MILLSBORO, Del.-  It seems simple enough.  Save money on groceries by growing some at home. Forty-three million households reportedly plan to grow vegetables at home this year. That is  a 19 percent increase from last year.  But novice gardeners need to make sure they are investing in the right kind of plants to save money. 

Experts say easy plants (with good returns for your investment) are: tomatoes, squash, zucchini, onions, and herbs.  Bob Shipe of East Coast Garden Center estimates that produce you grow yourself costs one-fifth of what it does at the supermarket.

"It's a tremendous amount of crops there you could plant that would give you your money back," Shipe said.

He says for a 16 square-foot garden, the startup costs and plants would be about $100-- but over the next year, it would save you about $500 at the grocery store.  

The startup costs for the garden's second year would be even less.  Shipe says the only cost is the for the plants, about $20.

Novice gardeners beware, some plants are not user-friendly for a first-time gardener.  Shipe recommends new gardeners avoid planting broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. 

Snipe says you can you save even more money by buying seeds instead of starter plants, but you just have to plan ahead a little bit more.  Most seed plants need to go in the ground right about now.  Starter plants can go in the ground May 5, Snipe sad.  That is to avoid any late frost that could wipe out your whole investment.