Goodbye supermarkets: how I lived for a year without the multinationals

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Growing my own

As someone capable of killing off even the hardiest of pot plants, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to dig up dinner from the garden. But what could be cheaper? So I gave it a go, and even with amateur, minimal effort the results have been fantastic.

Start-up costs were low: I used old margarine tubs and yoghurt pots for seedlings, bought cheap compost from the garden centre where I also buy eggs, and a few packets of seeds from a discount household shop. I was also given cuttings by neighbours.

I used to pay £1.50 for a 200g bag of spinach every fortnight or so, and half of it used to mush at the back of the fridge. I grow it in a container now, so that one crop saves £39 a year alone. It's fresher, always available and after helping in the garden my children are keener to eat the results.

I took advice from Guardian commenters Suffolkbumpkin and Kezia10 who recommended growing expensive produce such as pak choi, peppers and rainbow chard. Growing food was a lot easier than I thought: we've had more than 300 tomatoes for minimal effort, as well as broad beans, broccoli, raspberries, blueberries, fresh herbs (on the windowsill) and potatoes in a bag by the back door.

This year, I've planted far more – indoors for now, because of the weather. You can grow a food forest on a tiny balcony, in containers or inside, there are lot of ways to do it: see James Wong and Vertical Veg or get involved in urban community food projects like The Big Dig.

I've also foraged for freebies, something I've never done before. Last week I picked nettles and brewed beer – there's a fab, cheap recipe in The Hedgerow Cookbook by Wild at Heart. Sites like the Urban Forager and Galloway Wild Foods help you identify what to pick.......

Goodbye supermarkets: how I lived for a year without the multinationals:

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