GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

Growing your own food can help tackle your ballooning grocery bill. Although it is not possible to grow enough food to support yourself, done cleverly and cheaply you can cut your food bills with fresh greens, vegetables and herbs.

If you have the space, and if you have sunlight, set up your own veggie patch. If you live in a high-rise, you can grow your own food too – old food-safe containers, plastic pots or even repurposed household items can be an easy way to start growing. Or get together with your neighbours to create a community garden (this is also a good way to socialise and educate children on food growing).

Instead of buying some greens in bunches too big for one meal and then storing them in your fridge where they will quietly rot, it’s more worthwhile to grow them. Lettuce, pandan, scallions, bird’s eye chillies, curry leaves, and herbs like mint are great because they can be picked by the leaf, fruit or sprig. That means there’s little to no waste and the plant can regrow. When it’s time to harvest, pick only what you need for each meal.

You should focus on what your household actually eats. Bear in mind that onions, cabbage and broccoli take up space in the garden, grow reasonably slowly and only yield a harvest once. Consider succession planting, where you plant new plants every few weeks to extend your harvest.

Swap your produce with friends, neighbours and like-minded people. Sharing harvests is a good way to enjoy different varieties of home-grown greens.