2024 - the Garden Balance Sheet

I’ll be starting from scratch. Anything I’ve already got in the garden or kitchen/ store cupboard/ freezer will not count. If it’s not grown or purchased in 2024 it won’t count. I will include what ever money I make from my plants and flower sales. As it’s come from the garden and it’ll go back into the garden.

You will need to be adding to your 2024 income well into 2025 in that case but you would be recording the income accruing to 2024 effort.

I think I'll be using the swings and roundabouts method and counting all the onions/garlic/potatoes/tomatoes... I have in store - as they are used. Any that are composted wont be counted. What is in store at the end of 24 will go into 25. Some things, if I have a good year, keep for longer than 12 months - dried beans, tomatoes and soft fruit.

I can understand why SC wants to start from scratch with her new garden - exciting times!

I’ll be starting from scratch. Anything I’ve already got in the garden or kitchen/ store cupboard/ freezer will not count. If it’s not grown or purchased in 2024 it won’t count. I will include what ever money I make from my plants and flower sales. As it’s come from the garden and it’ll go back into the garden.

You will need to be adding to your 2024 income well into 2025 in that case but you would be recording the income accruing to 2024 effort.

I think I'll be using the swings and roundabouts method and counting all the onions/garlic/potatoes/tomatoes... I have in store - as they are used. Any that are composted wont be counted. What is in store at the end of 24 will go into 25. Some things, if I have a good year, keep for longer than 12 months - dried beans, tomatoes and soft fruit.

I don’t think I’ll still be recording 2024 income in 2025. Because it’ll be recorded as it comes out of the garden. Irrelevant of what it’s used for ( eaten fresh, frozen, turned into Jared /dried , given away) . You don’t pay a supermarket when you open your jar of chutney or start that new bag of frozen peas . I might  do a separate column with the monetary difference if things get turned into chutney or some other way of storing. But that might get a bit confusing & complicated. As for the plants & flowers I’ll (hopefully) sell from the barrow. They are only available during late spring, summer & early autumn. Barrow gets blown over if it’s left out to late in the year . As I found out     . And I don’t grow anything over winter especially at the moment with no tunnels   (I miss them so much ) .
clear as mud as always 

I understand!
There are 2 ways of doing this (at least). Either measure everything as you pick it OR measure it when you use it. I know from trying this before that I fail to weigh stuff when I pick it so I'm going with the "when I use it" option which means that frozen stuff from last year become "fresh stuff" when eaten.
Maybe I'll try doing it both ways at the start to see which way is better and easier.

My plan is to figure out the simplest way, start it off with vim and vigour, then forget to do it too many times and eventually say 'sod it' and carry on as normal, safe in the knowledge that I don't really care about the costs, the benefits far outweighs them.

What income will you add for the mental and physical wellbeing?

What income will you add for the mental and physical wellbeing?

I think that's unquantifiable. It's the reason we garden isn't it, the pleasure in sowing  and harvesting beats everything .

What income will you add for the mental and physical wellbeing?

Don’t think you can put a price on something that valuable.

What income will you add for the mental and physical wellbeing?

..........that's offset against the cost of time spent nurturing your crops and the losses due to  weather, pests and dogs. 

First purchase of the year has been added to my spreadsheet.