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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
i know one could eat really cheaply by relying mainly on things such as grains, legumes, pulses as a base, and then just adding some fruit and veg. my problem is that if i don't consume HUGE amounts of fresh veg, and especially fruit, i just don't feel well. and unfortunately fruit is just about the most expensive vegan item you get, apart from processed foods of course, which i don't include, as i never buy any.
well, the only processed food that i get is yoghurt, anbd the vegan stuff is incredibly expensive down here.
i wish there was a cheap way to fruit and yoghurt :(
(i'm already buying at local markets instead of supermarkets)
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Hi Piggy, I wish I could help, do you wanna chat?
Hi Piggy. have just had an email with your latest post on this thread. It's all very well for people to say "eat this", "eat that", or crap about "dumpster dining", but everyone's different. If you say you don't feel well unless you eat a lot of fresh fruit/vegetables, I find that rather worrying. Yes, of course we all need plenty of that sorta thing, but if you're regularly feeling unwell . . . email me honey, or send me a private message, tell me a bit more about your situation, I don't bight, honest! I haven't been a vegan long, but I'd like to try and help you with ideas etc, if I can. It's your call, it can't do any harm. Jennie. xx
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
^ I don't think piggy means she feels unwell, I imagine she means she doesn't feel her best, and I'm the same, I don't think it's such an uncommon thing, especially among vegans who consume a lot of fruit and veg. Fruit and veg is expensive here, whereas nasty white bread and similar things aren't... go figure :rolleyes:
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
I'm genuinely, honestly sorry if I have misinterpreted anything, and hope to god I haven't offended anyone, that's the last thing I want to do. :( Jennie. xx
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Quote:
harpy
:( Annoying, that. I always lose receipts, too. I suppose I need a System for keeping them.
I have used the same cheap system for many years and it works a treat!
One large plastic box from pound shop.
Packet of cheap A4 cardboard folders.
File things into separate folders i.e bank stuff, receipts, household utilities.
Label folders.
Stand folders up in box and put lid on - can be stored anywhere in the house.
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
(I don't think you offended anyone ms.vegan.:))
I need to find somewhere for cheaper fruit and veg, I just ordered food from Tesco and I seemed to leave lots of "luxury" stuff off and it still came to £110.:confused: I might try Aldi or Asda but they don't deliver (and I'm lazy.:D)
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Quote:
fiamma
^ I don't think piggy means she feels unwell, I imagine she means she doesn't feel her best, and I'm the same, I don't think it's such an uncommon thing, especially among vegans who consume a lot of fruit and veg. Fruit and veg is expensive here, whereas nasty white bread and similar things aren't... go figure :rolleyes:
Exactly, it makes me cross to think that food which is a lot less processed, therefore requiring less labour, is more expensive than the highly processed nasty whiter bread and the likes. not so long ago, vegetables were the poor man's food, but now they're just about more expensive than animal products and definitely more so than refined flours (which on the other hand used to be rich man's food). But of course in sellers' minds, these days people who prefer to eat veg and fruit rather than a big mac, musty be some crazy, mult-bilionaire helth-freak celebrity, and therefore they can pay a lot.
Anyway, thanks for the concern, ms. vegan, but no need to worry.
as fiamma says,. it's that i just feel a lot healthier if i eat a lot of raw fruit (would it be too much detail to add that not eating lots raw fruit causes symptoms such as bad breath, constipation, gout, general restlessness :D)
as fiamma says, in italy veg n fruit is more expensive than refined stuff. i'm wondering whether in other countries this is the same? my guess is that this is true for all industrialised counbtries, but maybe less so for less industrialised places.
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
i think it's pretty general, piggy, more annoying somewhere like Italy though where it's warm enough to grow lots of healthy foodstuffs locally.
if we just bought the 'economy' branded, highly refined foods here we could fill ourselves up very cheaply :no_expression:. I suppose refined crap keeps well for a long time so has a good shelf life for the stores.
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Quote:
BlackCats
(I don't think you offended anyone ms.vegan.:))
I need to find somewhere for cheaper fruit and veg, I just ordered food from Tesco and I seemed to leave lots of "luxury" stuff off and it still came to £110.:confused: I might try Aldi or Asda but they don't deliver (and I'm lazy.:D)
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Thankyou BlackCats, the last thing I wanna do is offend anyone, I'm new to this forum, and am friendly, sociable and chatty, not inclined to make enemies! sickens me though, how one can't live on the basics, raw fruit/veg, etc, without needing to take out a mortgage almost, every time ya wanna go shopping? I mean, we always hafta "shop around", and it seems the prices of everything are going up aren't they? The thing that makes me cross also, is that we hafta pay extra for specialist things we need, dairy free this, egg free that, meat free the other . . . it's not fair! we're penalised for trying to help our health, save the animals, and preserve the planet we're living on! Woopse, could start a feisty debate here! Hmm . . . thanks again. Jennie. xx
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Quote:
piggy
as fiamma says, in italy veg n fruit is more expensive than refined stuff. i'm wondering whether in other countries this is the same? my guess is that this is true for all industrialised counbtries, but maybe less so for less industrialised places.
this scares me about moving abroad. in Germany, fresh produce and grains is still about 20-30% cheaper than processed foods.
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Don't worry jennie, you haven't offended anyone :)
I do realise though after watching today's news that really I'm in a privileged position as far as food goes; a third of the world's population can't afford to feed themselves :(
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
i"m off to buy beans and brown rice.
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
I've suddenly remembered how I lost 4 stone several years back! I bought truck loads of diet tonic water and drank loads of it all day, for some reason it really kills the appetite *Hemlock running off to Morrisons as we speak*.
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
really? did you have it plain? is it good for you?
i want to lose weight right now...............
(i mean this minute, i'm so bored with trying)
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
what is tonic water? is it that bubbly water?
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
no it's bitter stuff with quinine in it, icky! :amazed_ani:
edit - it is fizzy though, yes
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
o...i get mineral water sometimes...but it has a flavor...not a good flavor but a flavor none the less.
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
Well I started eating six times a day, with 3 smaller meals than usual and snacks in between, along with two cups of green tea a day. is it odd to drop 11 pounds in two days? because according to this scale I have. O.o Confused, but not unhappy. Thank you to Amy.
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Re: The Cheap Thread
Quote:
stickydate
I thought it would be a good idea if we had a thread about cheap vegan living. It seems that most of us here are definately not rich, and it would be cool if we could share ideas and tips on how to save money/get by and be a tightass :p
From the top of my head, things I do to be cheap are:
- use dried beans, not canned
- cook from scratch, enough for a couple of days
- freeze bread and only take it as I need it, so none gets wasted
- feed Odi leftovers and his own cooked meals made from older unused vegetables from the week, plus rice/barley etc...
- have an idea what we are going to eat for the week and have a shopping list that we CANNOT stray from
These are excellent ideas... but given the price of fuel is it really more economical to use dried beans? Does anyone know the answer? I suppose you could boil up masses and freeze for later use... but freezing's not free.... anyone wanna do the mathematics?
Chill leftovers and have a leftover day.
I have a 'melange soup' with the dregs of my veg box at the end of the week.
Use stale bread to make things like bakes & puddings.
Don't throw stuff away because of a blemish or a bit of mould.
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Just worked it out - our household spends around £98 a week all in... food/household products/toiletries etc.. (2 people) However, we buy good basics like olive oil & always get good wine - so we don't especially buy cheap. We always cook from scratch & we rarely use any ready made vegan stuff (sausages/rashers that sort of thing). We spend very little on clothes - make do and mend I'm afraid - and mostly use public transport, although we do have one car between us (which is a bone of contention as I'm not especially into cars and he is!)
Where we fall down is eating out - if I included that we're looking at around £148 a week as we always try to get out for a meal at least once every week.
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Re: Poor vegan, cheap living
Quote:
piggy
Exactly, it makes me cross to think that food which is a lot less processed, therefore requiring less labour, is more expensive than the highly processed nasty whiter bread and the likes. not so long ago, vegetables were the poor man's food, but now they're just about more expensive than animal products and definitely more so than refined flours (which on the other hand used to be rich man's food). But of course in sellers' minds, these days people who prefer to eat veg and fruit rather than a big mac, musty be some crazy, mult-bilionaire helth-freak celebrity, and therefore they can pay a lot.
I'm not sure this is true... artisan foods are often far more labour intensive & bread is the perfect example. Modern steam baking methods can turn out a loaf from mixing to the finished article in about 15 fully automated minutes! It doesn't have to be kneaded and proved twice. It's the same with organic/veganic vegetable & fruit production - very labour intensive. (And I want them to be paid for their work! I'm sure you're paid for yours.)
However, having said that, I've used my local organic box scheme for the past three years and there have been no price rises... and indeed lately there have been price drops on individual items.
And don't blame sellers or retailers. Believe me they don't want to price people out of their outlets... what would be the point. They are simply passing on rises in production & distribution costs.
You also have to remember that if demand for particular products (e.g. raw commodities like grains) are low (cause no-one cooks anymore!) then prices will rise. Producers ain't gonna produce stuff & then sell it at a price which means they can't make a living.
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
I have huge problems with my weight - for decades - and so I have lots of practise in trying to lose it! I can lose a few stone, but I always regain it, though thankfully the pattern has changed over the last few years in that I regain a little less each year.
Things that help me are not just about the actual food I put in my mouth but being in a positive frame of mind
eg - reading books that inspire me and make me think about what I put in my mouth eg the Allen Carr book (except the slightly spooky chapter about aeroplanes on the moon), GI books, books about nutrition
eg - keeping busy - knitting, vowing not to watch TV in the evening, so I don't veg out but instead prepare healthy food, make stuff, do housework
eg trying to think I am not abstaining from something wonderful, but doing something positive and good for myself
eg drinking nice tea and not alcohol - alcohol is a disaster for me with 3 prongs - it has calories in it, it disinhibits me so I eat more while intoxicated, and it gives me a hangover that can only be treated by large doses of carbohydrate - fried
I always do a lot better in the summer when I excercise with a friend - I have to go out and do it or I'd be letting her down. But she buggers off to India every winter, so I go it alone then ( I suppose I could try and find another friend!).
And in terms of food that helps me
- soup
- mashed root vegetables
- beans
- porridge
I know all this stuff, but I'm still overweight, so there is obviously some aspect still missing
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
BTW CW, hope your ankle is better. Thanks for starting the thread. V
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
i found out once, but have forgotten...
how many pounds is a "stone"?
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
thanks, i'm not always a very healthy eater but better than i used to be, and i do exercise now, but am still large/heavy, maybe that's just how i am meant to be (*sigh*)
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Re: weight-loss foods that are cheap and filling
Quote:
petunia
i found out once, but have forgotten...
how many pounds is a "stone"?
14
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Vegan on the Cheap
http://hungryhungryveganos.wordpress...-on-the-cheap/
"One of the things we never really understand is when people tell us they'd be Vegan if only they could afford it. This lament is one we hear quite often from people on the cusp of leaving the land of animal suffering behind. It's true that if your diet is made up of pre-made frozen dinners, junk food and mock meats (which, don't get us wrong, we do love!) that it could cost you a pretty penny from week to week but it doesn't have to be that way.
People often gasp when we say we don't spend more than $80 a week on groceries and that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner AND desserts for the week. One of the big tricks to this is to actually plan our meals out for the week so we can head to the grocery store with a list. Yes, this does take some time up front (but really only about 20 minutes or so) and we aren't left wandering around the aisles of the store asking "What do you want for dinner?" only to get the response "I don't know, whatever you want."
For instance, this week we are having shepherd's pie, white sketti, portabello burgers, chickpea cutlets, falafel , potato soup, and a rice dish called Mexicali. Throw in a couple fruits a day and cereal every morning and you've got yourself a basic week with the Hungry Hungry Veganos. How much did all the ingredients for all these dishes come to at the grocery store, anyway?
http://hungryhungryveganos.wordpress...07/receipt.jpg
Your eyes do not deceive you, the total for a week's worth of groceries did indeed only cost us $47.40. So, with the extra money, we may splurge on some Coconut Bliss (Vegan ice cream at its best!) throughout the week or save it up for a night of Vegan sushi. We did make sure to get these from a local co-op on our way home just because who on Earth could pass up yummy cupcakes when you have over $30 left over in your grocery budget?
http://hungryhungryveganos.wordpress...pcupcakes2.jpg
So we, quite frankly, call bullshit on whomever says it's too expensive to go Vegan. We do it on the cheap and don't for one minute feel deprived on anything. No sir, not for one moment. We think it's time for some homemade cookies now. NOM."
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Re: Vegan on the Cheap
Those cupcakes look AMAZING and very very scrummy and SO cheap too! Good thread, off to check out the website now! :D
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Re: Vegan on the Cheap
Great thread! I'm off to check out your website too :)
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Vegan student
Hi guys,
I've just joined this website (and love it!!!!).
I was hoping for some serious help.
I'm a student -have my own place with own kitchen, etc. and am pretty new to being vegan. Being a student, I have nooooooo money, and am running out of ideas for good, healthy, cheap food which doesn't require a lot of preparation and cooking (or random ingredients!!).
Desperately need ideas for EVERYTHING:confused:
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Re: Vegan student
Whole lentils, pillowcase, basin, bucket or large pan or similar.
Rinse each day until a couple or six centimetres 'long'.
Eat raw, or cook for just a little while.
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Re: Vegan student
Hi Alison and welcome to VF :)
You might want to take a look at this thread called Poor vegan, cheap living which has lots of suggestions.
Don't be fooled into thinking you need fake meats and so on to be a healthy vegan; they certainly make for a bit more variety, but there are tons of beans, veggies, fruits and grains all out there just waiting to be tried! :thumbsup:
All the best :)
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Re: Vegan student
^lentils - cheap and fast
lentil bolognese, lentil and veggies soup ...
oatmeal mmm
vegweb.com has lots of great recipes
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Re: Vegan student
Are there other vegans at your campus? Perhaps you can form or join a club and campaign for more vegan friendly cafeteria options.
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Re: Vegan student
Hello - I second the lentil and veg soup recommendation. It's really cheap if you use seasonal veg, and if you make a big batch and it should last for a few days (if you can keep it away from the other students :D ) You can use dried herbs and spices (e.g. chili flakes) to make it tasty.
Otherwise, baked potatoes with beans or homemade hummus? Beans or hummus on toast? Risottos and pilaffs (be careful about reheating rice though as you can poison yourself)? Pasta with tomatoes, beans and veg?
That thread Fiamma pointed you to should be helpful.
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Re: Vegan student
When I was a student I bought all my veggies at the local market- it was cheaper, you got loads more and they usually lasted much longer than supermarket veg. Plus the people that work there are usually super nice!
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Re: Vegan student
Quote:
harpy
(be careful about reheating rice though as you can poison yourself)?
Where do people get this? I reheat rice all the time and have never had a problem. I just glanced around online and can't find anything definitive. If it were a true danger, I think it would be more commonly mentioned. Or taught in food safety classes, I don't remember anything about rice, much less reheating it.
I think y'all are safe. Just don't eat the moldy stuff in the back of the fridge :tongue_ani:
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Re: Vegan student
Some advice about rice:
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/kee...oking/#A220063
A microbiologist told me they often use rice to grow bacteria cultures, because they like it so much that they breed nice and fast :p
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Re: Vegan student
Quote:
harpy
"spores germinat[ing] into bacteria" is an interesting concept :D. However, it is useful to know that however dead you kill the 'bugs' in your food, the poisons which they left in your food will usually remain.