Recently, while wearing my non-profit arts warrior hat, I was asked to write a cost benefit analysis (CBA) for a project I was researching. It was incredibly difficult and took me a shamefully long time to complete. The good news is that I completed it. And I learned how to calculate the payback time for an investment and got to imagine the intangible costs and benefits of turning my co-workers’ lives upside down. Fun!
What I’ve come to realize is that doing a CBA is really the prudent thing to do before jumping head first into this vegetable gardening thing. Maybe I’ll even learn something. No need to tell me I am probably over-thinking it. “Always be prepared,” I say! I never say that.
Cost Benefit Analysis: Vegetable Gardening
| Implementation | Initial Cost |
| Contract Labor | 0 |
| Capital Costs (i.e. reusable supplies) | 80 |
| Internal Planning | Exorbitant sum/hour |
| Puppy Training | Exorbitant sum/hour |
| TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION | 80 |
| Ongoing | Avg. Annual Cost |
| Maintenance (soil/fertilizer) | 100 |
| Operational Cost (plants & seeds) | 90 |
| Additional Water Cost | 35 |
| TOTAL ONGOING | 225 |
| Intangible Costs | |
| Loss of free time | |
| Heat stroke | |
| Increased inter-office conflict | |
| TOTAL COST | $305 |
| Ongoing | Avg. Annual Benefit |
| Grocery Store Savings ($20 * 28 hopeful weeks) | 560 |
| TOTAL ONGOING | 560 |
| Intangible Benefits | |
| Feelings of self-worth and pride | |
| Connection to Ceres, goddess of grain and harvest | |
| Development of a positive environment of teamwork and cooperation | |
| TOTAL BENEFIT (first year) | $255 |
| TOTAL BENEFIT (ongoing) | $335 |
| Payback Time (Months after initial investment) | 9.96 |
As one can see from my listing of costs and benefits, it appears that container vegetable gardening will actually save us money once we purchase the obligatory pots, containers, gloves, tools, soil, seeds, and transplants. I do so hope that our crops will be bountiful and bug free!
Next step: pick up unknown amount of hastily ordered library books on vegetable container gardening and consume.
P.S. The peach plant with the bugs is disoriented about the season and has decided to pretend it’s autumn. Sad, unloved peach tree.
