I think it's still important to note that it's not a constant for everyone. I too like the previous commentor got to save money albeit with a lot of initial bac

I think it's still important to note that it's not a constant for everyone. I too like the previous commentor got to save money albeit with a lot of initial backbreaking work for a small garden. I think most could with a lot of work, some stingyness. I had shit soil when I started too (long story but I overpayed for it to prevent cracks due to a shit foundation) I ended up getting great soil from a tomato & peppers nursery/seed selling business i had helped out before. They were moving and i helped em out with that again and they have to refresh their mix once every few years anyway or they can harbor diseases that can fuck up their year. I also got a bit of forest soil which was probably not allowed (it's within close distance and i hauled 3 baskets for every new plant i put down) and then a bit of additional soil from a nearby cellar being dug which was shit but i had to raise an additional bit of garden regardless of whether it held veg or lawn. Additionally I got a few trailers of free horse manure that I scouted local 2ndhand sites for because there's too much manure in this country I'm in. I used my dad's trailer who needs it regardless for a lot of other stuff he does. I got some free seconhand fencing mesh for peas to grow on. Cut bamboo my neighbour couldn't get rid of to support it all and some other plants. I now have a secondhand plastic greenhouse. I still don't have plastic for low tunnels yet but anticipated late frost by simply putting cut plastic bottles over my plants. The only thing I actually spent on was a few cheap tools, seeds and a few rare herbs/berry bushes & 2 small fruit trees. Oh and last year I had to spent on water due to persistent draught but this year I catch water from the shed and wood storage into some free secondhand IBC vats. Since then I think I've more than paid back for the help I've been given with the amount of veg I've given away. It has cost me boatloads of time to get started tho but...I've really enjoyed it. My daytime job programming keeps me sitting still away from the sun otherwise.