Frugal Food Sources – Grow a Garden of Herbs and Fruits
One of the many ways to save up and be frugal is to create a sustainable source of food and garnishing materials. It may seem ridiculously simple on paper, but creating and maintaining a thriving garden that can feed you and your family, AND help you save up on buying ingredients for catering business takes work. It may be expensive to set up at first, but in the long run, you may even turn this into a side business. At the very least, you can slash off a percentage of your standard capital for party catering if you can get your herbs, fruits and vegetables for free.
First you have to identify the herbs and fruits you want to grow. Seedlings cost a lot, and so do seeds, that’s why you need to make sure that the fruits, herbs and veggies you choose can thrive in your garden. Consider creating a small greenhouse if you’re so inclined. You can even build a small gazebo where your pots and containers can stay while you’re growing or breeding your plants.
One more thing to consider is the length of time it takes for the plant to bear fruit. If you’re planning on harvesting oranges, you might be in for a long wait. Get annuals, and easy seasonal plants. My suggestion is to plant chilli peppers and commonly used veggies like parsley, basil, tomatoes and spinach. These veggies are either used in huge amounts or sparingly, depending on the dishes you’re serving, but the point is that they should always be on hand when you need them (especially if you just need a small amount for home cooking).
Aromatic plants are also recommended, as these have medicinal properties that rejuvenate your spirit and relax your mind. Although there are so many ways and means to get ginseng (they’re available in tablet form in health shops, and are even main ingredients in herbal drugs like maxoderm), you can always grow rosemary and roses, collect their oils and use the decoction as foot soak or massage oils.