Coupons are a great way to save a dollar, but for vegans and even health enthusiasts, coupons are not exactly health conscious as many of the items you save on are items that many of us do not eat or use in our homes for one reason or another. I think that is why I am so into Mambo Sprouts because all of the coupons they offers are health conscious. But the Sunday paper, well it is a little hard to find items that I use. Although there are some goods ones in there it is really far and few between. While I am a fan of coupon clipping, I cannot say that it works for all people because the bottom line is that it doesn’t.

So needless to say sometimes when I enter into a grocery store, I do not have coupons and the sales are not always relevant to my household meals. This used to pose a problem for me at times because learning to feed s family of four on a tight budget was not my ideal of fun. But I got smart and reverted back to my single mom days and picked up some old habits for savvy shopping on a budget.

Just to give you and idea of how much my typical budget has been for the last few months, I have had to walk into the grocery store with anywhere from $40 to 60 per week. That’s $160 to 240 per month. Now that’s tight for a family of four.

Here are a few ways I squeeze a week’s worth of meals on a mini-budget:

1. I grab a sales paper from my local market and see what’s on sale. If black beans or pasta are on sale I know I can make at least three meals from each one. Those three meals normally leave enough for leftovers and so our meals for the week are pretty much covered.

2. On weeks when my husband gives me $40 and tells me to make it work, I have a typical shopping list that I keep on hand: potatoes, refried beans, tortilla shells, pasta, pasta sauce, bread, green chilies, 2 cans of black olives, black beans, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, 3 bags of frozen vegetables. I may not need to pick them up weekly, but with those few items I am able to makes some great meals. We normally keep breakfast items on hand like oatmeal, cereal, and grits, so I only have to grab those items once a month. We are also pretty good with keeping vegan staples on hand and so our shopping does not have to be extensive except for every once in a while.

3. In addition to my typical shopping list, I have a typical week of meals: bean burritos and salad, spaghetti with broccoli and cauliflower, black bean chili, vegetable soup, and a few others. This helps because with these meals I know I can shop on a budget of $40 with these inexpensive meals.

4. I skip the vegan boxed products because let’s face it they are expensive. If I have a coupon that saves me a $1 or more then I may buy one box of crumbles; otherwise I just use tofu which we keep stocked in the freezer.

There are many ways to shop on a tight budget. If I can do it, then so can you!

For more tips on vegan shopping try these Vegan Family Living resources.

Vegan Shopping Q&A Podcast Episode

Transitioning Your Family With Ease

Vegan Staples Podcast Episode Part 1 and Part 2

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