Reply #20: For the same reason people buy tomatoes at the store

[notesdev]

Tomatoes aren't particularly expensive or difficult to grow; most people could save money by growing them (and we may see a trend in that direction, as the economy continues to deteriorate).

So why does anybody buy tomatoes at the store? Convenience, lack of knowledge, lack of time... consistency of quality and supply, and a myriad of other reasons.

Same principle applies to anything that grows.

Also applies to alcohol - you can make it at home, as many did during Prohibition. For the most part, the only people who do that today are hobbyists.