Poor vegan, cheap living

[amethyst]

Ananas, I have been vegan since spring of this year, so I am still a work in progress on budgeting and meal planning. I was vegetarian for 6+ years, so I have the general idea down. Just had to do some tweaking to go full-on vegan. No eggs, cheese, etc. Best decision I ever made for my health, not to mention the health of the innocents.

I don't really know what I average for my vegan groceries. One week, I might stock up on dried beans, rice, whole wheat flour, and then the next week, I buy whatever fruit and veg are on sale, whether it be frozen or fresh. I don't really track it but I know it is a very small portion of my overall bill.

I CAN tell you that I spend about a thousand dollars a month for groceries, paper items like toilet paper, health and beauty, cleansers that I don't make homemade, etc. I have 4 kids and a hubby, and they eat like a swarm of locusts! LOL Only one of them is vegetarian, no other vegans, and most have a carnivorous malfunction. o_O

My college kids pitch in on the grocery budget, and I do the shopping and most of the food prep since they work and go to school. Anything to keep them on that path, and I am at home anyway. I homeschool my 13 year old. He's the baby of the family., although he already weighs as much as me, and is taller. LOL

If I had to bet, I probably only spend $150 a month on me, and that's overestimating it. I don't eat that much. I live in hysterectomy and hormone hell, and am enjoying slimming down a bit from all of the healthier food in my diet. Seems that eating like a poor person is healthier, simpler, and cheaper. Oh, if I could just get the others to see it my way!

Well, I really went off on a tangent or two. Sorry for the oversharing. I do tend to do that a lot. :bigsmile:

[Pthalo]

wow.

[amethyst]

Oh come on, Pthalo. Gimme more than that.

Wow, because of my personal $150 a month? Wow, because of my meat-eating offspring and mate's remainder of the approx $1000 a month. (I cringe just to type that!)

Wait. Need to catch my breath....

With everything being more expensive these days, the paper and household goods do cost a decent amount, but I kid you not. These people are like a swarm of locusts. It is the best description I can come up with. Except that I feel that I am insulting those vegan locusts. LOL

AND.....they are all trim and in good physical shape. I am probably making them sound like they need to go on that biggest loser show. :rolleyes:

[Pthalo]

I am in awe , amethyst, of such numbers. Is that $1,000 divided by 6? If you can afford it, I say why complain? Eat your vegan goodness and let them be. The exception being if one or more gets sick from their diet.

[amethyst]

Yeah, Pthalo. I am in awe of it, too. Or disgust, actually. If I am spending $120-150 per month, and I think those are high numbers + it includes the paper products, health and beauty, cleaners, etc, as I mentioned before........then we have to divide the remaining $850 or so by 5 people for food only. That's too much. My college kids work while they are students, and they give me money to contribute, but it's still ridiculous.

Meanwhile, I personally live a frugal life in all other aspects. Recycle, repurpose and reuse, no lights during the day and curtains and blinds open, low water usage, homemade cleansers and household products when I can, etc.

I have really been looking at ways to cut back, and slowly do better each month.

I think our grocery bill is the worst of everything. Ironically, I live off of beans, bulk grains, and simple veggies. There is something wrong with this picture! :eek:

Oh, if I could get them all to eat the vegan way. Better health, and better finances. Sigh.

[Glory]

Amethyst, not to pry or anything, but if you are the one doing the shopping and the cooking then they should be eating like you. I mean, your 13-year old for sure should be eating what you're eating.

I know it's not easy for folks with families, but aside from some non-vegan granola bars and Doritos, my hubby pretty much eats all vegan foods at home. He only very rarely has meat in the house and will order it when we go out to eat. He's what I call and "at home" vegan. I'm sure you're family could become that way too, with just a little bit of tweaking.

[missbettie]

I agree. My SO normally just adds cheese to some of the foods I make. And if he doesn't like what i'm making he figures out his own food.

[Risker]

^ Oh, I'd be so cross if someone did that. I'd see ingredients being added by people as them suggesting that the food I made wasn't good enough as it was.

[missbettie]

yes....we do have issues with this..... Its more food that typically has cheese anyway, I just don't add it in. But we do have some big issues about my cooking. So I stopped cooking for him for a while. And he had to live on fast food and tv dinners and sandwiches....he wasn't happy about that....so he stopped complaining. :) Cooking to me is art....I understand you're not going to like everything I cook, but I really do not like responses like "this is okay" or different things on how I could improve the dish. If you never cook, or offer to help, you shouldn't have an opinion about the food i'm so graciously prepairing for you, the only opinion you should voice is "wow this is amazing!" or "Thank you darling."

sorry, this is a bit of a sore spot for me. ggrrrrr....

[amethyst]

[QUOTE=Glory;694109]Amethyst, not to pry or anything, but if you are the one doing the shopping and the cooking then they should be eating like you. I mean, your 13-year old for sure should be eating what you're eating. QUOTE]

Glory, I hear ya, but I cannot control my 21, 22, and 24 year olds. Just not gonna happen. They all love vegan food, but they also love their meat and other junk.

As for my 13 year old, he ate dinner with me tonight. White beans and brown rice, with sauteed kale on the side. He loved it. I don't force him to eat vegan, because I feel that it is his choice to make when he is ready. I don't parent that way. I DO believe in showing him the yummy foods available, and obviously he is eating it.

And we don't have a tone button here, so I hope this doesn't sound defensive. I completely see where you are coming from, and don't feel defensive, in case it 'sounds' that way when you read this. :)

[FaerieSuzy]

Amethyst - don't know whether you do this or not.... my dad still eats meat, cheese etc. BUT if he wants it, he buys it. My mum provides vegan meals for the family and if he wants anything else, he must get it himself. Maybe with your older kids you could adopt a similar rule? As they are more than old enough to buy some bits themselves, you are putting good nutritous food on the table, and then leaving it up to them to buy an extra they want. It works for our family, maybe you could give it a try?
My brother is only 13, and is a vegetarian, and doesn't eat eggs, cheese or milk anyway, but he does still eat things like milk chocolate or cereal that contains milk, but it is out of his pocket money if he wants those things.
I know it's not everyone's way of running a family, just a suggestion though!:lol:

[Maître]

When I went veggie at age 10 I had to prepare all my own meals from then on, but it was my choice to eat differently to what my mother cooked for everyone else - I don't see why it should be any different for meat eaters with a vegan mother to be honest, and you'll probably notice that their 'pro meat' convictions aren't strong enough to make them cook every meal when you're offering perfectly good vegan ones :p

[Glory]

Amethyst, you weren't defensive at all! And I'm sorry if I came across as snooty! I just was curious as it is always interesting to me to see how other folks deal with veganism/vegetarianism in their homes.

Plus, I was still pondering on something Korn said in another thread. It was along the lines of, "People are raised to be meat eaters and not raised to be vegans." So, I thought to myself, if hubby and I ever have kids, what will we raise them as: omnis or vegans (or vegetarians). I think they'd definitely be veg, but maybe not vegan. Not sure. So, you, with a 13 yo at home, would be the perfect person to raise a vegan/veggie. Does that make sense?

[amethyst]

FaerieSuzy-I agree about not paying for the meat, and that is why the older kids have to take part in the food budget. They eat more expensive things, and more drive thru, than I do. Therefore, they have to pay for it, not to mention the whole vegan thing of course! They are all full time college kids and part time workers. Age 21-24.

Maitre and Glory-I have only been vegan for a few months, and have been making adjustments as I go with the family dynamic. If I had been vegan before having kids, I am positive that I would have had a different attitude about what to feed them. Just as I did feed them meat and dairy, since that is the way my mind was set at the time that I had those kids.

Maybe I am different than all of you. I tend to try to allow others to make their own decisions, without forcing my own lifestyle on them, whether they are friends or family. I have always encouraged my kids to find their own path, just as my own mother did for me. I would not even consider telling them that as of today, things are going to be totally different, and they will be forced to live their life the way I insist that they do it. I am still the mother they have always been able to rely on, and I will only try to influence them by answering their questions about veganism, and by teaching by example.

I have not forced my own spiritual beliefs on them, but have made them aware of what I believe in, and good morals and practices in general. They tend to be like me, whether I told them to or not.

I have not tried to force them to become vegan since I did only a few months ago. I have always fed them a mostly healthy diet, and educated them on nutrition and antioxidants and immunity boosting foods. I did this even when I was still eating meat and dairy. We eat almost all homecooked meals. I tend to lean toward natural foods and alternative medicine, herbs and homeopathics. This medical approach is not anymore mainstream than being a vegan. And they all tend to do the same thing.

We have always rescued stray animals, giving them a gentle life, and keeping them until they die of old age.

I come from a long line of nature lovers, and my kids know the importance of loving their surroundings.

I have no idea why this one thing in my life took so long. My witchy, new agey gene pool should have pegged me vegan a long time ago. :faint_smilie:

I do believe in teaching through example, and in most subjects, I can see that type of parenting has been effective. Since I am so independent and shall I say...hmm, hard-headed....I do better when someone is not judging or trying to force their ideals on me. I can't imagine why, but my kids also tend to be a bit stubborn (:p), so I can only hope that this new change in our household will be another example that they will gravitate toward.

Meanwhile, I will continue cooking at home, as I always have. Providing a rainbow of veg and fruit, grains, beans, etc, as I always have. And hope that as each of them matures, they will see the benefit and ethical choice of being vegan.

[amethyst]

Wow, I had no idea how long that post was going to be until I had already hit 'enter'. Sorry 'bout that. :)

[harpy]

It's up to everyone how to handle this situation for themselves, and you can't tell how someone else's family are going to react to a sudden switch to vegan food. I agree that if people feel a change is being forced on them they tend to rebel.

I haven't any children so it was probably a bit easier for me - when I first went vegan we both went over to cooking vegan meals (though OH was omnivorous at the time - he is veggie now). IIRC that he went on buying the odd non-vegan thing for himself for a while, but I wouldn't have bought or cooked it for him. I don't recall it being a bone (as it were) of contention. He ate, and continues to eat, whatever he wants when he's out.

So that was a compromise that worked for us.

[FaerieSuzy]

Absolutely Amethyst, it is completely different for each family and whatever dynamic works for you, carry on with!! :) I suppose my family are different as 4 out of the 5 of us are vegan so only my dad was the one left to buy any animal products, which I imagine makes buying it himself a less 'forceful' option. Luckily he doesn't mind :lol: You'll probably find as you cook more vegan meals they realise how much gorgeous, non-animal food there is and buy less of the expensive stuff as a result. If so, winner!

[Pthalo]

Well said, Amethyst

[amethyst]

Thanks for your support. And I apologize for veering off topic somewhat. I am not sure how we went over 'there', but now we can come back over 'here' to talk about cheap vegan food. :) And cheap living in general.

It's a personal mission of mine to spend less everytime I go to the store. As long as I am eating something delish. :p

[VeganAthlete]

I'm also on a grocery budget considering I have to pay my way through graduate school and other bills. I usually spend between $50 to $80 per week. I am vegan (obviously) and my partner is a vegetarian. We usually go shopping together and purchase food items that we can both eat (fruits, veggies, grains, tofu, etc.) and additional items that are either vegan or vegetarian.

Our shopping list usually consists of the following items:

Quinoa
Brown Rice
Red Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Barley
Wheat Berries
Broccoli (frozen)
Cauliflower (frozen)
Stirfry veggies (frozen)
Firm & Extra Firm Tofu
Firm Silken tofu
Canned Pumpkin
TVP
Better than Milk Vegan Milk
Soy Milk Vanilla Light
Soy Milk Chocolate Light (my indulgence)
Soy Milk Plain Original (for my partner)
7-Grain Hot Cereal
Apples
Strawberries
Dark Cherries
Blue Berries
Hummus (Spinach & Artichoke)
Garlic & Herb Crackers (for my partner--still can't figure out if they are both vegan & vegetarian)
Baby Carrots
Celery
Bamboo Shots
Mushrooms
Tofu Noodles
Onion
Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Edamame
Boca Burgers (Original Vegan)
Tofutti Cream Cheese (for partner)
Follow Your Heart Jalapeno Cheese
Cinnamon (My GREATEST ADDICTION)
So Delicious Coconut milk (Light)
Thai Green Curry Paste
Soychorizo (for partner)
Egg substitutes (for partner)

There are several things I clearly will not eat and same goes for him. Believe it or not, all of these items average to be $50-$80....never really go over. Some of the stuff will carry over to the next week as well.

[Korn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih0GOx1eRrg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4xtNkEZu6E&feature=related

[rianaelf]

but Amethyst by buying meat you are in a sense killing another creature to feed your children who are well old enough to go out and buy their own food and cook it!

Why should you have to cut up and cook a carcass for them!!!

[amethyst]

but Amethyst by buying meat you are in a sense killing another creature to feed your children who are well old enough to go out and buy their own food and cook it!

Why should you have to cut up and cook a carcass for them!!!

I think you have misread some things in your haste to judge me. I promise not to judge you, no matter what you post. It is not my reason for being here.

Blessings to you as you walk your path.

[rianaelf]

I think you have misread some things in your haste to judge me. I promise not to judge you, no matter what you post. It is not my reason for being here.

Blessings to you as you walk your path.

sorry I was not trying to judge you, really that was the last thing on my mind!

[friend]

Dunno if anyone is poor or not.
Jack Fultons are stocking delicious provamel chocolate puds..in the tall cartons..2 for a quid..get over there and buy them up!!!