Frugal Tuesday - To Can or Not to Can, That is the Question

So, I've spent a few hours in the last while going through my seeds and trying to decide what and how much of everything I need to plant this year. Mountain Man doesn't seem to quite understand my deep need to grow our own food. He sure enjoys the everything I grow and make, but he asked me last week why I can tomatoes when I can usually purchase them for $1 a can on sale. So, of course this got me thinking...  again!

Of course for me the reasons to grow our food are varied and many. The biggest of course being the health benefits.

1. No pesticides or chemicals in my food
2. Home grown food is more nutritious and better tasting
3. I get a more exercise which makes me healthier
4. I get the vitamin D I need from the sun 
5. The therapy of gardening contributes to contentment and a happy home

Sure gardening takes time and preserving the harvest can be very time consuming but for me the benefits are so great I can't understand why more don't do it. But what about the cost? So many times there are those who say "I can't understand gardening, unless you enjoy it as a hobby, when you factor in your time your not really saving any money." Hmm...  Really? I suppose if I take my time into account these naysayers are right. However, I have never considered my time as money. If I have the time, why not do something with it which will benefit my family? If I spend my spare time reading a book or watching movies what is my time worth then? Not that I don't enjoy relaxing because I think I have made it into an art form this winter, but I would rather be doing something to enhance our family life and health given the choice.

So, lets go back to those tomatoes and Mountain Mans question. How many do we use in a year and how much can I really save by growing and preserving them myself?

Tomato products we use in a year and how much they cost: (this is of course just for the two of us but you can see we use a lot of tomatoes)  All prices are sale prices from my area, and items we would regularly purchase which isn't always the least expensive as taste is factored in.

• Canned tomatoes whole or diced, 52 cans, $52 
• Tomato sauce, 30 cans, $30 
• Pasta sauce, 20 jars, $50
• Tomato paste, 30 cans, $18
• Pizza sauce, 52 cans, $31
• Ketchup, 12 bottles, $38
• BBQ Sauce, 8 bottles, $28
• Sundried tomatoes, 3 lbs, $10
• Tomato soup, 35 cans, $21
• Salsa, 12 medium sized jars, $36

Total cost? Approximately $314 a year. Not too bad really but remember this is only for tomatoes. The cost for me to grow and preserve all these items is about $30, this includes seeds and propane for canning if it is too warm to use the wood stove. Total savings? about $284. I guess when you say it fast it doesn't seem like much money at all, especially over a year, however, I think the benefits far out weigh everything else. One thing I always keep in mind when purchasing anything. Taking into account taxes and fees you really need to double the price of everything you buy to get the real cost, with this in mind it is a a fair amount of money.

So lets see...  Total savings so far this year taking into account: our water filter $300, baking $502, - and canning just tomatoes $284 = $1086. Not a bad start!

How are you saving money this year?

Also linked in to Natural Mothers Networks Sunday Celebration blog hop.