Cutting Down the Grocery Bill - Raise your own food?

[hicaniplay]

Anyone raise their own supplies? Gardening or animal farming or whatever fancy terms that mean you're trying to make your life a bit better/cheaper?

I'm kinda starting with the gardening - except I don't want a full "garden" block, I've mainly just been sticking veggies in with the flowers lol
I think I'll have a little lettuce/salad patch and a peas/bean patch and my fences covered in squash/gourds when I'm finished. With the rest just stuck in with the flowers and randomly around the perimeters. Oh, and some asparagus somewhere, and maybe a few berry bushes? I've got strawberries in a hanging planter, in a flower patch, and along one side of the house (none ripe yet). I was hoping to get a pawpaw tree, but I think I'll wait till next year, as it's getting a bit late for tree planting.
It's hard, when I want the yards to remain, well, yards. For bbqs and relaxing and stuff. lol

I also got a few rabbits. So far, I've spent $20 on two does, a buck, a small cage, and some left over rabbit feed. My yard is a mix of clover and weeds and grass, so I've been mainly foraging for them. Come the end of this month, I hope there'll be some babies in a box (that I've yet to make >.< d'oh. But at least I got the cage space, gift from leftovers of a family member).

I'm toying with the idea of adding pigeons, chickens or ducks to the mix. Eggs are so expensive from the store it's sorta reaching high priority levels, if I want to keep having omelets and cake. :/

I read about raising fish in a barrel, but I'm not a big fish eater lol Even if I was, not even goldfish and guppies seem to live too long in my care, sadly, so I don't think I'll be adding them any time soon, no matter how easy youtube/forums make it look.


So, what about you (poor soul who has wondered into this topic and possibly read this far)?
What are you doing? Got any plans to do something?

Got any tips for a Zone 6b, stuck-in-a-city person?

[falcon9]

I read about raising fish in a barrel, but I'm not a big fish eater lol Even if I was, not even goldfish and guppies seem to live too long in my care, sadly ...

Plus, you'd have to shoot them right in the barrel to get the full effect of the cliche`. {couldn't resist}

More contextually, I spent many summers on a working farm which belonged to my grandfather.  Even a scaled-down version of this is a lot more work than many people realize at first.  Good luck to you in your endeavors.

[mawhite63]

Did you start your vegetables from seedlings indoors first? I'm trying to grow lettuce, spinach and broccoli this year. Plus I've got some celery I'm re-growing from the bottom of stalks. They're all still indoors right now because it's too cold to plant.

[lorettahknox]

The farmer and the dell, the farmer and the dell there you go. I think what you are doing is great. If we took some responsibility for our food we would appreciate what farmers go through. I have a dream to have fruit trees and berry bushes you give me so much inspiration, thank you and God bless your farm.

[ejholt]

When my Father was living, he and my Mother had a 126 acre farm.  He had cows, (meat), grew their own garden.  My Mother canned alot and had 2 big freezers.  They always had enongh to eat.  When my Father passed away, my Mother sold the farm and bought a house in town.  She was not able to take care of the farm by herself.  I miss the farm so much.  Always had fun there plus hard work.  But it was worth it. 

Try cutting coupons for things that you eat.  Stock on the things you use when you can get thing real cheap.   I started using coupons last year and I have saved alot.  Now adays you have to cut corners where you can.  May God bless each of you and keep you safe.

[samrhett2]

It is a great idea, but the stuck up people in my neighborhood will not allow anyone to have a garden of any kind.  I can't wait til the economy turns around so I can sell my house and get out of there.  I never want to live by people who think they are better than everyone else again!

[mjdoug03]

I've been gardening the past few years and I love it.  So fulfilling.

[gbabesmom]

I'm growing two tomato plants and a scotch bonnet pepper plant in pots. The soil here is sandy and I can't work the ground as much as I would like to. When we get our own house I'm considering keeping chickens.

Got any tips for a Zone 6b, stuck-in-a-city person?

Here's a site that might be able to help you

http://www.burpee.com/gygg/content.jsp?contentId=Zone6

[timandvicky1]

This year we did put more in a garden then we ever have....we got 2 kinds of lettuce, radishes, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, zuchini, greenbeans, we put in atleast 16 tomato plants...should have plenty this year!!  
We live in Illinois, we planted watermelon, but everyone is telling us it wont come in cause the ground isn't sandy enough.  

As far as Chickens, we had at one time 65!!!  LOL...we found the feed bill was way more expensive then just going to buy 1 dozen eggs, we were spending about $14.00 a week on feed and was getting 4 dozen of eggs.  

My husband would like to get a cow to butcher, but I am a vegetarian, so Im not liking that idea, once it came to our place I know I wouldn't want to butcher it!!!!  So don't see that happening.

As far as rabbits, we have a good friend that has them, with the cost of corn being so high it has ran the price of feed up so much that it just doesn't seem cost effective by the time it takes to raise them...

So guess maybe if its to save money I don't really think it does, but if you want to know what your eating then it might be more beneficial.......although...my parents were telling us just the other day, they bought a calf, fed it corn, butchered it and it was the toughest meat they ever had, they don't think they got there meat back cause they took it in somewhere and I do know for deer if you take it to a processing place they normally mix everybodys together so if you are thinking you took a young one it will be tender chances are you wont be gettting that back could be getting an old buck.  Just some thoughts on the topic!!  Good luck!

[mawhite63]

It is a great idea, but the stuck up people in my neighborhood will not allow anyone to have a garden of any kind.  I can't wait til the economy turns around so I can sell my house and get out of there.  I never want to live by people who think they are better than everyone else again!

Sam I've heard of neighborhood associations like that. Like the woman in Detroit who got in trouble for having a vegetable garden in her yard.

[southernhorizons]

It is a great idea, but the stuck up people in my neighborhood will not allow anyone to have a garden of any kind.  I can't wait til the economy turns around so I can sell my house and get out of there.  I never want to live by people who think they are better than everyone else again!

It's a shame that some people take it upon themselves to dictate how other people live. What you do on your own property should be only your business, as long as you aren't hurting anyone else (Obviously it wouldn't be OK for you to be making bombs on your property!).
Hopefuuly, you'll be able to sell your home and move to someplace where you can have the freedom to have a simple garden if you want it.

[faysweet]

i just do the gardening special for herbs

[kapeh12]

I'm working to setup a raised garden to start planting fresh fruits/vegetables.  Been doing research online to find the easiest ones to grow as I don't exactly have a green thumb.  I may not get to growing anything this year as I need to move some rose bushes that were planted in the area I want to start the garden by the previous home owners (moving them to the front flower beds as they are still very small and being eaten by rabbits in the back yard).  I'm just planning to setup the garden space this summer, then plan to plant next year - things like strawberries, carrots, beans, zuchinni, cucumber...  Eventually I hope to plant some berry bushes - like raspberry.

I also found out that one of my trees in the back yard is a silver maple and am looking into what needs to be done to tap the tree to make homemade maple syrup.  I'll have to wait until next year as production for this year is over, but it's exciting to think I may be able to make my own as the price on real maple syrup has been sky high for the past few years.

[jski107]

I do not know if starting to garden and grow your own food would necessarily diminish your grocery bill.  But, I would suggest using the Fusion Cash coupon site as a resource.

[meguk]

Someday I want to raise a bunch of my own food. I would like a large vegetable garden. I want to raise my own veggies and can them. I love gardening and growing food. I'm just waiting for when I can get a house and a garden.