It takes time to learn the ins and outs of veganism. And veganism to me isn’t about what I eat. It’s about how I live in general. Clothing, body care products, cleaning products, etc. are a concern as well. They can be quite expensive and hard to find. But you can learn from others to eventually cut costs.

@graceylou I recently went home to Kansas and in the airport in Minnesota I had a pizza, on the pizza was bacon. A person sitting next to me said he would order one but could not begin to eat a whole one. I offered in a slice or two as I knew I would never eat it all. He said "no thanks I don't eat m" stopped himself and said "I don't eat much meat". I think he meant he was a vegetarian but was too embarrassed to say so. It must be difficult to be vegan in Alberta.

@Aquaeyes It’s not too bad. I live in rural cattle country Alberta home of Alberta beef. But I can easily get by with experience. I’m actually currently in Burnaby visiting my parents. I’m going out soon with my brother and sister in law for a lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in a bit. They live in Vancouver.

@graceylou Lucky you. I think there must be more choices here then in rural Alberta. Bon appetit! I guess by now you have gone and eaten. Veganism suits you!! Where did you go?

@Aquaeyes We went to Dharma Kitchen in Kits. It was delicious. Lots of wonderful choices. Lovely atmosphere.

@graceylou Yes it is a lovely place. I have not been in several years since I moved I now live in Fairview near 18th and Oak. I hope you have a wonderful visit.

@Aquaeyes I was told it’s under new management. The new owner was very nice and helpful. It’s been an interesting visit but I’m ready to go home

I think with more experience and knowledge and the support of others in the vegan community everyone can reduce costs, time manage, and be happy healthy vegans. That’s why sharing knowledge and tips, recipes, articles, etc is so important to me.

@graceylou
It's a fabulous process. Sharing is caring. ???

@Wildgreens Sure is. And with all those recipes shared or pics of meals shown, I will never leave my kitchen. BTW, love your profile pic. That haircut is so cute.

Not all vegans are concerned about their health but yes some would only use organic ingredients and it gets expensive. Many non-vegans also buy organic, non-GMO, gluten free, etc. so it's just as expensive. I don't always buy organic or whatever other special qualities. As long as it doesn't have animal ingredients it's fair game. I don't care about healthy in particular; I just stay away from anything that is empty calories.

@graceylou Empty calories is one part of healthy. Years ago the Smithsonian had an article about the environmental costs of meat. In a reply letter a professor from UC Davis (an Ag school) said people who were into organics were 'elitists' because not everyone could afford this lifestyle and not everyone on the planet could be fed with organics. He probably was a big promoter of GMO's. Remember, the whole idea of GMO's was to be able to feed the masses and growing. To me this is another way we enable overpopulation.

@JackPedigo My point is more that not all vegans eat organic or GMO free or similar. And not all people who eat organic or GMO free etc are vegans. If they choose organics etc then it will be more expensive. If not then it’s possible to go on very low budget as a vegan. That said, a lot of what I buy and available widely at the local stores happen to be GMO free and sometimes organic. I’ve also found some good places to buy organic foods for less and some bulk places that carry organic ingredients. I think the biggest cost for vegans is ready made processed packaged foods. I see so many people relying on them, may be out of necessity, may be because they find it easier. A pint of Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream is $9 at the store here and never goes on sale while the dairy versions of the same size is about $5. Not that I eat that stuff but some mom might have a kid who wants ice cream and she doesn’t have time to make her own.

@graceylou I fully understand what you are saying. One of my partners was a member of 'Earth Save' and we attended meetings in Seattle often. Seattle was a big center for the movement and some 200+ would be at the meetings/potlucks. I saw a lot of unhealthy, overweight people at the meetings. For m, an added expense is being gluten free. A set of 4 TJ's bagels (the best I have found) are $4.50. I am dairy free and a coconut milk based ice cream is around $6.60 a pint at our local co-op (yes, we do have a very good one on the island).

Is this correct some of the sentences do not have all the words?

@Aquaeyes I think it does happen sometimes.

@graceylou I mean do you think your posts are being edited?

@Aquaeyes No. I think it’s just a glitch in the system.

I suppose it’s more expensive too if a meat eater family eats more processed foods or eats out a lot more than if they cook from scratch. We do the best we can. Sometimes it’s not possible to cut the costs.

@graceylou some of these people had low numbers because they coupon but I couldn’t do that even if it were vegan items since my lo has so many allergies. It sucks but you learn to live with it.
I’m hoping to cut cost buttons by cooking more I just gotta find the time and recipes my kid will like.

Over all though I think eating healthy whole food plant based is cheaper

@MoonlitLife Oh yes for sure. Vegan eating and life can be expensive but can also be done on a tight budget. It really depends on preferences and life circumstances.

I live alone so cooking sometimes is a big chore for one meal. I recently bought an Instant Pot. It is an electronic pressure cooker. I can make many great meal in less that 3-0 minutes start to finish and cleanup. A roast with potatoes, carrots, onions in 30 minutes start to finish including clean up. It will only take 10 minutes longer if the roast is frozen. Just put the ingredients in set the timer and it will cook then automatically turn off. It can even be programmed to start later. I wish i had it when we had children.

@Aquaeyes I wish I had the money. I’ve seen that people LOVE them.

I hear ya. I'm a member of several vegan groups on Facebook. People complain a lot about how expensive some plant milks are or something like vegan ice cream. Yet, you can easily make these yourself. I think the more experienced we are, the more we are able to lower the costs of vegan eating/living. It's important to share your knowledge to others who are new to the lifestyle.

@graceylou Making almond milk is so simple. Soak overnight, put in blender, strain. I do not use a cloth just a simple mesh strainer i use for rice. Easy peezy Japaneezy as a friend from Japan used to say.

Exactly. There are blogs/guides out there to help people on a budget. There are many things you can make yourself that are very easy and quick.

I think if you eat a good variety and eat whole foods you can get a good balanced nutrition. B12 is the most commonly mentioned nutrient that vegans can be deficient in. Sometimes iron, and zinc. However, a lot of non-vegans are also deficient and need supplements. It's always best to get bloodwork done by your physician before adding any supplements whether you are vegan or not. If you drink plant milks bought from the store, it's likely fortified with vitamins and minerals. I know a lot of vegans who take no supplements at all (except what is in their plant milks and other supplemented vegan foods eg. nutritional yeast) and have normal bloodwork. In fact, vegans are more likely to be prone to over supplementing. To do it more on a budget, you can get complete supplements to avoid buying individual vitamins and such. Also for iron, you can use the "iron fish" which you buy once and can be reused for years.

Me too. You can also go to bulk food places for a lot of ingredients. I think a lot of new vegans make the mistake of relying on ready made processed packaged foods instead of making their own foods and basing their meals on whole foods. But they will learn eventually.

@graceylou
I don't eat anything processed. It's very simple to mix anything frozen in my nutri bullet.

@Wildgreens I use very little only because I live with someone who wants replacements of the meats he used to eat. Whenever I could I make those myself like bean burgers and carrot hot dogs.

Yes, I ageee. Eliminating meats saves a lot of money. I find though when I went from vegetarian to vegan it’s a whole new ball game. It’s not just a diet; it’s s lifestyle change. Still, it can be done on a budget and with experience it’s not difficult.

@graceylou I'm leaning/easing myself toward going vegan, not quite there yet.

@BeeHappy
We are here for you in support of your journey.??

@BeeHappy I just realize I can’t spell. LOL. Take your time. Do it at your own pace. Like Wildgreens said, we are here for you.

@Wildgreens Thanks, already been getting help from a few friends on here. ?