The past year has led us to change how we behave and feel about many areas of life – work/life balance, health and wellness, and the quality (and quantity) of food found in grocery stores. Given this, it’s no wonder that more people than ever have taken up gardening in an effort to take control of their food supply.
Tower Garden wants to share a little insight from our recent research about how gardening can help ensure that you have access to healthy, high-quality food without the grocery store price tag.
In our survey of 2,000 Americans* about their buying habits and self-sufficiency behavior over the past year, we discovered that more people are turning to gardening as a way to save money and bring stability into their lives.
The Average American Spends $45.25 Per Person on Fruits and Veggies Each Month
We’re all looking to cut costs here and there and use that money for something else – like going on a dream vacation or finally remodeling the kitchen. One way you can make a positive impact on your finances is by growing your own produce.
You may not even realize that the fruits and vegetables you’re consuming every week are really adding up – around $45.25 per person each month on average. That’s around $543 dollars spent on produce each year that could be used in other ways.
When asked about their motivations behind growing their own food, 4 in 10 of our survey respondents (39%) said saving money was a primary goal. And 7 in 10 (56%) felt that growing their own food restored a sense of control over their food supply.
ROI for Growing Your Produce
You may be wondering: “How much am I really saving by growing my own food?” Well, we recently compared the cost of a Tower Garden Unit and its yield after six months – growing items like arugula, celery, lettuce, and kale – with the average cost of these same veggies at the grocery store. Based on our quick study, we found that by growing food at home with Tower Garden, you nearly double the return on your investment. It helps that Tower Garden plants grow nearly three times faster than crops in a traditional garden, and some of these plants are ready to harvest almost three weeks after planting.
Growing your own food at home also gives you complete control over what and how much food ends up in your fridge or pantry each month, i.e., less produce that has to be thrown away! So, rather than searching the grocery store aisles in hopes of finding what you’re looking for, try growing only the produce you want or need at home.
We Asked Our Audience About Their Food Buying Habits
In a recent poll to our Instagram audience, we found resounding sentiments that grocery store produce just isn’t cutting it anymore. One-hundred percent of our respondents felt that the quality of their grocery store produce could be better, while 74% noted that grocery stores don’t typically have enough fruit and vegetable options to begin with.
Clearly, our followers agree that the cost of grocery store produce isn’t consistent with the quality of the products available. By growing your own produce at home, you are able to customize your food to your family’s needs and grow things that might not be available at your local grocery store. Homegrown food is clean and pesticide-free, and you can harvest your plants at peak freshness. You’ll have better tasting fruits, vegetables, and herbs that last longer!
It’s Time to Start Your Own Garden
Seventy-five percent of our Instagram followers believe that growing food at home will help them save money in the long term. And saving money is a pretty good reason to get your garden started!
When you make the decision to grow vertically with Tower Garden, you’re able to maximize the efficiency of your kitchen – growing what you want, where you have space (you only need 3 square feet), indoors or outdoors, all year round. Moreover, vertical gardening promotes sustainability by using 98% less water than traditional gardening. Tower Garden makes it super easy to grow fresh, delicious produce quickly, all while saving you money and giving you control over what you eat.
Whether you are a seasoned gardening pro or have just picked it up over the past year, you can find many tools and resources through Tower Garden. Click here to learn more about our versatile indoor and outdoor gardening systems.
*72Point Research, poll of 2,000 respondents, United States, May 2021.