Savvy Shopper Creates Vegetable Garden Using 5p ASDA Bargains
- Savvy shopper reveals 5p money-saving hack that anyone can do
- Kat, 28, grows her own leeks, spring onions, garlic and potatoes
- She buys reduced vegetables from ASDA for 5p and plants them in her greenhouse
- Now that she has her own garden she’s planning to grow much more to save money
Buying groceries can often end up expensive, so one savvy shopper has decided to make some major savings by growing reduced vegetables in a greenhouse.
Kat Phoenix, 28 from Blaenau Gwent, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘I go shopping for bargain vegetables at ASDA Brynmawr every Friday and Saturday at around 7pm. I always end up getting 5 or 6 different types of vegetables.
‘Once they’re home, I either freeze or refrigerate them until they’re between 3 and 5 days past their best before date. It's reduced our shopping bill massively.
‘Every 3 months or so, I get reduced potatoes, usually for 5-10p a pack. I put them in the back of the cupboard for a few weeks until they sprout and then plant them.
‘We have recently moved to a house with a garden so my partner Amir and I got a plastic greenhouse as a joint Valentines day gift so we could "grow together as a couple".
The produce isn’t the only part of the venture Kat manages to save money on. ‘We are on a limited income, so we have planted our produce in containers used from other food, such as mushroom, peach and grape containers. We have also been given some seedling trays from family members who had them left over from last year.
Kat has been creating her own produce for a while now. ‘I started growing vegetables like this a few years ago, planting garlic bulbs that didn't get used in time that had started to sprout. I then moved on to experiment with sprouting potatoes and onions, which I started putting into plastic trugs in the garden.
‘The tips of leeks, spring onions, carrots and parsnips can be placed in soil of varying depths and go on to grow new produce. Spring onions are particularly useful as they can be placed on the windowsill in just a small amount of water.
‘The tip I would give to anyone wanting to try is to just have fun and experiment. There are lots of YouTube videos about low cost planting which I have recently found. I'm hoping that, now we have a garden, we can make more of our own produce and reduce our shopping bill further.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Those who have a garden - or even just a windowsill - can easily grow their own vegetables with a little practice and patience.
‘I recommend starting out with spring onions as you don’t need much space or equipment. Keep them in a glass or jar and top up the water regularly, changing it every few days. You’ll start to see growth in about a week!
Tom shared 7 tips on how to grow vegetables on a budget.
- ‘Start small by growing vegetables in containers. The start up costs don’t have to be massive!
- ‘Check that you’re using the right planter and environment for your vegetable. For example, spring onions can be grown on a windowsill in a small tray, but the same is not the case for potatoes.
- ‘Practice growing with green vegetables or herbs if you’ve never gardened before. Rosemary, parsley and oregano are good places to start.
- ‘Label your plants with their name and the date you planted them. That way, you can keep track of how long it takes them to grow!
- ‘Save seeds from your crops and plant them to grow another round. That way you won’t need to buy as much to keep your garden going.
- ‘Don’t water your plants too often or too little. Keep up a routine where you do it in the morning or evening, as this is when evaporation levels aren’t as high.
- ‘Keep your crops protected. If you venture into an outside space, keep your plants protected from birds and insects by placing them in a greenhouse or covering them with netting.
‘The average price for 2.5kg of white potatoes is £1, while leeks will typically cost around 50p for a pack of 3. A bunch of spring onions could cost around 40p, while garlic is often £1 for a 3 pack.
‘Those who use these staples every month will spend around £2.90 each time, so a year of these supplies can easily set you back just under £35. Why not try growing your own and reducing your shopping bill each time you go?’
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