Best Vegetables to Grow for the Biggest Grocery Savings

This article will walk through the best vegetables to grow for the biggest grocery savings is part of the plan. We’ll cover which crops give you the most bang for your buck, why they’re worth planting, and how to get the most out of each harvest. Whether you’re working with a backyard garden or a few containers on the patio, these choices will help you turn a little effort into a lot of savings.

If you’re looking for ways to stretch your grocery budget, your garden is one of the smartest places to start. Growing your vegetables not only gives you fresh, flavorful produce, but it also puts you in control of what you have on hand. Certain vegetables offer a much bigger return on your investment, especially when you factor in how expensive they are to buy at the store.

Choosing the right crops can make a noticeable difference in your savings. High-value vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, salad greens, and herbs, are often expensive at the market but relatively inexpensive to grow at home. Plus, many of these plants are generous producers, yielding far more than a single harvest and allowing you to preserve the extras for later use.

The Best Vegetables to Grow For the Biggest Grocery Savings

If you’re gardening with saving money in mind, the best vegetables to grow are those that:

• Are expensive to buy fresh
• Produce continuously or in abundance
• Store well (either fresh, frozen, or preserved)
• Can be used in many meals

Here’s a breakdown of high-value vegetables that fit the bill, in order of potential savings.

1. Lettuce & Salad Greens

• Why they’re worth it: Pre-washed greens are some of the most overpriced items at the grocery store, and they don’t last long.
• Money-saving bonus: You can do successive plantings and harvest baby greens in a matter of weeks.
• Notes: For growing lettuce during the heat of summer, look for bolt-resistant or summer varieties like:
  • ‘Summer Crisp’ (aka Batavian)
  • ‘Jericho’ (a romaine that thrives in heat)
  • ‘Red Sails’
  • ‘Parris Island Cos’

2. Spinach

• Why it’s worth it: Fresh spinach is expensive, and it shrinks dramatically when cooked. Growing your own gives you fresher, sweeter leaves.
• Money-saving bonus: Harvest baby leaves continuously, especially in spring and fall.
• Notes: Like lettuce, spinach is a cool-weather crop. Spinach bolts and turns bitter when daytime temperatures stay above the mid-70s, so summer success depends on choosing bolt-resistant varieties like ‘Tyee’ or ‘Space’, giving the plants afternoon shade, and keeping the soil consistently moist. Sow thickly every couple of weeks and harvest baby leaves fast, or grow heat-loving stand-ins—Malabar or New Zealand spinach—until you can reseed classic spinach in late August for an easier fall crop.

3. Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill)

• Why they’re worth it: Store-bought fresh herbs are shockingly expensive and spoil fast.
• Money-saving bonus: Dry or freeze extras; they take up little space and grow fast.

4. Bell Peppers

• Why they’re worth it: Red, yellow, and orange peppers are among the more expensive produce per pound.
• Money-saving bonus: Freeze chopped extras for later meals.

5. Tomatoes

• Why they’re worth it: Fresh tomatoes, especially heirlooms and cherry varieties, can be pricey at the store or farmers market. They’re also incredibly versatile.
• Money-saving bonus: You can preserve them as sauce, salsa, or paste.
• Note: Here are some tips for growing tomatoes on your patio.

6. Garlic

• Why they’re worth it: A small investment in seed garlic pays off big when harvested. Bonus: It stores for months.
• Money-saving bonus: You can save cloves for next year’s planting.

7. Onions

• Why they’re worth it: Especially sweet or specialty onions, which can get pricey.
• Money-saving bonus: Long storage life in a cool place.

8. Green Beans

• Why they’re worth it: Fresh green beans can be costly and lose quality quickly.
• Money-saving bonus: Easy to freeze or can.

9. Zucchini & Summer Squash

• Why they’re worth it: They’re prolific producers, often yielding more than a small family can keep up with.
• Money-saving bonus: Use them fresh, spiralized, in baking, or freeze shredded portions.

10. Cucumbers

• Why they’re worth it: Great fresh or for pickling, and one plant produces quite a bit.
• Money-saving bonus: Homemade pickles cost pennies compared to store-bought.
• Note: One of my all-time, most popular recipes is this one for Refrigerator Dill Pickles.

11. Kale & Swiss Chard

• Why they’re worth it: These leafy greens are nutrient-dense and pricey at the store.
• Money-saving bonus: They’re cut-and-come-again crops, producing for weeks or even months.
• Note: It can be easily frozen for future use in soups and sauces.

The biggest money savers come from things you use often, buy fresh, and spoil quickly, such as greens, herbs, and peppers. Things like squash and cucumbers are great, but if your family doesn’t eat a ton, you might not save as much compared to something like lettuce, which you use every day.

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