I was having a think about some of my new year’s resolutions today. I said I was going to save even more money than last year, eat much healthier and get myself fit. Then it came to me - Allotments. No really! I am thinking of getting an allotment. Think about it, it is good in so many ways. Firstly you are obviously going to save yourself lots of money with all those vegetable you can grow. Secondly those vegetables aren’t going to eat themselves so you will get healthy too. Thirdly they don’t grow themselves either. Well they pretty much do, but they definitely don’t plant themselves.

An allotment should only cost about £30 a year to rent from your local authority although sometimes there is a water surcharge. You should soon get his money back though with your first harvest. There really isn’t a better way to enjoy the great outdoors, get a supply of fresh vegetables and keep yourself fit. They are a particularly good idea for those who live in inner city areas and don’t have their own garden. In most cases you can also keep chickens on an allotment and not only have a supply of fresh vegetables but also fresh free range eggs.

If you are considering following my advice I suggest you take a look at the following sites for great tips that will help you along the way -

• BBC Gardening - for growing tips
• Vegetable Expert - so you know what to do with your crop
• Allotment Growing - full of tips for making the most of your allotment
• National Allotment Gardens Trust - for more allotment info then you could ever imagine

I haven’t decided whether I am going to try and get one yet but they do seem like a good idea. The only problem is that you have to put a lot of time in to one. It is a much better option than joining a gym though. It actually saves you money rather than costing about £30 a month!