Growing your own could save you £35,000

With the credit crunch having led to a global financial meltdown, gardeners are being told that they can reduce the hit on their wallets by turning their hand to organic gardening.

Getting out into the garden and greenhouse could save gardeners a great deal on their food bill, according to National Savings and Investments (NS&I), which predicts the Consumer Price Index will continue to rise, meaning increasingly expensive food prices.

The estimated saving from making lunch every day from food grown in the greenhouse or garden as opposed to buying from retail outlets is around £1,000 per year, according to the money experts at NS&I.

Spread this over the cost of a working lifetime and the total becomes more like £35,000.

NS&I head of communications and marketing Tim Mack explained that growing your own can be a great way of getting tasty food.

"A meal of freshly harvested vegetables from your plot is very rewarding; somehow the produce seems to taste even better than usual," he said.

"Not only that but by growing your own you can save on your grocery shopping, leaving a little extra money to set aside."
The comments come in support of the Royal Horticultural Societys Grow Your Own Veg campaign, which plans to raise awareness of organic gardening and its benefits.