Eating vegan on a budget

Vegan on a Budget

We know that affordability remains a focus for many during this time. To help with this, we’ve been able to compile a list of useful budget tips from our members into a handy infographic – thank you to everyone who wrote in with their tips!

That isn’t all, though – here is some additional advice to keep in mind. These tips will help you to get the most out of your money to continue eating healthy and prepare cheap vegan meals.

Make use of filling staple foods

Build your meals around filling staples. We recommend always having the following to hand:

• Dried beans and canned beans: red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, butter beans
• Lentils: red split lentils, green lentils
• Chickpeas
• Rice: white rice is usually cheaper, but brown rice is higher in protein and fibre
• Oats
• Dried pasta
• Peanut butter
• Plant milks (soya, oat, almond, coconut)
• Cans of chopped tomatoes
• Vegan margarine
• Oil (olive, rapeseed, sunflower)
• Pot of dried mixed herbs
• Jar of chilli powder
• Packet of mixed nuts
• Bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• Seeds (such as chia, flax, sesame, pumpkin)
• Dried fruit

Incorporating these staples into your own meals is a fantastic way of ensuring that you’re getting the nutrients you need cheaply on a vegan diet. Visit our blog to find out more about cheap vegan staples.

Look for accidentally vegan goodies

Instead of shopping in specialist free-from shops or aisles, look for accidentally vegan goodies – this is a bit more of a treasure hunt, but you’ll likely find products that are far cheaper and budget-friendly. Our tip is to follow vegan pages on Facebook or Instagram, which can often give you the lowdown on the latest accidentally vegan finds.

Do not feel you have to try all the latest vegan products

Plant-based equivalents, such as vegan cheese and meat alternatives, can be pricey – and while they’re tasty, there are other options that give you more bang for your buck. Many stores and online retailers have now created their own alternatives, such as vegan burgers and sausages. We’d recommend trying own-brand items too.

Try out different shops

Asian supermarkets often have far cheaper tofu and jackfruit, for example. We recommend that you shop around for cheap vegan food. In a large supermarket, the World Foods section will often have cheaper nuts, nut butters, soy sauce, rice bread and coconut milk than the other aisles. You can also check our store brands.

Review fresh fruit and vegetables

It’s worth taking a fresh look at fruit and vegetables that you wouldn’t ordinarily buy, and compare prices to your standard purchases. We suggest comparing the difference in price between fresh and frozen foods. Take a shopping trip to your local grocery stores to ask what a good deal is this week – they may be able to offer you a deal on fresh produce to help you to save money.

Grow your own

This might take some time investment but can be a low-cost return for fresh vegetables for saving money. Community Facebook groups often have people giving away free plants, and you can get creative with old plant milk cartons as planters on a windowsill. Growing your own food is the perfect way to have access to your own organic produce.

Discover more delicious and cheap vegan meal ideas by checking out our Recipe Hub.

Food waste hacks

Only purchasing the food that you need is an effective way to ensure that you stick to a budget. We advise planning ahead as much as possible to ensure that you’re making the most of the food that you already have stored in your cupboards at home. Make a list of items that you need before you go grocery shopping.

Visit our Live Vegan for Less Food Hacks blog for more ideas and tips from staff at The Vegan Society.

Shopping online

You can cut down on the cost of nuts and seeds by buying them in bulk from online retailers. Linseed (flaxseed), for example, is a rich source of omega-3 fat that you can buy whole, mill in small batches, and keep fresh in an airtight container in your fridge – and works well topped on cereals or within drinks for an extra source of nutrients!

Live Vegan for Less

If you’d like more tips on how you can follow a vegan lifestyle and save money, then check out our Live Vegan for Less campaign, which aims to demonstrate a more cost-effective way of preparing nutritious vegan meals – showing that vegan living can be affordable for all.