The same way one saves money growing any type of crop for personal consumption. And there is also the personal satisfaction of having produced ones own.
Only someone that does much gardening understand the satisfaction of it. By the time my garden is fully worked I will have close to 200 tomatoe, 150 pepper, 300 square feet of beans, and several hundred assorted other plants - not including corn and possibly tobacco.
Beat me to it.
I understand the satisfaction part but it doesn't translate to savings. Justify the endeavor because its nice to achieve something and possibly get a better fresher tobacco, but don't kid yourself its cheaper.
Take the same labor hours and multiply it by the persons potential income from another activity and it cannot translate to savings.
In addition to labor, there are hidden costs. Water, electric, pots, fertilizer, pest control, the cost of a shed for drying plus property taxes on it. All of these are costs.
I grew carrots for the first time last year.
I blanched them and had carrots all winter.
The carrots are doing very well this year again too.
I have NOT been successful with the tomatoes. They get eaten by the critter squad.
I have hatched and released several praying mantis coccons. Don't know how to keep the skunks out though. Nor can I understand why they only target my tomatoes.