Monday, April 12, 2010

Tracking expenses

Last year I did a bad job of keeping track of how much this garden cost me. I tried. I kept a good record at the beginning. But I didn't keep track when I started buying the potting soil and the window box planters. Why? Because they were damn expensive and I don't want to admit to how much I shelled out.

But, I feel a little better about it now. Why? Because I'm pretty sure this year's garden is going to cost very, very little now I have the containers and soil. I don't need (have room for) more. And the hubby asked me to scale back this year so we can actually fit a couple people out there :)

I have a lot of leftover seeds from last year — and I'll probably have more left for next year, too. Lettuce, peas, carrots... Plus, I saved the seeds my nasturtiums made! (And I got free nasturtium seeds from Renee's Garden!!!) I overwintered most of my herbs — so don't have to buy new plants. I will have to buy basil, peppers, and eggplant seedlings, and maybe a few other vegetables. Maybe, and it's a big maybe, I'll try a tomato. I don't generally like tomatoes, except in salsa. So, I'd just have to resign myself to eating a lot of salsa. Oh, shoot. :)

And I want to build a trellis around the sliding glass doors and vines to grow up it. Those won't be edible unless I do it with the nasturtiums. I wanted clematis, but I'll give the nasturtiums a shot at it this year and see how they do.

3 comments:

  1. I try to keep track of the garden expenses too, but short of having a dedicated register with you all the time and then being sure to record in it, I'm not counting on me ever being able to do it!

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  2. Another way for free seeds? I have been trying to share a lot this year, because I went crazy ordering them. I have tons. Let me know if you'd like a few from my list. Some are currently out (I just tossed a few packets of cool-season crops into my community garden plot), but I should have everything you just mentioned (basil, peppers, eggplant, etc.).

    I stopped tracking expenses. It's the only way that I'll keep buying stuff--if I tracked, I wouldn't be able to justify spending any more!

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  3. I'm kinda scared of finding out how much money I spend on plants, seeds, gardening supplies - I started tracking my expenses when I was unemployed this winter, and may pick out the gardening part of them some time. I recently read that the average Austrian spends € 70 a year on plants. I wonder how much more I spend.

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