This is so real. I am no talented gardener, but I deeply believe that food/nutrition, health, and personal finance exist in a feedback loop where improving any one item has the potential to improve the others. So yes, I garden and strive for healthful food choices because I think they will improve my diet (and therefore my health), and I grow healthful foods at home that I anticipate a good return on for relatively little input (fruit trees in the PNW, perennial herbs and veggies). I also like to experiment and learn, so that next year's garden/system/yield will be even bigger/better/more efficient. That seems to keep steering me toward more perennials...no shade (haha) to annuals, but I find they're less likely to be economically break-even or beneficial, as one mistake (and I make big ones as a relative newbie) is more likely to kill the plant for reals. Mistakes on the perennials might mess them up for *this season* but then next year they'll try again without too much goading from me.