i eat almost solely whole foods. buy tons of veggies and fruits at the farmers markets and buy other stuff in bulk at the co-op. if it's something that's really expensive i would just eliminate it from my diet.

this.
I buy a olive-oil based margarine that I use just for baking, and a carton of soymilk maybe once every two weeks, and otherwise everything we eat is beans/grains/produce, nothing 'specialty' or 'vegan', and it's all dirt cheap.  Vegan shopping is waaaay cheaper than omnivorous shopping so long as you don't pick up packaged/processed stuff.

ditto!  when I'm low on cash I feed 2 people for about $20 a week

2 bunches of greens: $2
2 bags beans: $3
1 bag brown rice:$1.50
1 box whole wheat pasta: $1.50
2 cans tomatoes (with no salt:) $1
2 cans tomato sauce: $0.50
1 bag carrots: $1
2 bags frozen veggies $2
1 melon:$3
1 pk mushrooms: $2
1 loaf of whole wheat bread or pack of tortillas or whole wheat pitas: $1
1 bag of apples: $2.50

Grand total: $21
When i have a little extra, I alternate buying bulk items. 1 week i may get some soy sauce and spices, another week I'll get flour, another I'll get a bag of potatoes, another week I'll get onions, and I just rotate the staple items that way.  Plus I mean, like I don't need say rice every week because we may not eat it all the week before, so that would clear up almost $2 for the next week.  IT can be done!

I have a soapbox about this-- I'll refrain from fully climbing up there, but why the (expletive expletive expletive) do we, as a society, continue to allow government subsidies of beef and dairy industries, and of course the non-organic corn to feed high-density factory-farmed creatures, instead of subsidizing the healthy stuff?  Heart disease is the #1 killer of adults in America; diabetes rates in adults and children have skyrocketed; obesity is being called a national epidemic.... and we subsidize the biggest, most proven causes of all these things, instead of fruits/ veggies/ beans/ REAL food?! Wow, that's not smart of us!

That doesn't help, of course, but it's still true....  Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.

You may not be able to get the quick-&-easy pre-made vegan stuff, but (as others have also said) bulk rice, beans, peanut butter, & in-season fruits & veg at a local market are really pretty cost-effective... you just might have to get in the habit of making a lot of things from scratch, and maybe having less variety than you'll be able to afford when finances are less stressful.

I do think that, like with someone trying to quit cigarettes, 'less is better'...  even if you can't always do it 100%, the less animal products you consume, the better your mind/ body/ planet will be.

Good luck-- don't give up!

Have you applied for WIC or foodstamps? Both allow for plenty of vegan options now, like soymilk, beans some veggies, juice, peanut butter...There is a produce store here that sells stuff that would be too ripe to sit in the regular grocery store, so I can get big things of fruit and veg for cheap and then either freeze or bake it up. A lot of cities have places like that. Not sure if you would. Earth Balance is expensive, but at our Sam's Club they have a huge tub of the vegan Smart Balance for $5.00, and that would last you for a long time. You can also put in a request for the soymilk there. Ours carries Silk, but I live in kind of a hippy-dippy place. If you plan out meals ahead of time, you can do it. I always have fruit and veggies and then stock up when canned beans or rice or tomatoes or whatever goes on sale. Make double and freeze it, too. It doesn't cost much more to make a big batch of, say, soup, and then you'll have it for later in the month.

Bean recipes...I  need bean recipes that are tasty!!!  That I think would help!!!

You could make tacos / burritos with some refried beans.

ditto!  when I'm low on cash I feed 2 people for about $20 a week

2 bunches of greens: $2
2 bags beans: $3
1 bag brown rice:$1.50
1 box whole wheat pasta: $1.50
2 cans tomatoes (with no salt:) $1
2 cans tomato sauce: $0.50
1 bag carrots: $1
2 bags frozen veggies $2
1 melon:$3
1 pk mushrooms: $2
1 loaf of whole wheat bread or pack of tortillas or whole wheat pitas: $1
1 bag of apples: $2.50

Grand total: $21
When i have a little extra, I alternate buying bulk items. 1 week i may get some soy sauce and spices, another week I'll get flour, another I'll get a bag of potatoes, another week I'll get onions, and I just rotate the staple items that way.  Plus I mean, like I don't need say rice every week because we may not eat it all the week before, so that would clear up almost $2 for the next week.  IT can be done!

thanks for posting this, I love reading what other people buy and how cheaply it can be done

Beans and pasta are quite doable.  Think about what spices and herbs you like.  Heat up a pot of beans and add said spices and herbs, possibly a can of generic diced tomatoes.  Serve it over pasta.  Pair canellini with rosemary and sage, black with lime and cilantro, great northern with thyme and margarine.  Instead of tomatoes use tomato sauce, gravy made from roux and bullion, oil and margarine or just leave it sauceless.

My bullion of choice is Knor Veggie which can be found very very cheap at discount stores.  If you have something like Expect Discounts, ALDI, Christmas Tree Shops, Canned Foods Warehouse or the like near you use them.  Check online what is in season, read the newspaper (or again check online) for store sales on produce, clip coupons.  Again you have to do your research.  Every week. 

Some of my tried and true bean recipes using pasta or no starch are "Tuna" Mushroom Noodle Casserole and Ultimate Vegetarian Chili.  Both can be make relatively cheaply if you find cheap beans and discount veggies.  If you can afford to invest in a small amount of Vital Wheat Gluten make Chickpea cutlets.  I am sure you son would love to gnaw on nuggets of them.

saute onions and red pepper in a stock pot until soft, add garlic, saute for a couple minutes. Throw in your peeled, diced sweet potato, spices, and a can of diced tomatoes. Add in a can or two(depends on how much you want to make) of rinsed and drained black beans. Add broth or water to your desired thickness, and simmer until potatoes are soft.

For spices I use red chile, a bit of clove, and mexican oregano, but you could do whatever you like. Cumin would work well, chile powder, whatever you guys like. This freezes and reheats really well.

What I usually do for beans is make up a dip with some refried beans.  I find that a single can will last two or three big servings, and they aren't terribly expensive.  I usually add salsa and chopped up onions and rice if it's already made and toss the whole thing in the microwave for a few minutes, but you could easily do it with some avocado and fresh tomatoes and bell peppers and get crazy inventive.  I'm not sure how old your son is, but I know dips are generally fun for kids because it's a "hands on" sort of dish.  And, they usually don't take much prep.  :)