Guide To Being A Cheap Vegan!
by xspazztic
"Sooo you want...
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Mayo, Dips, Dressings? (around $8 for all three, but they last a REALLY long time, its sort of like spending money on flour, they're sorta like "staples")
Switch all that shit out for: Veganaise, Balsamic Vinegar, and Lemon Juice! :) This shit is probably the easiest thing in the world to give up. Veganaise is way less fattening than mayo and pretty much tastes the same (I don't remember what animal mayo tastes like but I used to be a picky ass eater and I don't remember ever having a problem with veganaise) plus its insanely useable in like a bunch of shit, not to mention its like $4 for a huge jar (I cite Kaykay for the pricing), which is the same price if not less (depending on how much mayo costs at your grocery store) than expensive then animal mayo. For mayo, you can just use veganaise straight. For a simple dip, mix veganaise, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a spritz of lemon juice together for a simple, quick & awesome dip! :) I cook artichokes (which are like $1 each) a lot (just cover them in water, and put at a low boil for thirty minutes, add some basil to the water if you have it. Towards the end I'll link more detailed instructions.) because I'm a horrific cook (check out the pictures of what I did to my kitchen if you don't believe me lol) and they're really easy to make and use it as a dip! For extra flavor, look in your parents (or your) spice cabinet if they have one and just add random shit like cinnamon, parsley, etc. As for dressing, if you use the same recipe for the dip but add a lot more dressing and lemon juice it makes a decent dressing. Balsamic vinegar by itself is also really tasty and 1000000 times healthier than animal dressings - look at your bottles. Most dressings have like 16 grams of fat in one-two tablespoons. Balsamic vinegar has like fifty calories, no fat, and you only need a little for a lot of taste. Lemon juice is also another easy dressing, just spritz some on and viola!, easy dressing. :) Oh and another amazing thing about veganaise? I kid you not, the bottle never fucking seems to run out! :)
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Cheese? ($2-$7 total)
I know a lot of vegetarians cite cheese as a big reason for not being vegan when it comes to taste stuff. As someone who was like seriously addicted to cheese (no joke, like bursting into tears if I saw a big block of it and dreaming about it xD) I know its hard to give up, but forcing yourself to think about dairy cows and veal cows when you go to eat it makes the should-I-or-shouldn't-I desicion pretty damn easy. There are alternatives, and while most honestly don't melt fantastically like for pizza melt, some you can get decent and semi-cheap. For actual pizza there's Amy's no-cheese pizza (but this is expensive, like $7 so it doesn't really fit in sorry!) & Tofutti vegan pizza (about $4-5, but if you're a big pizza fan then its probably worth it). For stuff like grilled cheese and as a topping, Toffutti cheese ($3) is really good and rice milk cheese ($4) isn't bad either! Cheese actually has addictive additives added to it which is what makes cheese-eaters want cheese when they don't eat it. Also, a lot of cheese isn't even considered vegetarian, as many have rennet added, which is from the lining of a cow's stomach. Obviously, the cow had to die for it, so its pretty much the same thing as eating gelatin. There's also Tofutti cream cheese (about $2-3) for bagels, cakes, etc. Also, (thanks Kay for ze pointer) it should be noted that you don't NEED soy cheese and a lot of us don't even use it. There are a number of places that offer vegan pizza (a lot of big cities have vegan pizza places as well) options. For example Pizza Fusion is a pizza chain and has a bunch of organic/vegan options. There's a place in MA called T.J. Scallywaggles that serves all vegan pizza/subs. In NYC there's a place called Viva Herbal Pizza that serves vegan pizza. Also ask your local pizzeria about their dough/sauce - the place near me's stuff is all vegan. :o And they're thinking of adding vegan pizza options. Ohhhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhh. =D
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Meat Alternatives? (80 cents or so a meal)
A lot of specialty foods ARE pretty fucking expensive (other than beans but I'll get to that in a minute) if you're a cheap-ass or a broke-ass, BUT some of them are worth it. For example, at Stop&Shop if I'm not mistaken Morningstar Vegan Burgers are like 2/$6 (so are boca but they're owned by phillip morris or some other asshole, search "frankiet" in the search bar and read her post on boca so try and go for morningstar) and at BJs (not blowjobs, its a store that carries stuff in bulk) there's a bulk thing for like $9 which doesn't really seem to fit in with the budget BUT you save money by buying it in bulk. And you vegetarians probably already eat veggie burgers, at least from time to time, so stocking up in bulk is an easy way to save money, have quick-to-make meals, and get a bunch of protein in like a minute and thirty seconds (like five if you use a frying pan). Tofu is also another meat alternative, they're like two packages for $5, so in addition to also being packed with protein and other nutrients (I think they have calcium or some shit, sorry I don't eat it usually) it's also good to have (again it lasts forever) and easy to use. Tofu can be used in pretty much anything - soups, smoothies, stirfys (lots of s's lol), dips, patties, nuggets, fries, etc. A really easy thing to do is get a small oven pan thing, put aluminum foil down, cut a slice of tofu (like long wise, so it sorta looks like a piece of paper) and coat that shit in oil (seriously, or it'll burn and get ick). Throw some salt, pepper, and other random shit on there (you can use your balsamic vinegar + lemon juice! :]) and stick that baby (lol) in the oven on the top rack in oil, just make sure its not TOO close or the oil might catch or some shit, and broil it. WATCH IT because it can go from yummy to charcoal in literally like a minute when it broils. I never drain tofu because I always forget but if you don't drain it, it takes like 6-8 minutes each side to cook and if you do drain it it'll probably only take 3-4 minutes to cook on each side. Again, WATCH IT. Don't walk away, or you could give yourself an oven fire. Which would fucking suck, and cost a lot more than being vegan.=P [From Kay: "another way: put soy sauce in a cast iron pan and put it on med heat throw in some spices and lay some tofu slices in and cook until the tofu get really brown and yummy looking (add in jalepinos for heat) its a great way to fast marinate it"] There's also seitan, tempeh, and TVP (textured vegetable protein) but they're a bit more expensive and harder to find. You can get TVP at stop & shop though for like $3. For even cheaper (but if you don't like the taste, you're screwed) meatballs, patties, and whatever other crap you can shape it into, there's this stuff called falafel. Packaged, it comes in a box and is like $2.50, if you buy it ready made its going to be more expensive. You're also going to need oil, but you pretty much need oil whenever you cook no matter what your dietary habits are so you should get/have some anyways. Just please stay away from palm oil, apparently its destroying orangatang habitats. Basically, you just mix in some water (read the back of the box), and FUCKING LIGHTLY!!!!!!! get some oil heated up. Please please please please be careful with oil, I nearly burned my house down because I walked away from it. DO NOT FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM OIL. Like ever. Unless its in brownies or cake. AND EVEN THEN.. o_O don't go too far. O_o Anyways so LIGHTLY get your oil heated up after you let the mixture thicken up (it takes like ten minutes) and the carefully put it in and it should get crusty-fried-ish within like 2-3 minutes, flip it over and let the other side do the same, take it out and drain it on a paper towel (unless you want all that oil) MAKE SURE YOU TURN YOUR FUCKING STOVE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and wahla again, falafel food! :D
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Easy dinner? (25 cents a meal)
Then pasta is your friend my darling. :) Pasta is of course cheap, its like 2 boxes (like two weeks supply I think) for $3. (it may be 3/$4 but I'm pretty sure its usually 2/$3) You boil water, you chuck 3/4 cup in, stir it around twice in seven-eight minutes, drain it and BAM. Dinner. And if you're not a total brokeass (although after reading this you will hopefully save some sort of money lol), get some vegan classico sauce (there's a link at the end of this to a thread with all the classico sauces as well as ideas to use with the sauce) and add it in!
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Reusable you can make in advance? (like 15 cents a meal)
Rice takes the crown here. It costs $5 for 5lbs of rice. 5lbs could probably last you like two months if you eat it like everyday or every other day, more if you don't eat it all that often. I bought a 1lb thing of rice and it lasted me like 2 months with me making it once every week to every other week. It takes about 30 minutes to cook, so its something you might want to make in advance unless you don't mind waiting 30 mins before you eat. :) Rice can be eaten by itself, as a bean/meat substitute for tacos, in soups, and a bunch of other crap. Experimentation is key to being a cheap ass vegan. :) Just mix shit together and eventually you'll find some tasty and interesting combos! :) Super easy thing to do is just make or if you can find them, vegan tortilla things (the soft things you use for tacos). Heat your oven up to 350, put your tortilla on an oven pan, but down some sauce and vegan cheese if you have it, and then put vegan rice or refried beans (or both!) on one side and fold the other part over so its like a laying-down taco (think of it like the taco has a migraine or something) and stick it in the oven for about 10 minutes until the tortilla gets a bit crispy. Let it cool for a minute (open it a bit if you used refried beans, they get REALLY hot) and then eat away! Tastes good with ketchup! :) It's like a broke-ass version of an amy's burrito.
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The most versatile, useable, CHEAPEST thing in the world? (Like 10 cents a dish lol)
BEANS! When it comes to being a total broke-ass, you're number one priority should be beans. They're high in protein, fiber and iron, and you can seriously use them in everything plus they're cheap as fuck. (Obviously or they wouldn't be in a guide to being a cheap vegan! :]) Beans can be used in a million different ways and in every recipe you can think of pretty much. You can eat beans by themselves. You can crush up chickpeas and make hummus. You can mix em up with some (classico vegan!) sauce and make spanish rice or tacos. You can add them to salad for extra energy and protein. You squash them and eat them in soup. BEANS. ARE. AMAZING. Seriously. You can live off these things. They're cheap, filling, and good for you. EAT THEM! =D [From Kay: "add lentils in here! they're soo good, like beans but you sorta cook them like couscous (?) mix them with salt and pepper and a little curry/nutritional yeast (if its on hand) they're really good, toss some veggies in here and you have dinner, also good with other curries (like curried veg) or over cook and mash up and mix in to thicken sauces + get more fiber"]
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Bread? (different price ranges)
Sooo since wonder bread decided to be assholes and screw with me (just like the people at the DMV ;]) wonder bread isn't vegan anymore. :( I'm sorry cheap asses, they have failed you. HOWEVER, there is hope! Sort of. There's still vegan breads, they're not really cheap like wonder bread is (like $3-$5, wonder bread was like $1.50 from what I remember. =| bastards.) but its bread and its vegan. :P Tip to being a cheap ass: Freeze your bread! It’s a pain to defrost if you're lazy, but it will last WAYYYY longer. Check out the vegan bread think in the links section for vegan breads. :)
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Snacks? (different price ranges)
There are these things called Clif bars you can find at pretty much everywhere, and they're all vegan (duh) and have a bunch of nutrients in them, plus they're pretty tasty. Most have 5 grams of fat and five grams of protein, but again they have a bunch of nutrients in them! Luna bars, Lara bars, Z bars, and Builder Bars are also vegan and all under the Clif company. Anyways, they're all like $1.25 each but again they're filled with vitamins and crap, at Stop & Shop you can get them 10/$10. For junkier stuff, there's Doritos Sweet & Spicy chips ($4/bag), Oreos ($3/package), Swedish Fish ($2/bag), Twizzlers ($2.50/bag) and for healthier stuff, try carrots with the dip for artichokes mentioned above. =) Oh and sommmeeeeee people on here like eating icing straight, so that’s always an option if you have a really really big sweet tooth. According to Kay they're like $1.79 a jar. Just remember it costs like $179 to get a cavity filled. ;) Also, there are always seeds and nuts, nuts tend to be expensive (except for peanuts) but seeds are like $1 a bag. In the links section of course there's a link to PETA's accidently vegan list of snacks, check that out! :)
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Milk? ($3 for 1-2 weeks worth)
There are four cows milk alternatives that I'm aware of: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk. Soy milk is obviously the most used, easiest to get, and has the most options. You can get it organic, sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla/not (sweetened or not), chocolate, with special vitamins/nutrients, as a creamer, there's seriously like a bazillion brands of soymilk. I think people are sort of divided on soymilk - half love it, half hate it. It works well in cooking stuff though, and is easily found and in half gallons prices the cheapest. Almond milk is my personal favorite, but doesn’t seem to have as many options or as many nutrients fortified so I usually just stick with soy, BUT as far as taste go I recommend almond milk the most. :) My grams prefers rice milk, I absolutely hate the shit, but for you cow milk lovers I recommend it because I think it tastes and has the closest consistency to cows milk. I’ve never drank hemp milk, but I its worth a try so if you can find it cheap go for it! :)
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Super quick dinner? (50 cents a meal)
Scream it with me, RAMENNNN ohhh RAMENNNNN is a place where we can get togethherrrr. Okay, so Ramen is a food not a love shack, but whatever. Anyways, I'm lying. TOP Ramen is vegan, but only the oriental one. :o BUT, you don't need to add the little packet! :) Sooo you have vegan noodles right there and now all you have to do is experiment! :) [From Kay: add some peanut butter, hot water, and soy sauce and you have peanut noodles] Adding random shit like decaying vegetables and almost-expired ingredients is a good way to free up your fridge and eat cheap. :)
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Sweetener?
Trade out your honey/syrup for agave nectar! You can find it at most health food stores and should be able to find it at a regular grocery store.
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Other food? (different price ranges)
EAT YOUR FRUITS & VEGGIES! =) Pineapple comes like 2/$4 in a can of if you want to cut up your own they're like $3. Fresh spinach is $3-$4 for 3 days worth if you eat 3/4 cup a day. [Kay says kale is super cheap!] Raisins are loaded with potassium and cost like $2.50 for a canister thing. Anything that is in season is going to be cheaper, so take advantage of this! In summer buy summer foods like berries, watermelons, mangoes, kiwis (which are usually 3/$1 no matter what!), green squash, etc all that yummy stuff. :) In fall/winter eat those sorts of foods like pumpkins and crap. Potatoes are always super cheap and they're filling, so stock up on those suckers. Bananas are like 69 cents a pound and are filled with potassium, stock up on those too just don't eat too many or you won't be able to shit right.
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Stay Healthy?
The stuff above (save shit like eating straight icing) isn't just yummy and cheap - the majority has some type of good nutritional value too. Most soymilks are fortified with shitloads of stuff, ditto with cereals, Clif bars have a shitload of nutrients too. Read up on your nutritional info and be smart – ramen noodles are super cheap, but obviously they’re not all that nutritious. Find a balance! =)
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Recipes, Household Stuff & Body Stuff
Check out www.vegweb.com!
They have hundreds (maybe thousands?) or recipes for food as well as non-food stuff like household cleaners, toothpaste, etc and they're all vegan! =)
Also, check out www.caringconsumer.com for a list of companies that do and don't test on animals.
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Face Cleaner?
A really cheap face cleaner & toner is witch hazel. You can find it pretty much anywhere, and it works pretty well. It costs like $2 and using it obsessively every day has lasted me two weeks so far and I still have between 1/2 and 3/4 of the bottle left. Another cheap thing to use is rubbing alcohol, I'm not actually sure if this is GOOD for you but it’s worked on my face lol. It’s like $1.50 pretty much anywhere.
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Shampoo, Laundry Detergent, Body Wash, & Face Stuff Again -
Dr. Bronners Tea Tree Oil / Peppermint Oil stuff is your friend. =) It's expensive (like $7 for a big bottle at stop and shop) but you can use it for everything and it doesn't take a lot of it for anything so its on here since it evens out since you can use it for so much stuff over an extended period of time.
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Buy Vegan Clothes/Shoes/Supplies:
www.veganessentials.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.veganstore.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.ethicalplanet.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.mooshoes.com – shoes.
www.christyrobinsondesigns.com (also http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5311844) – jewelry.
www.veganchic.com – shoes, purses, belts, wallets.
www.petacatalog.com – clothes, supplies.
www.petaliterature.com – animal rights distributing literature.
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Books:
- Nutrition-y Stuff : Skinny Bitch (for girls), Skinny Bastard (for guys), Diet For A New America.
- Cookbooks: PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook (cheap meals you only need a microwave and ingredients for!), Skinny Bitch In The Kitch (a lot of recipes you can improvise stuff to make cheaper!), Meatless Meals For Working People, Vegan Lunch Box.
- General Awesomeness: Making Kind Choices, Animal Liberation, Slaughterhouse.
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Other food-related money-saving techniques/ideas:
- Find coupons and use them!
- Follow portion sizes, most of us overeat without realizing it!
- Eat everything in like every possible combination until you are literally out of food or have nothing nutritious to eat so you don’t waste foods or have them just sitting around unused!
- Buy stuff on sale and in season!
- Try buying stuff in bulk!
- Make shopping lists rather than just throwing stuff into your cart!
- Find a farmer’s market near you and buy veggies/fruits from them if they’re cheaper than your grocery stores prices!
- Try to buy stuff that is useable in a lot of things, like beans!
- Save your leftovers and eat them as leftovers or mix them all together!
- Grow your own food!
- Eat slower – if you let yourself digest your food, you’ll feel fuller off of less as opposed to eating more than you need really fast!
- Look into freeganism and dumpster dive!
- Find places that don’t use chemicals, learn about plants from a botany book at the library and find some wild plants!
- Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry!
- Sign up for those stupid little key-card things!"
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Mayo, Dips, Dressings? (around $8 for all three, but they last a REALLY long time, its sort of like spending money on flour, they're sorta like "staples")
Switch all that shit out for: Veganaise, Balsamic Vinegar, and Lemon Juice! :) This shit is probably the easiest thing in the world to give up. Veganaise is way less fattening than mayo and pretty much tastes the same (I don't remember what animal mayo tastes like but I used to be a picky ass eater and I don't remember ever having a problem with veganaise) plus its insanely useable in like a bunch of shit, not to mention its like $4 for a huge jar (I cite Kaykay for the pricing), which is the same price if not less (depending on how much mayo costs at your grocery store) than expensive then animal mayo. For mayo, you can just use veganaise straight. For a simple dip, mix veganaise, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a spritz of lemon juice together for a simple, quick & awesome dip! :) I cook artichokes (which are like $1 each) a lot (just cover them in water, and put at a low boil for thirty minutes, add some basil to the water if you have it. Towards the end I'll link more detailed instructions.) because I'm a horrific cook (check out the pictures of what I did to my kitchen if you don't believe me lol) and they're really easy to make and use it as a dip! For extra flavor, look in your parents (or your) spice cabinet if they have one and just add random shit like cinnamon, parsley, etc. As for dressing, if you use the same recipe for the dip but add a lot more dressing and lemon juice it makes a decent dressing. Balsamic vinegar by itself is also really tasty and 1000000 times healthier than animal dressings - look at your bottles. Most dressings have like 16 grams of fat in one-two tablespoons. Balsamic vinegar has like fifty calories, no fat, and you only need a little for a lot of taste. Lemon juice is also another easy dressing, just spritz some on and viola!, easy dressing. :) Oh and another amazing thing about veganaise? I kid you not, the bottle never fucking seems to run out! :)
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Cheese? ($2-$7 total)
I know a lot of vegetarians cite cheese as a big reason for not being vegan when it comes to taste stuff. As someone who was like seriously addicted to cheese (no joke, like bursting into tears if I saw a big block of it and dreaming about it xD) I know its hard to give up, but forcing yourself to think about dairy cows and veal cows when you go to eat it makes the should-I-or-shouldn't-I desicion pretty damn easy. There are alternatives, and while most honestly don't melt fantastically like for pizza melt, some you can get decent and semi-cheap. For actual pizza there's Amy's no-cheese pizza (but this is expensive, like $7 so it doesn't really fit in sorry!) & Tofutti vegan pizza (about $4-5, but if you're a big pizza fan then its probably worth it). For stuff like grilled cheese and as a topping, Toffutti cheese ($3) is really good and rice milk cheese ($4) isn't bad either! Cheese actually has addictive additives added to it which is what makes cheese-eaters want cheese when they don't eat it. Also, a lot of cheese isn't even considered vegetarian, as many have rennet added, which is from the lining of a cow's stomach. Obviously, the cow had to die for it, so its pretty much the same thing as eating gelatin. There's also Tofutti cream cheese (about $2-3) for bagels, cakes, etc. Also, (thanks Kay for ze pointer) it should be noted that you don't NEED soy cheese and a lot of us don't even use it. There are a number of places that offer vegan pizza (a lot of big cities have vegan pizza places as well) options. For example Pizza Fusion is a pizza chain and has a bunch of organic/vegan options. There's a place in MA called T.J. Scallywaggles that serves all vegan pizza/subs. In NYC there's a place called Viva Herbal Pizza that serves vegan pizza. Also ask your local pizzeria about their dough/sauce - the place near me's stuff is all vegan. :o And they're thinking of adding vegan pizza options. Ohhhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhh. =D
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Meat Alternatives? (80 cents or so a meal)
A lot of specialty foods ARE pretty fucking expensive (other than beans but I'll get to that in a minute) if you're a cheap-ass or a broke-ass, BUT some of them are worth it. For example, at Stop&Shop if I'm not mistaken Morningstar Vegan Burgers are like 2/$6 (so are boca but they're owned by phillip morris or some other asshole, search "frankiet" in the search bar and read her post on boca so try and go for morningstar) and at BJs (not blowjobs, its a store that carries stuff in bulk) there's a bulk thing for like $9 which doesn't really seem to fit in with the budget BUT you save money by buying it in bulk. And you vegetarians probably already eat veggie burgers, at least from time to time, so stocking up in bulk is an easy way to save money, have quick-to-make meals, and get a bunch of protein in like a minute and thirty seconds (like five if you use a frying pan). Tofu is also another meat alternative, they're like two packages for $5, so in addition to also being packed with protein and other nutrients (I think they have calcium or some shit, sorry I don't eat it usually) it's also good to have (again it lasts forever) and easy to use. Tofu can be used in pretty much anything - soups, smoothies, stirfys (lots of s's lol), dips, patties, nuggets, fries, etc. A really easy thing to do is get a small oven pan thing, put aluminum foil down, cut a slice of tofu (like long wise, so it sorta looks like a piece of paper) and coat that shit in oil (seriously, or it'll burn and get ick). Throw some salt, pepper, and other random shit on there (you can use your balsamic vinegar + lemon juice! :]) and stick that baby (lol) in the oven on the top rack in oil, just make sure its not TOO close or the oil might catch or some shit, and broil it. WATCH IT because it can go from yummy to charcoal in literally like a minute when it broils. I never drain tofu because I always forget but if you don't drain it, it takes like 6-8 minutes each side to cook and if you do drain it it'll probably only take 3-4 minutes to cook on each side. Again, WATCH IT. Don't walk away, or you could give yourself an oven fire. Which would fucking suck, and cost a lot more than being vegan.=P [From Kay: "another way: put soy sauce in a cast iron pan and put it on med heat throw in some spices and lay some tofu slices in and cook until the tofu get really brown and yummy looking (add in jalepinos for heat) its a great way to fast marinate it"] There's also seitan, tempeh, and TVP (textured vegetable protein) but they're a bit more expensive and harder to find. You can get TVP at stop & shop though for like $3. For even cheaper (but if you don't like the taste, you're screwed) meatballs, patties, and whatever other crap you can shape it into, there's this stuff called falafel. Packaged, it comes in a box and is like $2.50, if you buy it ready made its going to be more expensive. You're also going to need oil, but you pretty much need oil whenever you cook no matter what your dietary habits are so you should get/have some anyways. Just please stay away from palm oil, apparently its destroying orangatang habitats. Basically, you just mix in some water (read the back of the box), and FUCKING LIGHTLY!!!!!!! get some oil heated up. Please please please please be careful with oil, I nearly burned my house down because I walked away from it. DO NOT FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM OIL. Like ever. Unless its in brownies or cake. AND EVEN THEN.. o_O don't go too far. O_o Anyways so LIGHTLY get your oil heated up after you let the mixture thicken up (it takes like ten minutes) and the carefully put it in and it should get crusty-fried-ish within like 2-3 minutes, flip it over and let the other side do the same, take it out and drain it on a paper towel (unless you want all that oil) MAKE SURE YOU TURN YOUR FUCKING STOVE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and wahla again, falafel food! :D
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Easy dinner? (25 cents a meal)
Then pasta is your friend my darling. :) Pasta is of course cheap, its like 2 boxes (like two weeks supply I think) for $3. (it may be 3/$4 but I'm pretty sure its usually 2/$3) You boil water, you chuck 3/4 cup in, stir it around twice in seven-eight minutes, drain it and BAM. Dinner. And if you're not a total brokeass (although after reading this you will hopefully save some sort of money lol), get some vegan classico sauce (there's a link at the end of this to a thread with all the classico sauces as well as ideas to use with the sauce) and add it in!
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Reusable you can make in advance? (like 15 cents a meal)
Rice takes the crown here. It costs $5 for 5lbs of rice. 5lbs could probably last you like two months if you eat it like everyday or every other day, more if you don't eat it all that often. I bought a 1lb thing of rice and it lasted me like 2 months with me making it once every week to every other week. It takes about 30 minutes to cook, so its something you might want to make in advance unless you don't mind waiting 30 mins before you eat. :) Rice can be eaten by itself, as a bean/meat substitute for tacos, in soups, and a bunch of other crap. Experimentation is key to being a cheap ass vegan. :) Just mix shit together and eventually you'll find some tasty and interesting combos! :) Super easy thing to do is just make or if you can find them, vegan tortilla things (the soft things you use for tacos). Heat your oven up to 350, put your tortilla on an oven pan, but down some sauce and vegan cheese if you have it, and then put vegan rice or refried beans (or both!) on one side and fold the other part over so its like a laying-down taco (think of it like the taco has a migraine or something) and stick it in the oven for about 10 minutes until the tortilla gets a bit crispy. Let it cool for a minute (open it a bit if you used refried beans, they get REALLY hot) and then eat away! Tastes good with ketchup! :) It's like a broke-ass version of an amy's burrito.
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The most versatile, useable, CHEAPEST thing in the world? (Like 10 cents a dish lol)
BEANS! When it comes to being a total broke-ass, you're number one priority should be beans. They're high in protein, fiber and iron, and you can seriously use them in everything plus they're cheap as fuck. (Obviously or they wouldn't be in a guide to being a cheap vegan! :]) Beans can be used in a million different ways and in every recipe you can think of pretty much. You can eat beans by themselves. You can crush up chickpeas and make hummus. You can mix em up with some (classico vegan!) sauce and make spanish rice or tacos. You can add them to salad for extra energy and protein. You squash them and eat them in soup. BEANS. ARE. AMAZING. Seriously. You can live off these things. They're cheap, filling, and good for you. EAT THEM! =D [From Kay: "add lentils in here! they're soo good, like beans but you sorta cook them like couscous (?) mix them with salt and pepper and a little curry/nutritional yeast (if its on hand) they're really good, toss some veggies in here and you have dinner, also good with other curries (like curried veg) or over cook and mash up and mix in to thicken sauces + get more fiber"]
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Bread? (different price ranges)
Sooo since wonder bread decided to be assholes and screw with me (just like the people at the DMV ;]) wonder bread isn't vegan anymore. :( I'm sorry cheap asses, they have failed you. HOWEVER, there is hope! Sort of. There's still vegan breads, they're not really cheap like wonder bread is (like $3-$5, wonder bread was like $1.50 from what I remember. =| bastards.) but its bread and its vegan. :P Tip to being a cheap ass: Freeze your bread! It’s a pain to defrost if you're lazy, but it will last WAYYYY longer. Check out the vegan bread think in the links section for vegan breads. :)
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Snacks? (different price ranges)
There are these things called Clif bars you can find at pretty much everywhere, and they're all vegan (duh) and have a bunch of nutrients in them, plus they're pretty tasty. Most have 5 grams of fat and five grams of protein, but again they have a bunch of nutrients in them! Luna bars, Lara bars, Z bars, and Builder Bars are also vegan and all under the Clif company. Anyways, they're all like $1.25 each but again they're filled with vitamins and crap, at Stop & Shop you can get them 10/$10. For junkier stuff, there's Doritos Sweet & Spicy chips ($4/bag), Oreos ($3/package), Swedish Fish ($2/bag), Twizzlers ($2.50/bag) and for healthier stuff, try carrots with the dip for artichokes mentioned above. =) Oh and sommmeeeeee people on here like eating icing straight, so that’s always an option if you have a really really big sweet tooth. According to Kay they're like $1.79 a jar. Just remember it costs like $179 to get a cavity filled. ;) Also, there are always seeds and nuts, nuts tend to be expensive (except for peanuts) but seeds are like $1 a bag. In the links section of course there's a link to PETA's accidently vegan list of snacks, check that out! :)
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Milk? ($3 for 1-2 weeks worth)
There are four cows milk alternatives that I'm aware of: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk. Soy milk is obviously the most used, easiest to get, and has the most options. You can get it organic, sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla/not (sweetened or not), chocolate, with special vitamins/nutrients, as a creamer, there's seriously like a bazillion brands of soymilk. I think people are sort of divided on soymilk - half love it, half hate it. It works well in cooking stuff though, and is easily found and in half gallons prices the cheapest. Almond milk is my personal favorite, but doesn’t seem to have as many options or as many nutrients fortified so I usually just stick with soy, BUT as far as taste go I recommend almond milk the most. :) My grams prefers rice milk, I absolutely hate the shit, but for you cow milk lovers I recommend it because I think it tastes and has the closest consistency to cows milk. I’ve never drank hemp milk, but I its worth a try so if you can find it cheap go for it! :)
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Super quick dinner? (50 cents a meal)
Scream it with me, RAMENNNN ohhh RAMENNNNN is a place where we can get togethherrrr. Okay, so Ramen is a food not a love shack, but whatever. Anyways, I'm lying. TOP Ramen is vegan, but only the oriental one. :o BUT, you don't need to add the little packet! :) Sooo you have vegan noodles right there and now all you have to do is experiment! :) [From Kay: add some peanut butter, hot water, and soy sauce and you have peanut noodles] Adding random shit like decaying vegetables and almost-expired ingredients is a good way to free up your fridge and eat cheap. :)
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Sweetener?
Trade out your honey/syrup for agave nectar! You can find it at most health food stores and should be able to find it at a regular grocery store.
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Other food? (different price ranges)
EAT YOUR FRUITS & VEGGIES! =) Pineapple comes like 2/$4 in a can of if you want to cut up your own they're like $3. Fresh spinach is $3-$4 for 3 days worth if you eat 3/4 cup a day. [Kay says kale is super cheap!] Raisins are loaded with potassium and cost like $2.50 for a canister thing. Anything that is in season is going to be cheaper, so take advantage of this! In summer buy summer foods like berries, watermelons, mangoes, kiwis (which are usually 3/$1 no matter what!), green squash, etc all that yummy stuff. :) In fall/winter eat those sorts of foods like pumpkins and crap. Potatoes are always super cheap and they're filling, so stock up on those suckers. Bananas are like 69 cents a pound and are filled with potassium, stock up on those too just don't eat too many or you won't be able to shit right.
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Stay Healthy?
The stuff above (save shit like eating straight icing) isn't just yummy and cheap - the majority has some type of good nutritional value too. Most soymilks are fortified with shitloads of stuff, ditto with cereals, Clif bars have a shitload of nutrients too. Read up on your nutritional info and be smart – ramen noodles are super cheap, but obviously they’re not all that nutritious. Find a balance! =)
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Recipes, Household Stuff & Body Stuff
Check out www.vegweb.com!
They have hundreds (maybe thousands?) or recipes for food as well as non-food stuff like household cleaners, toothpaste, etc and they're all vegan! =)
Also, check out www.caringconsumer.com for a list of companies that do and don't test on animals.
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Face Cleaner?
A really cheap face cleaner & toner is witch hazel. You can find it pretty much anywhere, and it works pretty well. It costs like $2 and using it obsessively every day has lasted me two weeks so far and I still have between 1/2 and 3/4 of the bottle left. Another cheap thing to use is rubbing alcohol, I'm not actually sure if this is GOOD for you but it’s worked on my face lol. It’s like $1.50 pretty much anywhere.
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Shampoo, Laundry Detergent, Body Wash, & Face Stuff Again -
Dr. Bronners Tea Tree Oil / Peppermint Oil stuff is your friend. =) It's expensive (like $7 for a big bottle at stop and shop) but you can use it for everything and it doesn't take a lot of it for anything so its on here since it evens out since you can use it for so much stuff over an extended period of time.
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Buy Vegan Clothes/Shoes/Supplies:
www.veganessentials.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.veganstore.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.ethicalplanet.com – clothes, shoes, supplies.
www.mooshoes.com – shoes.
www.christyrobinsondesigns.com (also http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5311844) – jewelry.
www.veganchic.com – shoes, purses, belts, wallets.
www.petacatalog.com – clothes, supplies.
www.petaliterature.com – animal rights distributing literature.
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Books:
- Nutrition-y Stuff : Skinny Bitch (for girls), Skinny Bastard (for guys), Diet For A New America.
- Cookbooks: PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook (cheap meals you only need a microwave and ingredients for!), Skinny Bitch In The Kitch (a lot of recipes you can improvise stuff to make cheaper!), Meatless Meals For Working People, Vegan Lunch Box.
- General Awesomeness: Making Kind Choices, Animal Liberation, Slaughterhouse.
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Other food-related money-saving techniques/ideas:
- Find coupons and use them!
- Follow portion sizes, most of us overeat without realizing it!
- Eat everything in like every possible combination until you are literally out of food or have nothing nutritious to eat so you don’t waste foods or have them just sitting around unused!
- Buy stuff on sale and in season!
- Try buying stuff in bulk!
- Make shopping lists rather than just throwing stuff into your cart!
- Find a farmer’s market near you and buy veggies/fruits from them if they’re cheaper than your grocery stores prices!
- Try to buy stuff that is useable in a lot of things, like beans!
- Save your leftovers and eat them as leftovers or mix them all together!
- Grow your own food!
- Eat slower – if you let yourself digest your food, you’ll feel fuller off of less as opposed to eating more than you need really fast!
- Look into freeganism and dumpster dive!
- Find places that don’t use chemicals, learn about plants from a botany book at the library and find some wild plants!
- Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry!
- Sign up for those stupid little key-card things!"
http://streetteam.peta2.com/public/folder_view.cfm?pageid=341&option=view_thread&postid=3112248&folderid=5140