[Aerynne]

I think vegan and a tight budget is way easier than omnivore and a tight budget. I don't buy specialty products except for almond milk. We eat lots of:

bean burritos
spaghetti marinara
vegetable soups with noodles, beans, rice, etc.
rice and beans
"fried" rice (Chinese or Mexican flavored)
pancakes
veggie sandwiches (I buy Jimmy John's Day Old bread)
whole wheat toast with jam and/or peanut butter
homemade muffins, cookies, rolls, etc.
pizza without cheese
fruit or chocolate smoothies with a nut-milk base (either homemade nut milk or store-bought)

I really think being vegan is quite cheap if you don't buy the specialty stuff, which I don't.

My best tips:

find cheap sources of produce (Bountiful Baskets, Sprouts, etc). Only buy what is cheap. I don't mean when it's "on sale" (some sale prices are high) but keep track of what is actually cheap in your area. What we eat is determined by what is on sale. In the summer we have mostly melons for fruit and in the fall it's apples. If grapes are $1 per pound or so I will buy some. If they are $3/pound I just don't buy them that week. We only eat asparagus in the spring when it's about $1-2 per pound. If something is expensive one week I just won't buy it. I buy certain kinds of produce at Costco- cucumbers, romaine lettuce, spinach, and broccoli. I also get frozen berries from Costco and use them in my smoothies. The bags are huge but they last a long time. I won't buy frozen berries at a regular grocery store- they are way too expensive!!


bulk order from Azure standard for staples (but not their specialty products, which are $$$) or use Costco for staples that keep (dry beans, grains, flour)

Find a cheap source of good nuts. Azure Standard and Sprouts (the latter only on a good sale) are the best places I have found.

Do not use canned beans- dry beans that you cook yourself are much cheaper

buy flours, grains, beans, etc, in 25 lb-50 lb bags. Store in 5-gallon buckets with gamma seal lids for easy access.

Find a bakery thrift store for bread. I get bread that is normally $5/loaf for $1.50/loaf. It's 20 miles away so I go there and buy ten loaves at a time, then freeze them and pull them out as needed.

Bake your own of other items- rolls, pizza crust, muffins, cookies, etc.

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes! They are cheap, filling, yummy, and versatile.

A good blender will save you lots of money. I use mine many times every day- soups, sauces, smoothies, refried beans, pureeing stroganoff because my kids hate mushroom pieces, etc.

And if you need WIC or food stamps and you qualify for them, get them!