{"id":2284,"date":"2017-10-02T20:00:26","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travelswithmum.com\/?p=2284"},"modified":"2017-10-02T18:17:37","modified_gmt":"2017-10-02T07:17:37","slug":"saving-for-travel-series-growing-your-own-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelswithmum.com\/?p=2284","title":{"rendered":"Saving for Travel Series: Growing your own food."},"content":{"rendered":"

Travelling costs, it doesn’t matter how you do it, whether it’s camping or staying in luxury hotels, you will need money to travel!<\/p>\n

Lots of people think they can’t save for travel, it’s out of their reach. But if I, as a single mum, can do it so can you!<\/p>\n

Each month I will show you what small things I do to help us save money so that we have more for our travel fund.<\/p>\n

This month I’m writing about how to grow your own food!!!!<\/h2>\n

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I have been growing my own vegies periodically for about 8 years now.<\/p>\n

I am not an expert. Many things I have grown has been through trail and error… sometimes it works out and sometimes it becomes chook food or compost!<\/p>\n

But \u00a0one thing I know is that growing your own \u00a0food is not only healthier for you but also can save you lots of money…. for travel of course!!!
\nHere are some tips for growing your own veggies!<\/p>\n

Only grow what your family will eat:<\/b><\/p>\n

This seems like pretty simple, but there is many times that I have veggies that I thought we would eat for it only to go to waste. This goes for quantities as well. Watch how much you plant because you may end up with way more produce then you can eat… although it’s always nice when you can share extras with family and friends.<\/p>\n

Buy seedlings over seeds:<\/b><\/p>\n

I have tried both and to be honest seeds take so long to grow!! Seedlings are established and therefore grow so much quicker and you will, more then likely, be more successful with them. They will, in turn give you produce sooner. If you have a green house, then seeds might be better, but without one you will be waiting such a long time. If you want to use seeds, look into collecting seeds each season from your crop… research online how to do this.<\/p>\n

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Buy only what is in season:<\/b><\/p>\n

Check out online what is in season in your area before you plant.\u00a0 Don’t be fooled by what vegetables they sell at the supermarkets. Most of the time those fruit and veg are not necessarily what is in season… you are better to check out the farmers markets to know what is in season or online or see what seedlings they are selling at a reputable nursery.<\/p>\n

Buy only a few punnets at a time:<\/b><\/p>\n

I have found that buying a small amount of seedlings each week is not only better on the weekly budget (you aren’t spending so much money in one hit) but it also staggers your crops. This way you getting crops over a longer period of time rather than getting it all in one hit. I tend to spend around $12 a week, roughly three punnets of different types of vegies \/ herbs each week.<\/p>\n

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Learn how to pickle, preserve and blanch:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

This has been a life saver when I have ended up with so much veg that I didn’t know what to do with. It means that there is no waste and we can enjoy our produce for so much longer. I have made jam and frozen strawberries, blanched and frozen silver beet and broccoli, preserved beetroot, and made pasta sauce and semi dried tomatoes. Check out online how to make your produce last for longer or find some books to help you out. I like The preserving Book by Lynda Brown<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Plant in containers and garden beads:<\/b><\/p>\n

You can literally plant veggies and herbs anywhere! I have planted in garden beds that I have stripped of plants, old tyres, wheel burrows, old pots, wine barrels and wooden pallets. Nobody should use size of their yard as an excuse to not to try to grow stuff… you just need to be creative.<\/p>\n

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Composting\/ worm farming:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Fertilising will make your plants to grow bigger and better. I have had a worm farm and used the worm wee to fertilise my vegetables for amazing results! Presently I am using a compost bin to turn my food scrapes into compost and help grow my vegetables better. I also tried chicken poo but not any other animal poo!<\/p>\n

Here are some of my favourites veggies to plant!\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n