Grow-Your-Own Savings Calculator
Compare the usable value of a harvest with setup and ongoing garden costs.
What this calculator shows
It values usable harvest at an equivalent shop price, subtracts recurring growing costs and estimates how long the net annual benefit takes to recover setup spending.
How to use it
Track a season’s actual harvest with kitchen scales where possible. Use the price of similar produce you would genuinely purchase, then include seed, seedlings, compost, fertiliser, pest protection, water and replacement equipment.
Useful examples
- Comparing high-value herbs and salad greens with low-cost supermarket staples.
- Checking whether a raised-bed setup can repay itself.
- Including realistic waste when planning a larger garden.
Important limits
The calculation does not price personal labour, enjoyment, freshness or food security. Yields vary with weather, soil, pests, varieties and experience. Savings only occur when home-grown food replaces a purchase.
Choose crops that suit the household
The best financial crops are not always those with the largest harvest. Fresh herbs, berries and salad greens may replace expensive small purchases, while bulky low-cost crops can use considerable space and water. Reliable harvests that are actually eaten provide more value than theoretical maximum yields.
Worked example
A 120 kg annual harvest valued at $6 per kilogram is worth $720 before waste. Allowing 10% unused produce leaves $648. After $200 of annual costs, the garden saves about $448 per year and recovers a $500 setup in roughly 1.1 years.