Gardening for More Green (in your pocket, that is!)
The other day, I went outside and started pulling weeds and clearing out the area of my yard that I used for a garden last year. I absolutely loved having my own garden. I loved getting in the dirt and pulling weeds. The teenagers I work with liked to come and help me gather stuff up. It was a lot of fun, and totally worth my while. That’s exactly why I’ve decided that I’m doing one again. The friend that helped me plant last year’s garden is going with me in a week or so to help me get plants again.
There are a lot of reasons to consider a garden, but we’re just going to look at three of them today.
- It helps you eat healthy for less money. This is the number one reason that you should consider planting a garden. Last summer, I spent around $50 on garden stuff, and I yielded from late May until September. Almost 6 months of cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, and radishes. My blackberry bush didn’t yield last year, but it should this year. Anyway, that’s several hundred dollars that I saved because of how much I got out of it. I got all the veggies I wanted all summer long. That, my friends, is why you should consider a garden as well.
- It can teach your family responsibility. I got shingles (the disease) in late May, shortly after I planted the garden. Now, I don’t have my own kids, but I work with teenagers. While I was sick (and no longer contagious), several of my students came to help me clean up the weeds and stuff because I couldn’t bend over to do it myself (it was on my shoulder). If you have kids, give them some responsibility in keeping the garden healthy and clean. Let them water it, ask them to help you pull weeds, and help them harvest up the fruits and vegetables that you get from it!
- You can afford to be generous to others. This is the best part. I don’t have a huge garden; I basically only have enough for myself through the summer and into the fall. But, I have a friend who has a huge garden in her backyard. Every year, she ends up giving away a lot of it. The fun part about gardens is that they usually end up giving you more than you expected, so you are able to give some of your bountiful harvest to those in need or those who don’t have the ability to have their own garden. You can also use the veggies in a salad when you invite friends over for dinner or whatever.
Have you considered a garden before? Or have you had your own gardeb? Why do you enjoy it and why do you plant a garden in the first place? What other financial benefits could having your own garden have? Leave your thoughts in the comments, have a great weekend, and until next time, spend smart, save smart!
