How can I save money on groceries as a vegan?

Saving money on groceries as a vegan isn’t all that different from saving money as a non-vegan, except there are a few small nuances. One of the biggest things you can do to save money on groceries is to take meat and dairy off your shopping list, but if you’re still looking for ways to reduce your spending, these tips might help.

Find the cheapest supermarket

Supermarket prices can fluctuate significantly on some items and even small differences add up over time. If you have more than one supermarket or greengrocer near you, it can be a good idea to compare prices. You can even do this on their website so you don’t even need to traipse all around town. You might find that some items are cheaper in one supermarket and others in another. While it might take a bit of time to work out where the best deals are, once you’re familiar with the supermarket or local greengrocers, you’ll know where to go for the best buys. Supermarket loyalty cards can give you access to some great deals and discounts.

	Price (£)
Item	Aldi	Tesco
Longlife soya milk (1L)	0.85	0.59
Oat milk (1L)	1.09	1.45
Plain soya yoghurt (500g)	0.99	1.25
Vegan margarine	1.29	2.00/1.70*
Vegan cheddar cheese	1.95	2.65
Tinned kidney beans	0.49	0.49
Vegan burgers (4-pack)	1.69	1.55/1.20*
Vegan bacon rashers	1.99	2.30/1.80*
Vegan mince (500g)	2.95	1.86/1.49*
Organic firm tofu (1kg)	4.45	6.50/5.17*
Wholewheat fusilli pasta (500g)	0.75	0.75
Brown rice (1kg)	1.39	1.39
100 per cent peanut butter (340g)	1.49	2.35 (but larger tubs work out cheaper)
Vegan milk chocolate (100g)	2.25	2.75/2.25*
Frozen mixed berries (1kg)	3.98	2.99

*Tesco Clubcard price

Buy frozen fruits and veggies

Frozen fruits and veggies are usually cheaper than fresh ones but can be just as nutritious. They can also save you money by reducing food waste as they’ll last a long time in the freezer, so you don’t need to worry about forgetting that floppy broccoli hidden at the back of the fridge. While frozen foods aren’t suitable for all occasions, for example when you fancy biting into a nice crisp apple or need fresh and crunchy vegetables for a stir-fry, frozen fruit and leafy greens are great for smoothies, and frozen veg still works in a variety of dishes such as curries, chillies and soups.

Look for reduced labels

Many supermarkets mark down prices on fresh products nearing their best-before date. You can therefore save money by buying these if you know you are going to use them immediately or if they can be frozen. You can also feel good knowing that by buying and using these items, you are helping to reduce food waste as they’d otherwise just be thrown away. An important caveat here is to avoid things you never had any intention of buying in the first place or are unlikely to use, as this can just add extra cost to your grocery bill.

Buy supermarket own-brands

Supermarket own-brands, especially the ‘value’ ranges, are almost always cheaper than their branded counterparts. What’s more, for many items such as tinned beans and long-life soya milk or yoghurt, most people wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Many supermarket own-brand products are made by the same manufacturers that produce the name-brand items but without the brand name mark-up – the only difference is the packaging and price.

Plan your meals and shop intentionally

One of the best ways to overspend in the supermarket is to go in without a list. If you take a little bit of time beforehand to plan your meals for the week ahead, you can save money by only buying what you know you need and avoid impulse purchases. You might even decide to only buy what is on your list, no exceptions – even if you forgot something. This can help you shop very intentionally and avoid getting pulled around the aisles by your cravings or seduced by offers on items you weren’t planning on buying. A deal can be great if it is on an item already on your shopping list but not if it is something you wouldn’t have usually bought. Also, try to avoid shopping when you are feeling very hungry!

Shop in world food stores and in the world food section

Some foods, such as tofu, tempeh, rice and nori sheets, for example, can be cheaper if you get them from a world food shop rather than a supermarket. You might even find them cheaper in the world food section of your supermarket than in the free-from or vegetarian section, where they might be marketed as fancier products.

Stick to staple wholefoods and avoid ‘superfoods’

Vegan ready meals and convenience foods are usually more expensive, with less nutritional value, than wholefoods. That being said, exotic wholefoods such as dragonfruit and goji berries are often marketed as superfoods and that’s reflected by an elevated price. Remember that many common and much cheaper items such as apples, bananas, carrots and broccoli might not seem as exciting but are just as beneficial for our health.

Avoid artisan and novelty products

While one of the fun things about being vegan is trying all the new and innovative brands and supporting small artisan businesses, these can often be on the expensive side and not great if you have a tight budget. The supermarket’s own free-from products and well-established brands are likely to be better value for money. Rather than buying speciality vegan products, you might be able to find ‘accidentally vegan’ versions of the same thing for a lower price.

Think about the nutritional value of food

When you pick an item off the supermarket shelf, it can be useful to think about the nutritional value you’re actually paying for. It can be much easier to put a junk food item back on the shelf when you take a moment to consider you are handing over your money for something that doesn’t actually provide your body with any nutritional value.

Use loyalty schemes

You can save a surprising amount of money by using supermarket loyalty schemes. Many items are significantly reduced for loyalty scheme members so it could definitely be worth the time to sign up. You may also receive discount vouchers for your next shop. Just be careful if the discount voucher is for a specific item you wouldn’t have usually bought. Even if you get 30 per cent off, you’ll save 100 per cent if you don’t buy it at all!

Batch cooking

Cooking food in large batches is a tried-and-tested way to save money and it works in a number of ways. Firstly, it helps you stick to your shopping list and shop intentionally. It also reduces the number of times you need to go to the shops. Buying in bulk can work out cheaper for certain items. By freezing your food, you are less likely to waste it. Perhaps an often overlooked advantage of batch cooking is that it is much more energy efficient than cooking from scratch every day so you can save money on your utility bill.

Don’t feel like you have to buy organic

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to only buy organic food. Many comparisons show no significant difference between the nutrient content of organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables, although organic fruits and vegetables may contain higher levels of antioxidants. If you can’t afford organic vegetables, it’s certainly more beneficial to your health to eat non-organic ones than avoid them altogether. While some would argue that they’re still not strict enough, the UK has much stricter pesticide regulations than many other places in the world, so whether you choose to buy organic or not might depend on where you live.

Create recipes using foods on offer

If you have the confidence, it can be worthwhile to buy foods on special offer or at discounted rates and then use your creativity (Vegan Recipe Club can help) to find or invent recipes which include those ingredients. This increases variety in your diet, which is important for good health.

Top tips:

• Find the cheapest supermarket
• Prioritise wholefoods
• Buy frozen fruit and veg when suitable
• Look for reduced labels
• Buy supermarket own-brands and avoid expensive artisan or novelty products
• Use loyalty schemes
• Plan your meals, batch cook and shop intentionally