A Simple Suggestion that Saves You Money, Makes You Money, and Keeps You in Shape

Here's a money tip I'm sure you didn't expect from me. But it's a good one! Why? Because it does several things for you -- it saves you money, it makes you money, and it keeps you in shape. Here it is:

Start gardening.

Yep, you heard it correctly. Start gardening.

Want to know how this saves you money, makes you money, and keeps you healthy? Simple. Consider the following:

1. It saves you money in that you have a steady source of gifts (ones you grew yourself) that are often more valuable to the recipient than just another gift they don't need/want. Want an example? Read what roses have done to save me a bundle. Or, if you prefer to have a vegetable garden, it can save you lots of $$$$$ on food costs.

2. It makes you money by increasing the value of your home by 5-15% (as does planting trees, a related enterprise). So if you have a $200,000, a garden can add $10,000 to $30,000 to the value of your house. Not bad, huh?

3. How does it keep you healthy? Gardening improves your mood and sense of well-being, as well as giving you more energy and  helping with weight control. Here are some noted benefits:

Scientists have found that people who are active at a moderate level experience a long list of health benefits. Physical activity reduces the risk of developing heart disease, colon cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, and depression.

Gardening and yard work contribute to healthy active living, and are part of all three types of physical activity – endurance, flexibility and strength activities. Heavy yard work like raking and carrying leaves contributes to both endurance and strengthening exercises, while all those stretches and contortions in the garden can help increase and maintain your flexibility.

And from Gardening Provides Many Health Benefits:

And anyone who has planted trees, created a flower bed from bare lawn, or hauled slate to design a walking path will tell you that dominating Mother Nature is hard work.

"It's going to give you a good way to burn calories that's an enjoyable activity for most people," says Dr. Roth. She adds that studies show that working in your yard or garden can burn between 250 calories and 500 calories an hour, depending on your level of activity.

And we all know that keeping yourself healthy is even more important than saving or making money.

Finally, gardening is something you can do well into the later years in your life -- providing a life-long, enjoyable hobby. (And for some, it will take a long life to learn to grow things.) ;-)

Comments

[GHoosdum]

This is a great way to add an enjoyable hobby to your life that also has good health benefits. It also makes for some interesting dinners! My wife and I have eaten zucchini about fifteen different ways since our garden started producing... and pretty soon we'll have to figure out how to eat at least a hundred pounds of tomatoes!

[Kesav Mohan]

I'd be curious to hear whether you think the financial benefits outweigh the time costs. I come from a family of gardners - and true gardening is hard work (ie exercise), and if you produce fresh produce you can save money (in terms of not buying groceries).

But the time investment is HUGE. I'm not sure this is a tip that would be useful to most people who don't have a conception of the original work put in. Plus, the start-up costs of a garden are pretty expensive, if you want to begin afresh. Bug-be-gone products, in their myriad forms, are actually pretty expensive.

To produce a lot of food (especially for a family) you need a really big garden, and an even bigger freezer.

[GHoosdum]

Depending upon the method you use to start your garden, the time invested in maintenance can be very low. My wife and I spend less than an hour per week in our garden. Instead of pesticides, we use a diluted mix of dish soap with some garlic oil and jalapeno oil mixed in. It does a lot to keep the insects away.

I would say, however, that a vegetable garden does little, if anything, to improve the value of your home. Landscaping gardening is where the money is.

[ricemutt]

...one more benefit: there's always this wonderful sense of satisfaction and reward that comes from getting something to grow!

[techn o]

I think this is a silly suggestion. I would go with a much cheaper option - an hour for me is worth 80$ today - so I would rather use a landscaper before I sell the home ;) costs less than one hour a week for 5 years @ 80$ an hour.