Are you a vegetarian or a vegan looking to eat on a budget? Look no further. Like with every other budget, eating healthy does not have to be expensive. It also does not have to be tasteless.
If you have a tight budget, try putting aside a certain amount of money for food to fit into your budget. For example, put aside anything between $25 to $50 for food supplies. If it is calculated correctly, you will save thousands of dollars every year.
#1 Divide Up the Grocery Budget
When you are out grocery shopping, try and set yourself a goal.
An example of a goal would be to spend 50% of your grocery budget on fruits and vegetables. Be sure to check the items you put into your cart and make sure that they are colorful and delicious. To save money always buy what’s in season!
One vital thing that you will need to be careful of is purchasing staples. These staples include canned tomatoes, beans and grains. You will only have to spend 20% of your budget on these. This is because they last a while in the pantry and are usually quite cheap to buy in bulk.
#2 Plant Your Own Herbs
If you really want to save money, do not buy herbs from the supermarket. Plant them yourself. If you live in a small space, you can plant herbs in small mason jars and place them on your balcony as they do not take up too much room.
#3 Buy Your Fresh Produce from a Farmers Market
If you do the math, it is more expensive to buy your fruit and vegetables at a supermarket. Buying the same products from a farmers market will actually turn out to be cheaper because you are saving an additional step in the buying chain.
Examples of cheap produce at your green grocer or farmers market are:
- Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Organic apples and bananas
- Avocados and sweet potatoes
- Celery
#4 Buy in Bulk
Have you ever wanted to buy in bulk but were too afraid of how much it was going to cost you? Don’t be.
You will find that buying things in bulk will be cheaper than what it will be if you bought the items separately. Nuts, seeds, legumes like beans and lentils, whole grains, flours are great to buy in bulk.
Tips
There are plenty of tips out there for stretching your budget for groceries.
Here are just a few extras to help you out.
- Cook your food at home wherever possible
- Save time by buying frozen foods like berries
- Know what equipment you have before you prepare your meals
- Make more than what the recipe says and eat leftovers
- Do not buy beans in a can and start cooking them from scratch
- Freeze your leftovers
Even More Ways to Save Money
Here are a few tips to save you money while eating a plant based diet:
- Drinking water and bring drinks from home – If you are going out, take your own drinks with you.
- Try to stop buying what you shouldn’t be buying – impulse shopping. We’ve all done it. Make sure that you write a list of things that you need. Only buy things that you have written down.
- Join your local produce delivery at home program – If you want good quality produce, consider joining your local CSA.
- Look at Brand Names – Let’s face it. We have all thought that buying known brands was the best thing to buy. As it turns out that is not always the case when it comes to the price. Be sure to compare brands and use generic products (that are not well known) if you need to.
Having a vegetarian or vegan diet does not have to be expensive!