Grocery Money and Fresh Vegetables

Filed in archive Zen on May 5, 2009

There's nothing like fresh spinach. I'm talking about spinach that has never been in a car or truck for any reason. Spinach that an hour ago was growing in the ground. Fresh spinach. There's only one way to get that: grow it yourself.

Exactly two people live in my house. We have busy schedules. Things come up unexpectedly. And sometimes the cube steak and bake potatoes I'd planned to serve with butter-fried squash becomes a hurried meal at a local restaurant. The squash languishes in the fridge and spoils. I may as well be throwing money in the trash when I toss it out.

Get Rich Slowly had a piece recently on one of the best ways to save money and improve the quality of your life. Their piece on gardening is timely, since it's not too late in much of the country to plant. (In my area it's still too soon to ut out tomatoes; another 10 days and the risk of frost will be relatively low...)

Maybe you aren't a fan of spinach. Personally, I love fresh spinach with onions and crumbled bacon, served with a sweet and sour dressing (oil, sugar, vinager). Spinach aside, we all know that nothing tastes as good as a tomato you grew yourself. Over the years I've grown yellow squash, strawberries, corn, green beans, canteloupe, spinach, and a dozen variety of red, yellow and striped tomatoes. It's a money saver. It's a little therapeutic, kind of fulfilling. But the bottom line is that homegrown veggies simply taste better.

Consider eating better saving a few dollars this year...


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