Savor the Savings at Farmers' Markets

The Topic: Saving big at farmers’ markets with Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet

The Dish: With the local food movement well underway, farmers’ markets have been popping up all over the country, bringing fresh produce to the masses. Step into nearly any market and you can expect to see boxes of streaked and striped heirloom tomatoes, wooden bins overflowing with leafy greens, aromatic herbs, and even purple string beans! But as a savvy vegan, farmers’ markets can either be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Increased demand for local food has sent prices skyrocketing at some of the more gourmet markets, often making a bag of vegetables cost three times what you would pay in a supermarket. Yet, with the right tricks up your sleeve, you can saunter out of a farmers’ market with a canvas bag stuffed with a bounty of vibrant vegetables, knowing you’ve made even the most diligent coupon-clippers envious of your steal. 

1. Choose Wisely

The first step toward savvy shopping requires careful consideration of which market to visit. While the larger, gourmet markets may offer a greater assortment of produce and artisan foods, don’t be surprised to see price tags that match the foodie scene. Instead, try visiting smaller markets that have built their reputations on offering fair prices and friendly service. In San Francisco alone, there are more than a dozen farmers’ markets, so depending on where you live, you may have to shop around. Try visiting the weekday markets, as they are often less crowded and expensive.

2. Timing is Everything

Think the best time arrive at the market is bright and early? Think again—while the early shoppers certainly do have an advantage in terms of variety, coming to the market as it’s shutting down is prime time for savings. Unlike at a supermarket, where it's difficult to discern how long the produce has been on the shelf, farmers have to load up the truck with whatever they don’t sell and lug it back at the end of the day, risking damage and rotting along the way. Vendors are much more likely to cut you a deal if it means they save time and energy by avoiding reloading the truck. Also, scope the stands for ‘seconds,’ over-ripe or slightly bruised, yet perfectly delicious, produce, often sold at half the price! 

3. Savor the Season

While supermarkets have most Americans believing that strawberries grow all year round, farmers’ markets show visitors that each type of plant has its own specific growing season, with price tags that reflect the supply. If you make a point to ask about what’s in season, both your mouth and wallet will be pleased with the results. Toward the beginning or the end of a season, expect to pay top dollar for produce, especially berries. Focus on discovering ways of making a fruit or vegetable that you’ve never heard of (Chinese long beans or bitter melon, anyone?) taste great and avoid reverting back to the habit of buying the same produce week after week. One of the best resources of interesting recipes using foreign fruits or vegetables is the person growing them—don’t be afraid to ask questions! 

4. Buy in Bulk

When buying more than 10 pounds of a particular item, say tomatoes, farmers can, and do, shave dollars off of the price per pound. To ensure your money goes a long way, formulate a plan for those tomatoes. Make a giant pot of spaghetti sauce to freeze and save (or in my case, eat atop spiral pasta every night until it's gone, because homemade sauce is delicious!), learn how to preserve via canning, or plan a tomato-themed menu for the entire week.

5. Knowledge and Flexibility

Overall, to have the best experience at a farmers’ market requires exercising flexibility and staying informed. Before making any purchases, orient yourself with the prices and selection by first strolling through the market. Maybe you went to the market hoping to find strawberries for a shortcake for Grandma’s birthday, but your favorite farmer ran out by the time you arrived. Be flexible and try raspberries or blueberries, instead. If you’re a proponent of organic produce, you surely have felt the pinch on your pocketbook when paying $5 or more per pound of organic bell peppers. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide on what produce should be bought organically, so you can limit your pesticide exposure while also maximizing savings. 

The Final Word: Being a savvy, smart shopper requires little more than learning about seasonal availability, timing for buying, and speaking to your guides—the farmers—to save big at farmers’ markets. Just don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bag!

City Living, On the Cheap

The Topic: City Living, On the Cheap by VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: There's a big rumor going around that's time to debunk once and for all: Living in a city is impossibly expensive. Yes, places like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle have some of the highest rents in the world (hello, $2k matchbox, rat-infested studio in NYC), but once you're in, you're golden. That means that if you can make rent each month, there are myriad ways to live cheaply in today's most desirable metropolises. Here's how, without resorting to a diet of boiled beans and rice for the rest of your (urban) life.

1. Eat at Ethnic Eateries. In smaller towns, there is often one token Thai restaurant, one Mexican place, and maybe an Indian eatery. When there's no competition, prices go up, so you end up paying a lot more than you should for a veggie meal. But in the city, competition is fierce, keeping the prices down at some of our favorite veg destinations. Think Vietnamese sandwiches for $4, veggie burritos and falafels for $5, and Thai lunch specials for $6. And given the ample portion sizes expected in the city, these dishes can easily be spread out over two meals. Lunch and dinner for just $2.50 a pop? I like that.

2. Free Entertainment is Everywhere. Having lived in a city for most of my adult life, I am often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of weekend activities that present themselves every Friday. We're talking multiple concerts, multiple walking tours, multiple lectures, plus hundreds of activities you never even hear about. Included in this lengthy list is lots of free activities. In San Francisco, I love summer concerts at Stern Grove, book signings at my local book shop, and roaming the aisles of our year-round farmers' markets. There are also plenty of museums that are either always free or offer free admission at least once a month.

3. No Need for Gyms. Besides the fact that I can't stand gyms, there really is no need to pay for a fancy gym membership in a large city. Urban parks provide miles of trails for walking, hiking, and bicycle riding; the local Y or high school offers cheap swimming passes; and free yoga classes exist in nearly every city, especially in the summer (don't miss Saturday morning yoga at Chicago's Millennium Park).

4. Huge Library Network. The bigger the city, the often better the library system—which provides absolutely free books and DVDs for your reading/viewing pleasure. Growing up, I loved my small-town library, but that hard-to-find book you just have to have will exist somewhere in the vast network of urban libraries. And with new state-of-the-art of lending systems, you can request and renew books online so to avoid those pesky late fees!

5. Living Car Free. Hands down, being able to ditch the car (and insurance and gasoline and parking and maintenance) is one of my favorite things about living in a city. This amounts to huge cost savings, even with a monthly bus or train pass along with the occasional cab fare and rental car charges. Because public transportation is often good in urban areas, there's just no need to have a car—and you'll get some free exercise while walking or biking to your favorite veg restaurant for that scrumptious lunch special.

The Final Word: I admit: Rent doesn't come cheap in some of today's hottest veg-friendly cities. But if you're yearning to live (or better manage your budget) in Seattle, Boston, or New York , and don't know how you're going to swing it, take it from me. It can be done, without sacrificing your quality of life.

Homemade Dog Treats

The one and only Boo Bear

The Topic: Cheap Canine Treats

The Dish: I adopted my dog Boo this past December, and he's pretty much the best ever. While I grew up surrounded by animals, he's the first that has been solely my responsibility, and I'll tell you the biggest lesson I've learned: Dogs are expensive. Totally worth it? Yes. Could I stand to spend a bit less on toys, treats, and every other ridiculous canine-themed thing I see? Oh yeah.

There are plenty of healthy, store-bought treats that he likes, but just like with my own food, it can be much cheaper—and satisfying—to whip up a batch of dog chow or small bites in your kitchen. I mentioned It's A Vegan Dog's Life last week, and it's definitely worth a read. On top of all the great advice on raising a healthy dog (vegan or otherwise), it has more than 50 recipes, such as Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Peanut Butter Cake, to keep the Boo in your life happy.

In the meantime, whip up a batch of these peanut butter treats, courtesy of VegWeb.com member VeganRun.

Oliver's Favorite Doggy Treats

What You Need:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flax seeds
1-1/4 cups rolled oats
1-3/4 cup brown rice flour

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine and add canola oil.
2. In a separate bowl, combine nutritional yeast, flax seeds, oats, and flour. Add to wet mixture and mix well.
3. On a piece of parchment paper, roll mixture out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.
4. Remove plastic wrap and with a knife, score the dough, making whatever size pieces you wish. If you want to get fancy, feel free to use cookie cutters.
5. Cook the scored dough until crispy and no longer soft in the middle, about 1 hour 45 minutes for small treats. Halfway through, remove the dough and carefully break apart pieces. When they're crisp, take out of the oven and let cool.
   

The Final Word: Once you start cooking for your canine, you can go off-book and design your own recipes featuring his or her favorite foods. Just be sure to stay away from poisonous ingredients, including chocolate, raisins, garlic, and walnuts. With a little research and some time in the kitchen, you'll have one happy pup on your hands.

Bonus: In other huge news, today is the official 10th anniversary of VegNews! Celebrate with us and enter to win one of our brand-new tote bags. We're giving away 10 at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm PST. Good luck, and thanks for making this milestone possible!

Cheap Cleaning Solutions

The Topic: Cheap, Clean, and Green

The Dish: Truth time, my dear readers: I'm a total slob. I could try to lie and say, "I'm just a bit messy. I like my space to feel lived in!" but that is called blatant denial. It seems like every year I have to face my dirt demons, due to my inability to stay in one place for very long. I'm in the middle of a cross-city move at the moment, and after days of cleaning, I just keep telling myself that next time, I'll do better. The silver lining to this moving mayhem is discovering some awesome cleaning products that not only can kick the ass of my apartment filth, but also don't cost an excessive amount of money or use harmful, harsh ingredients.

1. Baking Soda. Tried and true, baking soda is king at killing odors, and helped remedy the horror that was my food explosion-filled fridge. Sprinkled over a damp surface, it made pulling up stuck-on grime a cinch, and took away the awful smell of days(weeks?)-old sweet-and-sour sauce (I will stand by that that was a guest's doing, not mine). Mixed with hot water, it also deodorized the produce bins, as well as my household trash cans. The uses for it are endless, and it's delightfully cheap.

2. White Vinegar. Another classic standby, it's amazing what vinegar can do. Diluted with water, it's a great counter cleaner once I'd removed the heavy grime with baking soda. It also made an impressive window wash and removed all the mineral build-up in my electric kettle (for this, I let it soak overnight). I also keep reading about how baking soda and vinegar make not only a great 6th grade science experiment, but also a dandy drain cleaner, though I have yet to try it. Another favorite use is soaking pesky adhesives with a vinegar solution—think stickers on the fridge, furniture, and bathroom decals—making them much easier to remove.

3. Bon Ami. How this company has been around since 1886 and I just discovered their powder cleanser a few weeks ago, I'll never know. Baking soda is great, but for the real heavy grime—think stained stove burners, shower grout, impossible tile floors—a healthy sprinkle of Bon Ami, a little water, and some determined scrubbing make everything good as new. Non-toxic, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic, it also comes in a recycled paper container which can be recycled again, and costs less than $2. And of course, no animals were harmed in its making. If you're not ready to go the au naturel route, get some Bon Ami.

The Final Word: I know this is just scratching the surface of cheap at-home cleaning, but it's a start! Feel free to share your favorite DIY solutions, as well as any other products you've discovered and love. I could use the advice, and make a promise right now: This time next year, I won't be in the same, slobby situation.

Wardrobe Makeover

The Topic: New Clothes for No Cash

The Dish: With May already speeding along, it'll be officially summer in no time. For this lady, that means the Cocktail soundtrack on repeat, extra naps on the beach, and new, summery clothes. While the first two are pleasantly free of charge (because who doesn't own that piece of musical mastery already?), the last bit can take a little work to keep cheap. But guess what? It isn't hard, and I can save some much-needed money—a girl's gotta eat (burritos).

The easiest way to score free clothes—and I know you've heard this before, but seriously—host a clothing swap. Invite your stylish friends over, have them call their stylish friends, and so on, until you have a big game of clothes-swapping telephone going and your apartment is full of people and their fancy duds.

Once everyone shows up, closet rejects in tow, kick off the evening with some cheap snacks. (May I suggest some Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and a bottle of Charles Shaw Shiraz? Go classier, if you must.) Help organize the articles by clear-cut categories (shirts, jeans, dresses, muumuus—the usual), and finally let the shoppers loose—watch those Doritos-stained hands! From here, it's up to you how to handle it. If it's just a few close friends, take turns picking and choosing favorites. If you've managed to wrangle in 20 style-hungry women and men (you're so popular!), working out a ticket system might be better to avoid wine-fueled fights over last year's designer top.

If there are clothing leftovers, guests can either collectively decide to donate them to a local charity, or each person can take her or his leftovers. If you have extras and want to try and make a little cash, hit up the resale shops in your city, such as Buffalo Exchange, Plato's Closet, and Crossroads. Keeping your earnings as store credit earns a bit more, so if it's truly new clothes you're after, this is a win-win.

The Final Word: Not having any luck with resale shops? Check back for a very special guest post on how to get the most cash for your cast-off clothes!

Cheap Eats: Tortillas!

The Topic: Flat-Out Fab Food

The Dish: Besides biscuits, there's one other recipe I rely on regularly when I'm in need of cheap food and/or the illusion of a fancy (read: homemade) meal: motherflippin' tortillas. And by that, I mean my Mother taught me how to flip them—her recipe and tortilla expertise has guided me to where I am today.

Using dirt-cheap ingredients, similar to their quick-bread counterpart, these tortillas are easy peasy and turn taco night into a high-class affair. If you're not in the mood for a rice-and-beans burrito, that's okay—Mom has a ton of delicious suggestions for this flat-bread base, including cheesy garlic, sweet saffron, and even chocolate dessert variations. For now, I'll share two secret recipes with you: The Original, and Classic PB&J.

"The Original" Tortilla

What You Need:

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes.

2. Form dough into a ball, then place onto lightly floured countertop. Divide into 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a round, and, with a rolling pin, roll out lightly on one side.

3. Over high heat, place cast-iron skillet. Cook tortillas in ungreased skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook other side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Classic PB&J

What You Need:

1 cup flour

Dash sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon agave syrup

What You Do:

Same as The Original! Except when these are finished, smother with your favorite jam, maybe some more peanut butter, and devour the best PB&J ever.

A few tips from Mom aka the Tortilla Queen:

• When rolling out tortillas, only roll on one side—no flipping!
• Don't be afraid to sprinkle the PB 'tillas with a little more flour when rolling. These will have a slightly different texture than The Original.
• You'll probably just want to make a double batch, because these will be gone in no time.

The Final Word: Sure, you could just buy a pack of tortillas at the store, but that isn't fun, and it's more expensive (unless you're buying those mega-packs of corn tortillas for like 50 cents or something insane, but do those have peanut butter in them?). Don't be afraid to experiment with add-ins—these are really hard to screw up. And if you try out a really awesome (or awful, god forbid) let me know!

Vegan Makeup: Urban Decay

The Topic: Invest in the Best

The Dish: I love Urban Decay. I know it is an obvious choice for vegan makeup, but seriously—have you tried the products? None of their sparkly, shiny goods are tested on animals, and many are vegan, denoted by a cute little paw-print icon. A lot of companies can give you the runaround when it comes to the veg status of their lines, from vague statements about “finished products” to the indecipherable ingredients lists (look for a more in-depth post in the future about veg-friendly drugstore brands!). Urban is straight up, “Hey vegans, we love you.”

Because these products are a bigger investment than the $1 eyeliner of my early teens, there are a couple of considerations to get the most for your money. Urban’s online store features a special R.I.P. section, featuring discontinued items at discount prices. Currently, you can snag a snazzy lip pencil for $9 ($14 value). Sound like a lot? Sometimes price really does reflect quality, and my Urban goods, including a collection of beloved, shimmery, versatile eyeshadows, last months and months. They also don’t pull the midday disappearing act of their cheaper counterparts.

If you have other skincare shopping to do, Sephora stocks Urban Decay along with other vegan brands (such as Pacifica, whose Blood Orange Body Butter is only $5 right now!). Shopping online promises free product samples, but in store, you have the luxury of a makeover—depending on how you feel about sharing germs. Nearly every cosmetic in the store is available for testing (including Urban) either by your own hand or with the help of a sales associate. Grab a cotton swab, pick your favorite products, and get fancy before dinner and a movie—for free.

The Final Word: If Urban’s prices still seems too steep, don’t worry—the company has a 45-day money-back guarantee. Wear it a few days, see how you like it, and if you’re not wowed, return it. Sephora operates a similar policy, upholding a very pleasant, 30-day no-questions-asked rule. Opened or not, they’ll take care of you (speaking from personal experience). Goodbye, buyer’s remorse!

Cheap Eats: The Biscuit Edition

The Topic: The Art of Biscuitry

The Dish: The general equation for eating on the cheap is simple: groceries plus kitchen equals affordable food. Due to my inherently lazy nature and string of excuses—

"It's too early to cook. I'm tired."

"It's too late to cook. I'm tired."

"It's the weekend! I want a burrito."

—sometimes it can be difficult for me to motivate and make the most of my dollars and pantry. Enter: The Biscuit. This five-ingredient beauty has gotten me through some tough times, including a post-college stint in Arkansas in which my sister and I subsisted mainly on their floury goodness.

They make regular appearances during my lunch shifts at the VNHQ, and for a few good reasons:

1. They’re cheap. Using the most basic baking ingredients, a double-batch helps feed a famished staff and is super affordable, clocking in at a couple bucks.
2. They’re easy, using only five common pantry ingredients. If you never bake and don’t buy flour on the regular, stocking up won’t set you back much, and it promises future batches.
3. They’re customizable. From the basic recipe, you can go anywhere with add-ins—sweet, savory, spiced—and it’s incredibly friendly to ingredient substitutions.

These have impressed everyone from homemade-bread aficionados to biscuits ‘n’ gravy-loving omnivores, and they take literally minutes to make from mixing bowl to mouth. The recipe is so simple that I have it committed to memory, and it’ll be no time before you do, too. If you’re baking for a crowd or planning for the week ahead, I recommend doubling the recipe.

Abby's Cheap-Ass Biscuits

Makes 9 small or 6 medium biscuits

What You Need:

1-2/3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup non-dairy milk

1/3 cup oil

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and oil, and mix until just combined.
2. With a 1/4-cup measuring cup, ice-cream scoop, or your clean hands, drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.
3. Top with non-hydrogenated margarine, syrup, jam, peanut butter, gravy, or anything else that you could possibly put on bread. Devour!

The Final Word: Like I said, this recipe can be taken in many directions. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of flours, oils, and milks (I love olive oil and almond milk), and add-ins are the best: garlic, fresh herbs, vegan cheese (1 cup of shredded cheese and a few cloves of garlic make the best cheese biscuits ever!), oats and raisins, etc. You can even skip the oven and throw spoonfuls in the skillet if you don’t want to heat up the house. I could go on forever. Can you tell how much I love these freaking biscuits? Go crazy with your imagination—or whatever you have on hand—and enjoy!

21st Century Coupons

The Topic: Living the good life, half price

The Dish: When I was little, my mom used to cut me a deal when it came to cutting coupons: For every penny-saver I snipped that was used, I pocketed the difference. Sure, it didn’t really save us any money on groceries, but Mom broke even and I walked away with a few dollars to my name (you can get a lot of banana Laffy Taffy for $5.) Today, I never manage to clip coupons, partly because I’m pressed for time and partly because finding relevant products is a rarity.

While I recommend keeping your eyes open while flipping through the Sunday paper (assuming, of course, you still read the paper), there’s another option for the city-bound and tech-inclined—Groupon, a website focused on daily deals offering around 50 percent off a huge range of goods and services, from restaurant gift certificates to discounted dance classes. San Francisco even had a deal recently where buyers received $50 worth of organic groceries for $25. If we were playing NBA Jam right now, that would certainly get a “Boomshakalaka!”

Currently, Groupon operates in 52 cities across the US and offers a handy request form to get your city on the map. There’s one deal a day, and a certain number of people have to buy in before it’s finalized, so passing the word along to your cash-strapped friends is encouraged. If you manage to wrangle some referrals, you can even earn account credit—real-live spendable dollars—and score more savings.

The Final Word: Registration is free, and it's a simple way to score a great bargain with minimal effort. Get registered, sign up for daily e-mail alerts, and embrace all that is Groupon.