If you’ve walked through a grocery store lately and felt like the price of groceries is absolutely out of control, you’re not alone. Inflation has made a noticeable impact on household food bills, with everyday essentials like produce, eggs, and herbs climbing steadily. For many families, this means tightening their belts or compromising on nutrition, neither of which is ideal.  Growing your food offers a way to fight back against inflation, and the great thing is that you don’t need acres of land or a green thumb to get started. With a few containers, a sunny windowsill, or a modest backyard, you can grow some of your own food and offset the impacts of inflation in your kitchen. The bonus is that you’ll have access to fresher, tastier produce at your fingertips while saving money.  As a Master Gardener, I’ve compiled advice about the most cost-effective produce to grow from my own experience, Benedict Vanheems of the Farmer’s Almanac, and Cindy Haynes, Extension Specialist at Iowa State University.

Can Growing Food Save You Money?

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Absolutely, but how much you save depends on how you go about it.  Let’s start with the basics: growing your own food can reduce your grocery bill by hundreds or even thousands each year, but those savings hinge on a few key factors: 

• Initial costs: Setting up a garden doesn’t have to be expensive. A couple of containers, some soil, and a few seed packets can get you started for under $50. Raised beds or small greenhouses may cost more upfront, but they will pay off over time. 
• Yield: Some crops, like zucchini, herbs, or tomatoes, produce abundantly from just one or two plants. Other crops, like dry beans or onions, require more effort and space to make a dent in your grocery budget (and are traditionally fairly inexpensive to buy, so it may not make financial sense to grow). 
• Storage and preservation: Some foods store better than others long-term. Foods like garlic, potatoes, and winter squash can be stored for months with minimal effort. Other crops, like tomatoes and green beans, can be canned or frozen for later use, extending your savings beyond harvest season. 

Growing high-cost, high-yield produce (like heirloom tomatoes or fresh herbs) can deliver excellent returns. On the flip side, trying to grow cheap, space-hogging crops like corn or dry beans might cost more in time and resources than they’re worth, unless you’re doing it for flavor, fun, or self-sufficiency.  The most important thing is to grow food that you will eat. It doesn’t matter if you have a big, beautiful garden if it all goes to waste because you realize you don’t actually like eating tomatoes. Start small by growing produce that you know you will enjoy cultivating and eating, and then expand your garden portfolio from there. 

Top 10 High-Yield Money-Saving Crops to Grow

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If your goal is to stretch every dollar, you’ll want to prioritize crops that deliver a maximum return on investment. The following 10 plants are guaranteed to pay you back in flavor, nutrition, and serious grocery savings. 

1. Tomatoes 

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Tomatoes are the undisputed champion of backyard gardens. Their incredible versatility allows for endless opportunities in the kitchen, from eating them fresh and cooking them down into sauces to canning and dehydrating for long-term storage.  According to the Almanac Garden Planner, one raised bed of tomatoes can yield over 30 pounds, which translates to $50-$70 in grocery store value. Plus, nothing rivals the flavor of freshly-picked, vine-ripened tomatoes. Leave those store-bought tasteless red balls to someone else.  Need ideas to get more tomatoes this gardening season? Try these top tips for boosting your tomato harvest. 

2. Zucchini and Summer Squash 

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If you decide to plant more than one zucchini or summer squash plant, be ready to share. These plants are notoriously productive, cranking out dozens of fruits throughout the summer with barely any input.  They are great stir-fries, shredded for bread (zucchini muffins, anyone?), or tossed with a little olive oil on the grill. Freezing or pickling are probably the best ways to preserve both zucchini and summer squash if you are aiming for longer-term food preservation. 

3. Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes 

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High in calories, easy to store, and perfect for container gardening, potatoes are an inflation-fighter’s dream. A single sprouted spud or “slips” (the shoots that emerge from sprouting sweet potato tubers) planted in a bucket can yield several pounds of food. Once cured, potatoes can last up to a year in proper storage, which makes them an ideal staple for food security. And let’s face it – those baby fingerling potatoes and purple heirlooms aren’t cheap at the grocery store. Grow your own potatoes, and you can feast like a gourmet on a peasant’s budget year-round. 

4. Garlic

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Garlic is the perfect off-season crop. Plant it once in the fall, forget about it, and you’ll have full bulbs ready to harvest early the following summer. A bonus crop is garlic scapes. These edible green, curly shoots emerge from hardneck varieties before the bulbs are ready in late spring. They have a mild garlicky flavor that is great added to scrambled eggs, pesto, or flavored butter.  Growing garlic is incredibly low-effort, high-reward, and can be an incredible cost-saver (one bulb costs around $1 per bulb in stores). If you grow a couple of dozen garlic bulbs and cure them properly, you’ll be set for the year. Plus, have you ever tried homegrown garlic? It is next level – you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff. 

5. Bell and Hot Peppers

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At over $1.50 per pepper in many grocery stores, growing produce like peppers is where you can begin to see the real savings.  Peppers are easy to grow in pots with full sun and proper drainage. Grow bell varieties for stuffing and slicing, and hot peppers for sauces or drying. You can easily freeze or dehydrate a season’s worth in one afternoon for long-term storage.

6. Leafy Greens

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Leafy greens like kale, chard, lettuce, and arugula are cut-and-come-again crops, meaning you can harvest multiple times from the same plant. They grow well in small spaces and thrive in cooler weather, which is great if you are looking for a crop that can thrive in the early spring or fall.  With organic greens costing $4-$6 per bag, growing your own greens is one of the fastest ways to reduce grocery costs (while eating healthier!). 

7. Herbs 

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If you regularly cook at home, you’ve likely been gouged at the store for a tiny pack of wilting basil. Herbs are shockingly expensive per ounce, but ridiculously easy to grow indoors or outside. A few pots on a windowsill can put savings back in your pocket year-round and be guaranteed to elevate every meal that you cook.  Not sure which herbs to grow? Check out our 5 favorite herbs every gardener needs. 

8. Microgreens

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If you want fast garden results with minimal space, microgreens are a top-tier choice. They are ready to harvest in 7 to 10 days, which makes them ideal for windowsills or countertop gardens.  Microgreens are also nutrient powerhouses and contain up to 5x the vitamin content of their mature counterparts. A tray can cost $4-$6 at the grocery store, but growing your own costs pennies. All you need is a shallow container, some potting mix, and seeds. 

9. Tomatillos

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If you like to cook or just love salsa verde, tomatillos are your new secret weapon. These husky little green fruits are tough to find fresh in many grocery stores and are often way overpriced when you do find them. In the garden, tomatillos are productive, pest-resistant, and easy to grow. You’ll need to grow at least two plants for cross-pollination, but you can easily can or freeze their abundant harvest for long-term storage. 

10. Asparagus and Rhubarb

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These perennial workhorses are subtle stars of the garden that should not be overlooked. They require some patience to get started, forcing you to wait a year (or two) before you can harvest, but once established, they’ll keep giving back for 20 years or more.  Both asparagus and rhubarb can be priced highly at any farmer’s market – I am not exaggerating when I report that I saw a bunch of asparagus for $9 at my local market this past weekend. It’s definitely worth the waiting time up front to let these garden gems establish so you can enjoy their bounty for years to come. 

Growing a Garden Can Save You Money

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In a world where grocery bills climb higher every month and the food system feels increasingly out of your control, growing your own food is one of the most empowering steps that you can take. It’s not just about saving money, although it will if you plan ahead and grow what you know you will eat.  Whether you’re working with a windowsill, patio, or a full backyard, the message is the same: start small, but start today. Plant a pot of herbs. Drop a few tomato seeds into a bucket. Every little bit that you grow can reduce the impact that inflation has on your bottom line.  If you’re looking for resources on how to prepare your garden for long-term storage, I encourage you to check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Supported by the University of Georgia, the NCHFP provides research-backed, safe methods to store food via canning, freezing, drying, curing, pickling, or fermenting methods.