There are compelling reasons why you’d want to live a vegan lifestyle. It’s an ethical choice, as you’re not consuming any animals, and it’s healthy as well.
However, some people put forth the narrative that eating vegan is hard. While it might present some challenges, if you use some common sense, it’s easier than you might think.
In this article, we’ll give you some budget-conscious vegan tips. You can definitely do this if you set your mind to it, and you’ll feel glad you did.
Cook for the Week
If you’re eating vegan on a budget, one thing you can do is cook large meals on the weekend. For many people, Sunday is the ideal day to do it. That’s because:
- You might be too tired for large meal prep on weekdays
- If you have food prepared in advance, you won’t order takeout
On Sunday, you can make a big vegan soup, stew, or casserole. You can eat it for dinner that night, and then you can eat it several more times during the week. You’ll get home, and it’s all ready to go. All you have to do is pop it in your microwave.
Buy in Bulk
You probably have some vegan staples that you buy at the grocery store. However, if you buy in bulk, you save money in the long run.
You can get a discount club membership. You might look into:
- Sam’s Club
- Costco
- Ralph’s or BJ’s
It all depends on where you live. You’ll find Costco or Sam’s Club in some regions or other options.
You can go there and scout around, looking for vegan options. You can’t eat everything you find there, but there should be at least a few vegan choices.
When you find something you can eat, load up on it. You can have it in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. This way, you might be able to live for several weeks off the same grocery run.
Use Sales and Coupons
If you’re budget shopping, look for sales and coupons. You might only save a couple dollars here or there, but that can add up quickly.
On the weekend, if you get any grocery store circulars in the mail, look through them for any sales happening in the coming week. You might alternate between area grocery stores depending on where the deals are.
You can also look at online coupon sites to see if you can find anything useful. You can often locate coupons if you’re a little patient. Just print some out and take them along with you, or you can use digital coupons if you have a smartphone.
Buy Fruits and Veggies in Season
Vegans often eat lots of veggies and fruits. They’re healthy, give you a ton of vitamins and fiber, and they don’t harm any animals.
While you should spend a lot of money on fresh fruits and vegetables, you should only buy the ones that are in season. If you try to buy something like oranges or cherries out of season, they might cost a lot more than they otherwise would.
You can also get good deals sometimes if you go to the local farmer’s markets. You get much fresher produce, and you’re supporting local farming efforts. Also, it might surprise you when you can save money buying locally over grocery store prices.
Buy Cheaper Fruits
You can also often save money if you get some fruit items over others. Things like bananas and apples don’t usually cost as much. If you keep getting things like berries, that can quickly eat into your budget.
The cheaper fruits vary depending on the part of the country in which you find yourself. For the price-conscious vegan, bananas are one of the best picks since you can buy them cheaply, and they’re very filling. Eat a couple of those for breakfast, and you should stay full until lunchtime.
Stock Up on Legumes
As a vegan, if you don’t have much money, you can stock up on things like canned beans or dry lentils. They fill you up, and they have both protein and fiber.
You can cook beans and brown rice flavored with some spices, and that can last you till your next paycheck. You get fiber and protein, but you can also prepare them in all kinds of different ways. If you go to an Indian grocery store and get some curry paste, you can create a flavorful curry that will keep you full and happy on cold days.