Survive Inflation: Grow These 5 Crops

How much could you slash off your grocery bill by growing your own vegetables? Find out which crops are the most beneficial for your wallet as Ben counts down his top 5 crops that are the easiest to grow, most nutritious and the best value for money.

Ben has calculated the average prices of vegetables in common grocery stores in the US and the UK and has worked out their value by the cost of each crop's estimated yield per raised bed if you were to buy these crops in a grocery store. You'll be amazed how much you could save! Not sure how to get started? Ben offers some thrifty tips for sourcing garden goodies.

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For more low cost, inflation-busting tips see:

If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available from several major websites and seed suppliers:
and many more...

[petereng]

In a city, cardboard boxes are plentiful and serve well as single-season containers. I use them more like miniature raised beds, then shred them for compost in fall.

[unknownkadath]

5. Squash (Pumpkin) / Zucchini
4. Beets (Roots and leaves can both be used so it's a 2 for 1)
3. Kale / Cabbage / Chard
2. Beans
1. Tomatoes & Peppers
Bonus: Herbs

[Alyss]

I'm not too sure about elsewhere, but a lot of public libraries here in Canada (and the USA) have "seed libraries" where you can pick up packets of seeds for free! Usually they're larger packets broken down into smaller ones (e.g. a packet of 30 squash seeds down to 5 each), which is much easier for starting a smaller garden on a budget!

[vcr]

I started a soil bag garden this year, and it saved money in several ways .... lowered my grocery costs, lower my gas expenses, and best of all, kept me active in the sun and kept me healthier!

[melissapollard]

Thanks - great video. Here in Australia, the veg I would add is loose leaf (‘cut and come again’) lettuces. Lettuce has been incredibly expensive here this year - up to $10AUS for an iceberg lettuce. Every time I look at my garden, I feel like a millionaire!

[flowerheit]

friends in hot climates! instead of struggling against the heat to grow the usual varieties of spinach or other greens in the summer, this year i started some malabar spinach along a section of chain link fence in my yard. It's really taken off! It took a little while to get going initially, back in March, but once the weather started getting really hot in May the vines started growing like crazy, and in my area i can grow them as a perennial! Fresh greens, even in the hottest part of the year, when most of my garden is unproductive!

[lexington]

11:27 in the United States at least, some public libraries also have seed libraries where you can get free seeds. I've never used them, but I know they exist.

[rosalindhb]

I'm growing kale, beets, swiss chard, radishes, bok choy and sweet potatoes in containers. It's still 95 here in 8b. So hopefully they will survive.

[Sam-ljvj]

I remember many years ago I was with my mum and the dogs out in the forest having a walk. At some point we passed a tree where two stacks of plant containers were just left. Almost a dozen of them ranging from 1 gallon till 5 gallon or so. Good quality thick plastic. I saw they were priced for at least 10-30USD on the pricetags. I still use them to this day.

[alanshrimpton]

Cucumbers do it for me. Pickled for the winter when very expensive

[LauraStepney]

Peppers would definitely be the best cash-saving crop for us here in BC. Peppers are upwards of $4.50/lb in my local grocery.

[alexlindstrom]

You know Western civilization is really going well when these videos are not just useful but necessary for thousands of people.

[RileySheai]

Tip; check with your local farmers, they often have lots of old wood that you can make your raised beds out of. Thats how we made ours last year. We're also able to pick up free compost here, as its a program from our city. So make sure to check with your city hall if there's a similar program.

This year however, we're using big bins for our veggie garden (those big ones used in construction to mix cement) they're super sturdy, last for years, and don't break during heavy storms. You can often get those for free as well!

Try to save as much seeds as you can from things you've eaten, like tomatoes, pepers ect. So you save money on buying seeds for the future :D
So how we do it - buy seeds, harvest crops, save the seeds from said crop, replant next year.


-Ps, sorry for bad english

[mandysplottoplate]

Love your videos. I am a seasoned grower but you can never stop learning. My tip which I have just discovered is to salvage an old porcelain toilet cistern they have holes in the bottom are fairly deep and sturdy you could grow a couple of peppers carrots or flowers very versatile and they come in all colours the older ones like the avocado colour perfect to blend into your garden. So there we have it my newly discovered tip.👍🏻

[newbatling]

I'm planning to use some of the blue ikea bags, put some holes in bottom, fill with compost (put some cardboard or rotting wood in bottom to bulk out and save on compost/soil, I have some sacking to wrap round the blue bags then they look a little better and it protects the bags from degrading with the sun.... idea from another gardening YouTuber..

[carolavant]

Excellent video, Ben! Don't forget us folks who grow larger, in-ground gardens, though! Best tools for us: Single tine cultivator for weeding tight spaces, single or double wheel hoe (game changer!), and a buried drip-tape watering system with a fertilizer injector. There are shorter handled versions of the single-tine cultivator for raised beds, and the drip-tape watering system can also be adapted for raised beds.

[alexriddles]

Speaking of runner beans, I hang a "cattle panel" from the eves of my house and train them on that like a trellis. I get the beans to eat, shade the brick wall on the south side of the house, and make my house look like an ivy covered cottage.

[Gardeningchristine]

I’ve got a tractor supply company very close to my house and they get large parts in some very large heat treated wooden crates. I’ve brought several home, for free, and they are perfect for raised beds!

[valoriegriego]

Good-day Ben! Great post that will help a lot of folks out.👍Small suggestion: folks with limited space can grow small winter squash vertical at end of planting bed. There are several varieties of small pumpkins and other winter squash. I grow in totes and large pots...they grow very well for me in containers. 😃
You haven't posted one video that I haven't gotten something good out of...thanks!😃
Hey to Rosie!🐕‍🦺

[maskedfoxx]

I just recently bought some supplies for a garden the other day and I've been learning everything I can before I get started. I love your videos so much! Your positivity and production are phenomenal and I'm learning so much. I have five veggies to start with but bell peppers are a great idea so I might have to grab some seeds for those before I start my plants. So excited!