Seed saving to cut costs | Ways to save money as a homesteader

When I've spoken before about how growing your own food can help save money I've had some people disagree and argue that growing your own food is actually more expensive by the time you've purchased equipment, compost and seeds. It is true that there are some initial start up costs but once you've got those and got started, in the long term you can save money. You'll also become less reliant on shops stocking the food once you learn you can grow your own at home. 

Once you learn how to make your own compost, save pots and containers to grow in and save seeds to grow crops year on year, your outgoings will drastically reduce and you will be growing food for little to no cost. 

Seed saving Is something that I personally know I need to get better at. I'm terrible for buying packs of seeds when I see them reduced in store and so I have got a really good stash of seed packets that should in theory last me quite a while. I do though want to take the time to learn more about seed saving and how to do it for each different edible plant that we grow and enjoy eating. This is the first year that I've made a real effort to research how to save the seeds. 

One of the easiest seeds to save are bean seeds. As pictured in the above photos, I've given them a go this year. This is two different variety of beans that I grew this year, I harvested a good amount, cooked lots fresh for the family and froze a batch for us to use for the rest of the year too. I made sure to leave a select few beans on the plant to go to seed and left them mostly to dry out on the plant. As the weather is turning now and it is raining more regularly I've harvested most of the seed pods and left them indoors to finish drying. Those that are fully dry and crisp I have started shelling. I've then put them in little packets, labelled them (for the ones I can remember the names of) and will sow them next year. Hopefully I'll get another great crop of beans. 

Do you seed save? If you do which ones do you find the easiest to save and which do you find the hardest?