Tuesday, April 13, 2010

How will becoming a vegetarian affect my budget?



I've been ruminating over the decision to become a vegetarian for quite some time and figured that it was time to put it out there in the universe and really do it. For the long term health benefits of vegetarianism, I've decided that I will slowly phase meat out of my diet. I may eat fish occasionally, but won't eat other forms of meat. I'm not big on dairy, but will reconsider veganism in the next few years. Vegetarianism isn't for everyone and but I think it's a good choice for me. As I made this decision, I wondered how becoming a vegetarian will affect my budget.


I don't anticipate that vegetarianism will change my food spending much for the time being. I won't be purchasing organic meat any longer which can be very pricey. Substitution products like tofu and soy can be pricey as well, but I already purchase them in moderation and will continue to do so. My goal is to become more creative with my meals in general and to limit my intake of processed foods. I plan to to minimize food spending by doing things such as: buying fruits and vegetables that are in season, stocking up on beans and grains which are usually inexpensive, and will start comparison shopping for food items that tend to be pricier.


I currently spend about $200 - $250 per month on groceries and I spend about $80 - $100 per month on restaurants/take-out. I always see a spike in the amount I spend on groceries when I decide to try a new dish that requires ingredients I don't already have or if I decide to bake something because I frequently use organic ingredients and dairy alternatives to bake like the recipes in this book. I'll start monitoring my food spending more closely to see how cutting out meat impacts my food spending.

4 comments:

Keith Morris said...

I attempted to go vegetarian a couple of years ago. I lasted about three days. It was the hearty root soup that did me in.

Shen Dove said...

@Keith Morris Vegetarianism not for everyone, but I'm not a big meat eater to begin with exception of chicken, but out of fear of the harmful hormones in chicken, I'd been buying organic which can get expensive!

Anonymous said...

I'm like you, I buy organic everything! Especially chicken (which i rarely eat)...and it's beyond expensive. Grocery bill for 2 people a week is $130.

I usually find myself eating all veggies and fish. Then beans, wheat pasta. I'm kinda super healthy. Maybe to the extreme, I don't eat much processed or any fast food. I eat raw vegetable, sometimes, which are healthier. I take the living well vitamins, which are natural. I hardly eat bread (even the 9 grain bread). If I didn't eat the fish or occasional turkey I'd go vegetarian too.

I look forward to reading about your journey!

MoneyMaus said...

I try to eat like a vegetarian, but I do enjoy meat and couldn't completely give it up! I have some ethnic cookbooks (Thai & Indian) which tend to have a lot of vegetarian dishes so it's really helpful! I eat a lot of fresh fruits/vegetables and consider myself to be very healthy, nothing processed! But I almost never buy organic since it IS so expensive... usually 1 bag of frozen fish and 1 bag of frozen chicken thighs is all I need for meat for 2 months! All of this keeps my grocery bills a LOT lower than I ever realized, about $100-$125 per month.

Good luck! Can't wait to read about your foray into vegetarianism :)