35p
• Oregano (equivalent shop cost 29p per 10g) = 15p
• Lettuce, 40g (equivalent shop cost £1.12 per 100g) = 45p
• Garlic, 35 bulbs (equivalent shop cost 30p per bulb) = £10.50
• July total: harvest £15.49 – spends £13.85 = £1.64
  

June

• Compost, 1 bucket (equivalent cost from council household waste £2 a bag) = £1
• Cabbage, 75g (equivalent shop cost £1.70 per kg) = 13p
• Basil, 20g (equivalent shop cost 23p for 10g) = 46p
• Gooseberries, 1660g (equivalent shop cost £6.67 per kg) = £11.07
• Lettuce, 5g (equivalent shop cost £1.12 per 100g) = 6p
• Chard and spinach, 60g (equivalent shop cost £5 per kg (for big leaf spinach)) = 30p
• Radishes, 135g (equivalent shop cost £7.41 per kg) = £1
• Chives, 10g (equivalent shop cost £2.33 per 100g) = 24p
• Garlic, 1 bulb (equivalent shop cost 30p each) = 30p
• June total: harvest £14.56 – spends £0 = £14.56

May

• Organic slug pellets = £4
• 2 bigger courgette plants from garden centre = £3
• Radishes, 70g (equivalent shop cost £7.41 per kg) = 52p
• 2 x courgette plants, 3 x cucumber plants, tray basil from garden centre = £6
• Compost, 3 buckets (equivalent cost from council household waste £2 a bag) = £2
• Cabbage, 170g (equivalent shop cost £1.70 per kg) = 29p
• Pea shoots, 50g (equivalent shop cost £2 per 100g) = £1
  
• Salad leaves, 40g (equivalent shop cost £1.45 per 100g) = 88p
• Chives, 25g (equivalent shop cost £2.33 per 100g) = 58p
• Two tomato plants from school fair = £2
• May total: harvest £5.10 – spends £8 = -£2.90

April 2014

• Another garden trug (for planting) = £3.99
• 4 x bags of peat free compost (£1.99 for 40L) = £7.98
• Salad leaves (lettuce, radish tops, rocket), 20g (equivalent shop cost £1.45 per 100g) = 44p
• Radish, 10g (equivalent shop cost £2.09 per kg) = 2p
• Handful fresh oregano (equivalent shop cost 80p per 30g) = 15p
• Fresh chives, 30g (equivalent shop cost 80p per 30g) = 80p
• Compost, 3 buckets (equivalent cost from council household waste £2 a bag) = £2
• April total: harvest £3.41 – spends £11.97 = -£8.56
  

March 2014

• Cabbage, 270g (equivalent shop cost £1.75 per kg) = 47p
• Kale, 30g (equivalent shop cost £4 per kg) = 12p
• Water butt = £25
• Trug planters x 4 = £23
• Peat free, organic grow bags x 3 = £10
• March total: harvest 59p – spends £58 = -£57.41 (oh dear!)
  

February 2014

• Rosemary (dried), 50g (equivalent shop cost £4 per 100g) = £2
• February total: harvest (£2) – spends £0 = £2.00

January 2014

• Compost, 3 large tubs (equivalent cost from council household waste £2 a bag) = £4
• Rosemary (dried), 80g (equivalent shop cost £4 per 100g) = £3.20
• January total: harvest (£7.20) – spends £0 = £7.20

December 2013

• Garlic bulbs (around 40 cloves) = £2.99
  
• Seeds (brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, french beans, sunflowers, thyme) and 10 copper slug collars = £14.45
• December spends = £17.44