When I got started with seed saving, I was mostly trying to save money.  But the more seeds I saved, the more I realized the true benefits go beyond finances.  Here are my top five reasons to save seeds:

1. Pure geeky fun.  Letting your garden come full circle is very satisfying, and the seeds themselves are beautiful.

2. No guilt when over-seeding.  If you buy seeds, especially expensive ones like hybrid cucumbers, you may feel obliged to make each seed count.  But when you save your own, you nearly always end up with way too many seeds.  So there's no reason not to put two seeds in each spot, meaning you don't have any gaps and can select for the hardiest individual.

3. Control over varieties.  When buying seeds, you're at the mercy of the seed companies.  If you love a variety, but the company wants to replace it with something they consider more profitable, then you're out of luck.  But if you save your own seeds, you'll always have your favorite varieties on hand.

4. Free gifts.  Since you'll inevitably have too many seeds of each type, you'll be able to give starter packs of your favorites away.  Or you can swap them with friends or strangers.

5. Saving money.  Okay, yes, you save money too.  We spend only $100 per year on seeds even though we grow all of our own vegetables, plant heavily, and buy from an expensive supplier.  With a small backyard garden, you could cut your seed costs to pennies.

If you want to learn more about saving the easiest seeds, check out Weekend Homesteader: August.  The more advanced seed saver should start with this post.  Happy seed saving!