Regarding the sprouts......yes, you eat the whole sprout Mel, and I guess it depends on how many sprouts you would eat in one week whether it would be cheaper to grow your own or not.

If you grow small amounts at a time, and eat all that you grow, it works out heaps cheaper to grow your own.

You also wouldn't have to worry about catching nasty diseases from shop bought ones.

Those sprout growing gadgets are great for growing your own....but.....it's much cheaper to improvise with what you already have around your home. I grew mine in a large screw top jar with cotton wool in the base. I'm sure one of those plastic containers you have in your cupboard would do the same thing.