Short answer: yes, from Year 2 onwards, modestly — if you factor in what you would have bought anyway and you don't count your time. Year 1 almost always loses money. Here's the maths for a typical Irish household.
Year 1 — Typical Costs vs Yield
A first-time grower with a small plot (20–50m²):
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Basic tool kit (spade, fork, trowel, secateurs, gloves, watering can) | €100–€150 |
| Bagged compost to improve soil | €60–€120 |
| Seeds (basic selection) | €20–€40 |
| One raised bed (DIY) | €80–€150 |
| Plot rent (if applicable) | €50–€300 |
| Miscellaneous (canes, twine, netting, slug pellets) | €30–€60 |
| Total Year 1 investment | €340–€820 |
What You Get in Year 1
With realistic beginner yield from a 20–50m² plot:
- 30–50 kg potatoes — €30–€50 market value
- 10–15 kg courgettes — €20–€30 market value
- 5–10 kg beans — €15–€30 market value
- Salad greens continuous June–September — €40–€80 market value
- Carrots, beetroot, chard, herbs — €30–€60 market value
- Total market value: €135–€250
Year 1 net: loss of €200–€600.
Year 2 — The Turn
Most of Year 1's costs don't repeat:
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Tools | €0 (you have them) |
| Top-up compost | €30–€50 |
| Seeds | €20–€40 |
| Plot rent (if applicable) | €50–€300 |
| Miscellaneous | €20–€30 |
| Total Year 2 investment | €120–€420 |
Year 2 yields typically improve 30–50% as you've learned the soil and pests. Say €200–€380 market value.
Year 2 net: roughly break-even to small profit.
Year 3+ — Saves Money
From Year 3, assuming stable tool kit and growing confidence, you typically net €100–€250 per year in effective household food savings, plus you're eating fresher, chemical-free, and seasonal produce.
Where the Numbers Break Down
This analysis doesn't account for:
- Your time. 5–15 hours/week in season. If you count your time at any real rate, growing never saves money — it's a hobby that happens to produce food
- The produce you grow that you wouldn't have bought. No one buys 20 kg of courgettes in a week. Beginners often grow too many of one thing and can't use it all
- Polytunnels / greenhouses / big kit. If you invest in a €1,000 polytunnel in Year 1, your break-even stretches to Year 4–5
- Failure years. One bad blight summer on potatoes and you're back to Year 1 economics for that crop
- Inflation. Supermarket veg prices are rising faster than general inflation in 2024–2026. This tilts the maths further toward growing
Things That Tilt the Maths
In favour of growing
- Irish supermarket prices are high and climbing
- You specifically want organic (supermarket organic has a 50–100% premium)
- You grow the "expensive" stuff: salad, herbs, chillies, specialty varieties
- Your household eats a lot of fresh veg anyway
Against
- You're short on time and would pay more for the hours spent
- You have to rent a plot (council €50–100/yr fine; private plot-share €150–400/yr is a significant line item)
- You commute/work long hours and can't reliably water
The Honest Conclusion
Don't grow your own to save money. Grow your own because:
- The vegetables taste better
- You care about provenance and chemicals
- It's meditative physical work you enjoy
- It's good for kids to see
- Food-security anxiety is real and a plot is one way to address it
The money saving is a small bonus from Year 3. If money is your primary motivation, Lidl veg beats a first-year allotment on cost-per-kilo every time.
Still want to grow?
Start small. A shared plot near you on Homegrown.ie is the cheapest way to test whether you'll stick with it.
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