Tegan Vale didn’t go vegan for the trends. She made the switch during her final year of college, when she was juggling a demanding academic schedule and working part-time. “I was constantly tired and anxious,” she recalls. “A friend suggested cutting out dairy and meat for a few weeks, just to see how I felt. I didn’t expect it to stick—but it did.”
The challenge wasn’t her commitment to the lifestyle—it was the price tag. Like many, Tegan believed that eating vegan meant stocking up on expensive superfoods and specialty products. “I thought I’d need fancy supplements or organic everything,” she says. But with a little planning, she discovered just how affordable plant-based eating could be.
Tegan began by changing where and how she shopped. “I stopped going to boutique grocery stores and started shopping at local markets, discount grocers, and bulk bins.” Beans, lentils, brown rice, oats—these staples became the heart of her meals. She’d buy frozen vegetables in bulk, make soups that lasted for days, and batch-cook stir-fries with whatever produce was on sale that week.
What helped the most, though, was letting go of the idea that every vegan meal had to be “Instagram-worthy.” “I stopped trying to make elaborate bowls with 10 toppings,” she laughs. “Now I make things that are simple, filling, and actually affordable.”
Tegan often prepares big batches of lentil stew or chickpea curry on Sundays, storing portions in reusable containers for the week. It’s a routine that has saved her money—and sanity. “When you know what’s in your fridge, you’re less likely to spend on takeout,” she says.
Now that she’s out of school and working full-time, Tegan still sticks to her budget-friendly habits. She says it’s not just about money—it’s about sustainability. “Living within your means and respecting the environment go hand in hand,” she says. “You don’t need a ton of money to eat well. You just need a plan.”
Tegan now shares her meal ideas and grocery hauls on social media, encouraging others to try veganism without the pressure of perfection. “You don’t have to go broke to go plant-based,” she insists. “Sometimes a pot of lentils is more powerful than a $12 smoothie.”
