Go vegan to save money! By Isobel Hutchinson

Isobel is the Director of Animal Aid

As well as being kind to animals, environmentally friendly and good for your health, going vegan can actually save you money!

Animal products like cheese and meat are often very expensive, so replacing these with plant-based sources of protein can be a very economical choice.

I’ve always been keen to show that having a restricted budget needn’t be a barrier to going vegan. A few years ago my partner and I put this to the test by living on just £1 each per day, for five days. While the food did get a little monotonous (the cabbage risotto was a low point!), it was definitely possible, and we managed to get all the nutrients we needed.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend following the £1 per day diet long-term, but it certainly highlighted what can be done. With a few simple tips, a plant-based diet can really help cut your food bills.

1. Cook from scratch when you can. It’s the processed foods that tend to cost the most, so using wholefoods like nuts, lentils and beans as protein sources can help to cut costs. If you have a bit more time, dried beans and chickpeas are even cheaper, but they do take much longer to cook.
2. Get some inspiration! There are plenty of brilliant blogs and resources for plant-based cooking on a budget. The following useful blogs all have plenty of vegan recipes:

• Cooking on a Bootstrap by Jack Monroe (my personal favourite)
• Full Bellies on a Budget

• Frugal Living

• We also produce a handy booklet called ‘Meat Free Feed Four for Under a Fiver’, which can be downloaded or ordered for free.

3. Go to the supermarket at the end of the day to take advantage of reduced-price fruit, veg and bread.

4. Grow your own, even if all you have is a few herbs in pots on your window sill.

5. Compare prices at different shops – some are better than others on particular products.

6. Bulk buy, if you can, to make the most of multi-buy deals and discounted larger packs.

Why not share your news about bargains and money-saving tips on the Great Vegan Challenge Facebook page?

Happy shopping and cooking!