How I Survive (COMFORTABLY!) on $30 a Week

I was a student for five and a half years, so I like to think I know a thing or two about saving money. Now that I finally have a full-time job, I'm saving frantically to try and afford a wedding. Apparently weddings are expensive - who knew?! So I've decided to compile a list of tips that help me save money and I honestly think these things could work for everyone.



1. Plan your meals.

First things first, I'm a creature of habit and this definitely helps me save money. I'm a

pretty big lover of meal prepping (making five serves of pumpkin soup on a Sunday just saves me SO much time during the week) and I really don't mind eating the same thing over and over. It just makes things cheaper. I know it might seem obvious, but always plan what you're going to cook for the week before you go to the grocery store. You probably already have half of the items you need laying around, and it's always a good idea to try and use up what you have anyway. On that note - LEFTOVERS! Lauren Toyota has really inspired me lately that it's so easy to re-create meals using leftovers, not to mention it saves you time AND money. Winner winner vegan dinner.


2. Buy in bulk.
Just last week I managed to get 20kg of bananas for $4.20 and 15kg of rice for $10. I'm only one girl so these quantities of food will last MONTHS. Not to mention it's a better option for the environment too.

3. Eat cheap foods.
I eat a whole foods, plant based diet. This way of eating is EXTREMELY cheap. I live off of potatoes, oats, bananas, rice, dates and other fruits and vegetables.  Whilst I of course enjoy a good goji berry and the odd coconut milk ice-cream, this food is not cheap. Plant foods are. Base your meals around them. 

4. Never, ever eat out.

It's overpriced and it makes you feel terrible. I used to eat out weekly, but now I do it on special occasion. Don't get me wrong, I love hitting up Sushi Train as much as the next guy, but if you're trying to save money... just make it yourself. An acai bowl can cost anywhere from $10-15 dollars to buy at a cafe, but I've perfected my own recipe that costs less than $3 each. 



5. Shop the seasons and buy from the right places.
I know strawberries in the middle of Winter might seem like a great idea, but realistically can you really justify spending $8 on a punnet? Probably not. Always, always, always buy what's in season. It's cheapest and the best way to make sure you're buying quality produce. On that note, buy your fresh produce from places like farmers markets and fruit shops - Woolworths and Coles have enough money and they're usually charging double the price.


Here's the proof - this is my weekly shopping haul. 

It mightn't seem like much, but this will certainly keep me going for an entire week, if not longer. There's also 4kg of bananas but they wouldn't all fit in the photo!

• For breakfast most days I'll make porridge with water and top it with fruit. This week I'm using mango and banana, but I usually mix this up. I'll also use the oats for home made muesli (recipe coming soon!), raw date balls and home made baked goods. 
• For lunch this week I've made pumpkin soup - which uses just the pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato and some of the spices I have lying around. I'll also top that with spinach (featured in the huge bag) because I literally put spinach with everything. This made about 6-7 serves so I'll just freeze it and take it out each morning.
• Dinner will be baked potatoes with frozen vegetables (I'll cook them obviously)  spinach and whatever condiments I have already. 

I usually stack on dates and bananas through the day if I get hungry, and I also make things like pancakes, smoothies and nice cream out of these ingredients. I eat a lot and I never, ever feel deprived. I'll make a blog post on my starch based diet in the future but I've honestly never felt better! 

PROOF!

(Before you ask, I get my protein from all of the vegetables shown.. but mostly potatoes.)