‘I wish I could be vegan too, but I’m on a budget’. Well.. good news, you can be vegan from today! A lot of people think that being vegan is very expensive. Personally I think that is because there are so much so called ‘superfoods’ at the moment and people seem to think that if you’re vegan, you need those, otherwise you die. Though I sometimes do get these ‘superfoods’, I see it as a luxury product. You can totally survive without chia seed and you also won’t die if spirulina isn’t a standard product in your cupboard. Also, you don’t need to eat meat substitutes every day, just make sure you eat enough beans/pulses. Of course you can treat yourself to it, once in a while. You will actually see, that being vegan is a lot cheaper than being an omni. Especially with some good tips:

–Make a meal plan. Once a week, take the time to sit down and make a meal plan. Make sure that 2-4 times a week, you make a little more of something, so you’ll have a quick meal for the next day. This is not only time saving, but also money saving.
–Make a grocery list. By making a meal plan, you know exactly what you need. Make a list and only get that.
–Buy in bulk. Make sure you always have things like rice, pasta, beans/pulses and grains in the cupboard. This way you only have to top of with fresh produce and only once in a while you top this up. At the Whole Foods Market for example, you can fill a bag yourself with rice, grains, beans, dried fruits etc. It’s a lot cheaper than if you get a pack from the shelf.
–Buy in sale. Always buy (especially the more expensive things) when things are on sale. Like coconut oil for example, but also less expensive things like a nice pasta or soup.
–Buy in discount. In the end of the day a lot of supermarkets have a lot of fruit/veggies and bread for a super low price. A bread for just 40 p or a bag of potatoes for 20 p! Most of the time they’re totally fine, but just because supermarkets can’t sell stuff what is out of date, it has to go and it goes away for cheap. Buying like this you’re also helping to reduce food waste.
–Use coupons. In a lot of supermarkets and health stores you get coupons. Direct discounts or product coupons. A lot of times the coupons are for things you got earlier. So they will be things you most likely use anyway. Make sure you plan a meal where you will use this product, so you use them. Put them in a file and write down the dates somewhere, so you know when to use them.
–Go to the Farmers Market. At the farmers market you have really good fruit and veggies and mostly it’s a lot cheaper than if you get it in the supermarket. A lot of things at the Farmers Market are also organic, so win win!
–Make things yourself. You can buy expensive lentil burgers, but with just a few ingredients you can make a whole lot yourself. Freeze them and you’re good for a while. Same way with making a yummy banana bread. Slice it up, pack them separately and put them in the freezer. This way you will have a nice cheap snack for at least 8-10 days.

In the beginning this might feel like a hassle. Making things yourself, looking for discounts all the time. But believe me, it will get easier, you’ll get the hang of it and eventually it will feel all natural. You might even start to really enjoy it. Make it a challenge to get your weekly groceries and keep the total as low as possible. This, whilst you make super nice meals of course. Good luck!

Did this help you to reduce the total amount you spend on groceries each month? Do you have a question or do you need more help? Please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can do this by leaving a comment below or by sending me a message via CONTACT. Thank you! X