Thinking of transitioning to veganism but unsure about how expensive it can be? Maybe you’re already vegan but looking for ways to cut down on your grocery bill? Being vegan can have immense health benefits as well as be more eco-friendly for the environment. This post will guide you on how to save money while being vegan with helpful tips and practical ideas. Let’s get right to it!
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Is Being Vegan Really Expensive?
People have this misconception that being vegan equals expensive. This is only somewhat true.
Being vegan can be expensive if you buy lots of ready-made foods such as Beyond Meat and Gardein Crabless Cakes.
However, it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many vegan foods that are actually a lot cheaper than meat and fish products. We’ll get into this in just a minute.
If you’re looking to be vegan on a budget, you won’t buy ready-made foods. You will find several good recipes and cook them yourself at home.
I know it can be difficult if you’re a newbie in the kitchen.
That used to be me.
I never cooked until my daughter was born. When she turned 6 months, I started with baby led weaning and needed to cook vegan, nutritious meals for her so I was forced to learn to cook.
I’m not a pro at cooking but I can do it if I need to. I learned the basics.
You can easily start cooking and baking delicious vegan meals with cheap ingredients! It’s easy to save money while being vegan.
Cheap Vegan Ingredients
Here are some great ingredients that every vegan on a budget must have in their kitchen!
Beans
This is a vegan staple. Beans are packed with protein and so cheap! You can buy canned beans, raw beans, or even cooked beans.
Whatever form you want them in, I guarantee you that it’s cheaper than buying many non-vegan protein options.
Tofu
Another vegan staple, tofu is a must-have. I never go a week without buying tofu since my family uses it in almost every dinner recipe.
With this extremely versatile ingredient, you can make stir-fry, tofu steaks, burgers, tofu scramble, and so much more!
And it’s such a cheap ingredient so don’t tell me it’s expensive to be vegan.
If you want to save money while being vegan, don’t buy the ready made meals and you won’t be spending half your paycheck in one week’s grocery shopping.
Frozen Food
Did you ever go to the grocery store and fill up your cart with fresh veggies, planning to make delicious meals with them?
Only to find yourself at the end of the week with half rotten vegetables and no delicious meals.
That’s happened to me and it’s pretty annoying.
You need to dump all those veggies and it was simply a waste buying it.
I’ve got a simple and cost-effective solution for you – buy frozen veggies instead.
As a vegan on a budget, you don’t have extra cash to just throw away because some veggies got rotten. Why not buy the same veggies in frozen form and they will last much longer?
Say you want to make a tofu stir fry where you will need to add vegetables. You can easily buy them frozen and then you don’t feel pressured to make it the next day.
Textured Vegetable Protein
Another fabulous vegan product to buy in the grocery store is textured vegetable protein, also referred to as TVP.
I only recently discovered this ingredient and boy is it a gamechanger!
If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a dry form of vegan ground meat. You can use it in so many dishes such as pasta bolognese, shepherd’s pie, and burgers.
They may not sell it in every grocery store but you can always order it online from Amazon.
There are just a few things to add to your shopping list when going vegan on a budget. Isn’t it easy to save money while being vegan?
Tips for Grocery Shopping
One tip to make your grocery shopping trip a bit cheaper is by buying in bulk.
As a vegan, many of your protein sources do not need to be refrigerated like beans and TVP. Therefore, you can buy these ingredients in bulk and store them in your pantry.
Not only will it be cheaper for you, but you will also have vital ingredients on hand, which is always great.
Whenever I order TVP online, I buy about 5 or 6 bags and it lasts for a couple of months. I always have a couple of different kinds of beans in my pantry too.
This way, whenever I feel like making something, there are always protein options available.
Another tip for shopping as a vegan on a budget is to look out for sales. Meatless Monday has become more popular and some grocery stores offer discounts on vegan products on Mondays.
To wrap up
Being vegan on a budget is really quite simple if you follow this guide.
Buy basic ingredients instead of ready made food.
Buy dry ingredients in bulk.
Shop for sales.
What are your favorite tricks for how to save money while being vegan? Do you stick to a budget? Buy certain foods? Let me know in the comments!
Aydela is a vegan mom to a little toddler. She also works full-time as a QA engineer. In her spare time, she works on her blog, The VegaNatural Mom which is aimed at providing tips and guides for those interested in vegan and natural parenting. She enjoys writing, knowing it’s helping other moms!