Poor vegan, cheap living

[clueless]

I just got thru reading the book Skinny Bitch (which got me to go vegan btw). I'm following their plan and not only have I lost a few pounds in a 2 weeks but I also lost 2 inches off my belly too. Yeah!!

Here are my rules: Nothing processed, no sugar, no white flour, no caffeine, no alcohol, etc.

I eat fruit, TONS of veggies, brown rice, whole wheat products (but I limit these to no more than 3 servings a day), beans, etc. I get one treat per day and it's 1/2 cup of soy ice cream. I make up brown rice ahead of time and I get veggies either already cup up or I have those ones you just microwave. I eat a ton of food. Bean burrito's are filling if you put lots of lettuce, tomato, etc. on them. Baked potato's are great too. And beans, oh beans really do the trick along with veggies. They are full of fiber and low in calories. I love hummus for dipping my carrot sticks in. Yum!

'Skinny Bitch' made me go vegan too! :D

[clueless]

Karenann- I was thinking about reading Skinny Bitch, I assume it'd be a handy read?

It's a definite must-read, alessenb. You will want to read it :D

[clueless]

Here's another calorie-conscious tip to add to our expanding collection :D:

Everyone knows that water is the best thing for you, but if you are bored of always drinking plain old water, flavour it with some fruit. Add a couple of raspberries or strawberries, or squeeze in some orange juice. This will taste like you're drinking cordial but without all the sugar! :p

Can I just say this is a very helpful thread and has really inspired me to shed that extra weight!!

[Aims]

This IS a really helpful thread indeed :D
I need to lose weight too, and overall think it's more lack of exercise than bad food choices but I'm currently really bored and uninspired with what to cook for dinner. Am very hungry after reading this! ;) feel like soup tonight, mentally trying to scan the contents of my kitchen to figure out if this is do-able.

[Sarah_]

I too huy new before I have finished the one I'm using. However as I don't like to waste anything I always get the last drop out before I throw it away.
Toothpaste: When I am unable to squeeze any more out of it I cut the top off the tube and there is usually a fair bit left inside the top part, which I can use! I stop it drying out by putting it in a plastic bag (recycled of course). I do the same with tubes of moisturiser or anything in a tube, it lasts a few days longer. If it is in bottle I add water and shake it up. Then I get a few more uses out of it. I usually use the Lush solid shampoo bars, they last a few months and its possible to use it right to the last tiny piece! Lush have a special offer at the moment with the bags. If you take your used bag in every time you go and get it stamped you get a free bar of soap on the 4th visit.
Maybe this has been discussed before but I started saving a lot of money when I stopped trying to buy meals out, like when at work, on the road etc. Taking a "bait box" (packed lunch) is so much cheaper and more convenient too.
I believe this was pages and pages ago, but I was just thinking about how my dad bought this plastic toothpaste squeezer thing at the supermarket. It goes into your toothpaste tube after you've used some, and it flattens the tube out like a steam roller until the very end of the tube. It's super convenient and you just push the flattener up every time you use the toothpaste.

[Maisiepaisie]

Sarah I have one of those too. You can use it for anything in a tube. I find it really useful for those vegan pate spreads (can't remember the name). They're in a metal tube and really hard to get the last bits out.

[Elahiya]

maybe you mean the ones of tartex or granovita?

in germany they are not sold in tubes, they are sold in alu packages. much better in my opinion.

[Maisiepaisie]

Yeah I think those are the ones. Never understood why they put it in tubes :confused:

[danaeonyx]

Ok, I'm 25 and going back to college. Because of where my parents live I'm moving into the accomodation. I'm used to being a bit independant and sorting out my own food. The college's restaurant serves food and apparently caters for everyone, but I'm a bit dubious...

Also, the dorms don't have cookers, because apparently there was an accident. There is a microwave, but we're not allowed to bring in any other electrical cooking equipment.

I like to be healthy, and it looks like I'm gonna have to learn some quick raw vegan recipies to keep me going throughout college! Does anyone have any ideas on recipies? And cheap food I can buy in bulk? I was gonna buy a big bag of pasta and rice, but without a cooker... :(

Thanks!! xx

[clueless]

Good question danaeonyx, I have the same problem! I start university early next year and I have no idea what I'm going to eat throughout the day! And I'm not keen on relying on college restaurants :pissed_ani:

Although I'm not sure yet on whether I will be living in the accomodation or living at my parents' house. Either way, I won't be at home for the majority of each day...

Hmm. I will try and brainstorm some ideas and get back to you.

P.s. I LOVE your avvi!!!! :lol:

[Elahiya]

in bulk you can always buy any dried fruit for example. but when you´re not allowed to bring any other electrical equipment (i.e. blender!!!!) it might get difficult as you could have blended some dried fruit with cocoa or carob or coconut and had a "raw cake".

potatoes you could also buy in bulk, also apples, carrots... all fresh fruit and vegs that you can store a bit. or rice paper! you can use it ike nori sheets and wrap something with that. it is quick as well.

although preparing food in a microave is not that healthy, unusual times call for unusual methods. you can cook potates or carrots in a microwave.

what about raw sushi? for example: http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/17-Vegetable-Nori-Rolls. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8515.0

for raw in general you might get some nice inspiration at goneraw.com or for microwave search for "microwave" at vegweb.com where you might also find something else than raw (http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=search2)

[mariana]

hmm, well i don't want to suggest breaking the rules...but at my college at least, tons of people bring electrical equipment even though they're technically not supposed to. my friend brought a rice cooker and used it all the time. i wouldn't suggest bringing elec equipment with you, but see what other people have, and if a ton of people have brought equipment...well...you might considering bending the rules as well. :)
i do think you can do a few things with the microwave. like someone suggested, you can do potatoes in the microwave. you could also do nachos, using beans, vegan cheese (if you like it), salsa, etc. or maybe tacos or burritos. cous cous is good and really easy to make in the microwave! i can't think of anything else microwaveable at the moment, but i'll post more stuff if i think of any.

[Risker]

although preparing food in a microave is not that healthy,


Is it not? I think it is... http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203

Can you not cook rice or pasta in the microwave? I'm sure you can though I've never tried myself.

[mariana]

Can you not cook rice or pasta in the microwave? I'm sure you can though I've never tried myself.
Good point. I bet you could!

[ellaminnowpea]

Are you trying to stay raw or not? If you are, it may be a bit harder than eating cooked foods. I'd buy lots of fruit along with tomatoes, avocadoes, lettuce, carrots, trailmix, cereal, etc.

If you're not going to be raw you can pretty much live off soups, salads, pastas, burritos, oatmeals, etc that you can cook in the microwave.

If you're living in the dorms, can you use a student account for the caf? Most schools require the kids in dorms to have a meal plan account. My sisters dorm has vegan items.

[Haniska]

I have one of those slider tubes, it doesn't work very well on the metallic type toothpaste tubes. I have a few plastic type tubes now though so I am giving it another go.

[herbwormwood]

I've used them too but I still find a fair bit of product near the top of the plastic tube if I cut it open after the squeezer won't squeeze any more out, for toothpaste about enough for 3 or 4 brushings.

[Lisey_duck]

Couscous can be made by pouring boiling water on it and leaving it, so you just need a kettle for that. (I hope your kitchen has one - don't want to imagine large numbers of students deprived of coffee in the mornings!) Rice, in an emergency, can be made the same way, although in a thermos flask rather than a bowl.

[pavotrouge]

in germany they are not sold in tubes, they are sold in alu packages. much better in my opinion.

though they're slowly changing to tubes!

[cedarblue]

go to supermarkets 1/2hr before closing, they black marker a lot and you can get really good fresh stuff for 10p each etc (date may be that day or the next for sell by) ....waitrose are really good at mark downs.

[sugarmouse]

Somerfield are great for that too!

[ellaminnowpea]

go to supermarkets 1/2hr before closing

Our supermarkets don't close, they're open 24 hours/ day. And its illegal to get discounted/ free food, even if its gone bad. I think theres even laws against dumpster diving. Not that I could bring myself to eat bad/ dumpster food...

But good tip. :thumbsup:

[missbettie]

^ ditto, cept for the open 24 hours thing....they just don't discount food unfortunately...

[sugarmouse]

Dumpster diving is illegal here unfortunatly.
With Somerfield though, (and other, smaller supermarkets) that are not 24 hour, I get some real bargains.
I bought salad dressing the other day, reduced from £2.49 to £47p.
And the salad/veggie section is always reduced dramatically.
It usually on the sell by date, some of it lastslonger though, and if anything is very slightly worn and I dnt want use it for myself, the guinea pig gets it:D

[Gorilla]

when i used to shop in Asda regularly i found i could often get very cheap organic fruit and veg that was close to its sell-by date. i guess there wasn't much demand for organic at that store but they still carried it anyway, and it kept ending up being discounted.

that store was open 24 hours but they used to discount all the fresh produce around midday, so i'd go in there on my lunch break and pick up some cheap food :)