When I opened this chapter in my life I was finishing my bachelors, working three jobs and just swimming into the deep end of life. What everyone warned me about was how expensive it will be and just the overall question of “why?” In the overall grand scheme of things I can’t tell you why since it all goes hand in hand with ethical reason and personal ones of my own. But after going vegetarian for a minute then vegan and back to meat and riding that wave of destruction and not to mention the havoc it had on my body. I’ve now turned back a few pages and went back to veganism since that was the only part in my close past that I actually felt great. What none of the forms or websites really tell you is the balance and structure it takes and contrary to popular belief that in reality you aren’t spending nearly as much when you’re buying whole foods for a well rounded meal than when you are incorporating meat and other byproducts in your meals. So if you read that anywhere it’s a total lie. What I’ve found is taking to a budget because get real we aren’t the Kardashians and have to do more than just breath air to earn a living. Not that I’m hating on them since I do in fact enjoy the content they put out. So rewinding that sentence and back to budgeting you want to split that in half or even a 70/30 split and spend that 30% at your tradition store like TJ’s personal favorite and get your pantry items and then take the 70% remaining and head to your local farmers market and get your more essential items. if you’re lucky enough and have a farmers market that sells more than just flowers and produce you can also snag some beans and sauces too. Also check and see if they have produce that doesn’t look so great and you can usually get that at a discounted price since I’m a huge advocate on using everything even if it’s scratched or has a tiny bruise. That should be that for your spending umbrella to start. Next week I’ll talk more of staples and what I typically get when shopping and more!
attached is a link to an awesome place if you’re on the east coast I definitely recommend!
Plant Based 