Is My Organic Garden Saving Me Money on Grocery Bills?

Scott Cooney — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:28:25 +0000

When Michelle Obama helped break ground on the White House organic garden, I’m sure she understood that the benefits went far beyond the borders of the veggie patch. It may help create green collar, shovel-ready jobs. Low-income kids from local schools get an incredible opportunity they will never forget: playing in a vegetable garden and learning where our food comes from, at the White House, while they grow food that may well be eaten by our President or the President of Costa Rica or South Africa. The garden also provided other intangibles that America needs right now: hope, independence, and a can-do attitude. Michelle’s approval rating stands at 84%, and most articles talking about why she’s so popular will mention the garden.

But I have to wonder…did she guess that she’d be saving the taxpayers money by reducing the grocery bills at the White House? A recent Wall Street Journal article touted the savings in backyard gardens: investments as small as a dollar can produce $75 worth of veggies, and the average family with a garden saves about $530 per year on groceries.

Intrigued, I decided to investigate my own cost/benefit analysis in my small organic garden in San Francisco.

Welcome to Thrifty Thursdays!

Kelli Best-Oliver — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:30:04 +0000

We’re starting a new weekly feature at Eat.Drink.Better. It’s called Thrifty Thursdays, and will offer a quick time- or money-saving tip for your kitchen. Eating good food that also has your health and the environment in mind can be time-consuming and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you keep small tips like these in mind.

Many people struggle to eliminate wasting food, and with the economy the way it is, cutting down on food waste is a surefire way to save a little money. You paid for all that food (or worked hard to grow it yourself), you should be eating it.

Green Options » money-saving

Is My Organic Garden Saving Me Money on Grocery Bills?

Welcome to Thrifty Thursdays!