Is being vegan expensive? What is the truth?

Hey all,

this is my first post on Steemit, everything feels so new! It feels great to write and share my thoughts with you.

I´m Yoli, 22-years-old, Geography Student in Berlin. I was born and raised in Hungary by a Hungarian mum and a British dad. I am currently living in the Netherlands as I am doing an exchange programm, called Erasmus.

I have been vegan for nearly two years now! Guys, this was one of the best decisions of my life. Every week I will share with you the positive and negative sides of veganism! Yes, there are some negative sides as well. I am super active on Instagram where I share my vegan foodporn pictures, recipes and inspirations. @yolcsita_eats is my name there! I would love to know your opinion of my work there as I´m currently having a bad phase on Instagram and need some cheering on.

First topic: Is being vegan expensive? What is the truth?!

I bet you have heard this many times, if you are also a fellow vegan. If you are not, then you might assume that follwing a plant-based diet is not cheap.

Well, everything is relative. What is cheap for you? It all depends how much money you can spend on food, but don´t worry, I will share you my secrets how I afford being vegan as a student.

1. Try buying food in bulks! Like beans, rice, pasta, potatoes, nuts etc. Many things are cheaper online but not everything. It takes a bit of time to check all the websites but in the long term it will save you so much money.

1. Rice, potatoes, pasta and vegetables in general are not expensive. Try to buy seasonal vegetables.

1. What about vegan cheese and mock meat? Isn´t that expensive?
   Yes, they usually are BUT most vegans don´t need these very often! I hardly ever buy vegan cheese. It´s nice to eat sometimes but most vegans don´t eat mock meat not vegan cheese daily.

1. Beans, rice and pasta are the cheapest things at supermarkets. Tofu, tomato sauce or frozen veggies are also in my every day menü and they are just so cheap!

1. What about all that fruit vegans consume?
   As I have mentioned earlier, try to buy seasonal fruit! Fresh bluberries in December can be expensive so I usually buy apples, oranges, bananas, dates, pears and kiwis during the winter time. During summer the choice is much bigger!

1. How to save money? Buy FROZEN FRUIT and VEGGIES! I always have frozen berries, spinach, peas and broccoli at home. I like adding frozen berries in my smoothies and buying them frozen is so much cheaper plus it can be actually healthier!! Do you want to know why? Let me know in the comments and I will write about it next week!

1. What about organic fruit and veggies? Surely, they are super expensive!
   Yes, they usually are but you don´t need to buy organic food! I buy fairtrade bananas and if the price is fine, then some other stuff but believe me, you won´t take in less vitamins if you buy your food at your local supermarket! If you have the money, then go for it. I would love to shop at the farmer´s market, but I just don´t have enough budget for that yet.

1. Why spend so much money on food?
   The answer is very simple! Because you are what you put into your belly! If you wanna stay healthy and energized, you cannot eat fries with nuggets every day! Don´t supplement yourself with vitamins! Eat them= eat fruit and veggies. I love eating good and healthy food, so I might spend more money on it, but I don´t spend money on going to the cinema or buying new clothes! Set your priorities if you are on a tight budget! Believe me, I´m a student and I work for every penny I spend.

I reall hope you liked my first article on STEEMIT! I hope it was helpful and I hope you got a better understanding of this topic. If you have ANY questions, just write them below in the comments and I´m really happy to help!

Lots of love

Yoli