[Coda]

How much does it cost to buy the tools and supplies necessary to maintain a garden? How much does it cost to purchase the seeds and the fertilizer and to manage pest control? How much money are you spending on the land you're growing the garden on? And time is money: How many hours per week do you need to put in to maintain that garden that you could just as easily spend doing something more enjoyable?

Don't get me wrong, fresh, home-grown vegetables are a good thing, but don't fool yourself into thinking that it's an "easier" or "cheaper" lifestyle -- it only makes sense if tending to the garden is something you enjoy doing as a hobby, and if you already have the land on which to grow it.