Taking a seed inventory will help you know what you already have on hand and purchase only the seeds that you really need. Whether you only have a few beds or a large market type garden, taking a seed inventory is guaranteed to save you money. Here’s how: fewer shipping charges, fewer expired seeds, and more seed saving.
To help myself (and hopefully others) feel more enthusiastic about taking inventory of our seeds, I made a pretty printable. I know some people probably use an excel spreadsheet or similar online method (and that’s great too!) but there is just something about writing with pen and paper that makes it more fun for me.
3 ways a seed inventory will save you money
1. Fewer shipping charges
I have always looked through my seeds as I planned my garden and made notes on what I needed more of. And I ALWAYS miss at least one or two varieties, or don’t have enough of something. And then I have to order more, pay more money for shipping, wait for it to arrive (possibly missing my planting window…) Well, not this year! I am determined to order it all on time and have the seeds on hand when I need them. As I took my time going through the inventory pages and cross checking it with my garden plan, I was able to make a complete list of exactly how many more seeds I needed.
2. Less waste or fewer expired seeds
I have amassed quite a collection of seeds over the last couple years. Sometimes I don’t realize that I already ordered or had on hand a packet of certain seeds and order more. Inevitably, I have had to throw some things away because I ordered way more than I actually needed for the year. Or I used expired seeds and the germination was so low that I had to replant it (wasting time & money). The inventory pages suggest noting the seed packet year to encourage tossing out those that are old. Not like last year, for example, when I failed to order peas since I had a big pack and then they did very poorly since they were at least 5 years old.
3. Reminders for what you want to seed save for next year
I often waste money by forgetting to seed save something that is easy to save. Then I end up kicking myself when it’s time to order more. Better to plan ahead for that on the “Seed Saving List” in my new printable and post it somewhere as a reminder for fall seed saving. I really hope this helps me do a better job on this.
Download the Free Printable!
I’ve had some friends and family test this out along with me and made improvements based on their suggestions. If you try it out and have suggestions, I’d love to hear from you too. Enjoy!
PS. If you are trying to become more self sufficient, here’s a detailed pantry inventory to help you start planning for a year supply of food and household necessities.
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