A mom has shared how she saves $1,500 a year by eating fruit and vegetables grown in her garden. And she says she doesn’t have to buy any fresh produce for half the year.
Christen McCoy, 37, a music teacher from Central Maryland, started gardening during the pandemic and now grows more than 50 different types of plants in her back garden. Thanks to her green fingers, Christen manages to feed her family exclusively with home-grown food from May to September, saving $1,500 on her food shop.
Even in the winter, Christen and her three children, aged between four and 10, still feast on produce she’s managed to preserve in the warmer months, meaning the family can eat from their garden all year round.
Christen said: “I used to live in a townhouse, so we only had a little balcony where I'd put strawberries and tomatoes or anything I could fill the balcony with.
“Then when we saved for a house and moved three years ago, in late 2019, I knew I wanted to start gardening properly. I did so much research, read every book, followed gardeners on Instagram, and was completely ready to go.
“Then when COVID hit I started teaching online so I was able to put all of my effort into it, and everyone else in the world started gardening too.
“I now have over 50 plants in my garden, and the list grows every year. I eat healthier, my children know how to grow their own food, I know exactly what I’m eating, it tastes better, I’m saving money and I get the benefits of keeping my anxiety down.”
Christen plants everything from fresh herbs and garlic to several types of melon and mini cucumbers called cucamelons, which look like miniature watermelons.
This year she has managed to harvest a staggering 564 pounds (255kg) of fresh produce from her garden—more than enough to cook with and preserve for homegrown meals all year round. One of her favorite dinners to cook from her garden is a one-pan meal made from peppers, onions tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, all from her garden, paired with sausages and pasta.
“People don’t believe that you can eat from your garden all year round, because of course less grows in the winter,” she said. "But I preserve most things, so although we’re not eating everything fresh, it’s still come from there.
“I pickle peppers, cucumbers and cucamelons, make and freeze tomato sauce, and freeze all my berries. I dehydrate all of my herbs, so they’re good to use all year round, and make jellies and jams, even out of savory plants like peppers—I made the most amazing lemondrop pepper jelly the other day.”
While she lost some money during her first year of planting, Christen thinks the investment will save her and her young family thousands in the future.
“I know I’m privileged and lucky to be able to do this, I have the land now and I could put some money upfront,” she said. "But this year I’ve barely spent anything on supplies, maybe some money on some extra soil, but cost-wise I’ve made up for that in berries alone.
“They’re so expensive and my kids eat them like they’re drinking water. I’ve definitely saved so much money on produce, this entire year probably around $1,500.
“So, it works out cheaper, and things taste so much better as well.”
Christen shares her gardening adventures with her followers on her TikTok profile with some videos racking up over 1.4 million views. She’s a keen member of the online gardening community and likes to share her best gardening tips and tricks.
“It’s really important to take advice from your neighbors and people in your ‘zone’ above anyone else,” she said.
“Where I live, we truly get all four seasons—from heatwaves to blizzards—so I couldn’t take my advice from someone who lives in California and can grow throughout the year. Your neighbors will be your biggest resource, they'll know where to get things and what grows, and it’s really nice to speak with them too.
“Overall, the best piece of advice I have is to just start.”
Christen says that a lot of people are intimidated by gardening, and they look at someone who’s been gardening for a while and think “it’s loads of work and really overwhelming.”
“So a lot of people just don’t do it, or are afraid to fail,” she said. “But I can confidently say that ... it’s through those failures that I’ve done the most learning.”
