Plant Based Recipes On A Budget With The 99! - TheVegLife (2024)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are my own. #Doingthe99#CollectiveBias

So many times I have heard people say, “I would eat more plant-based, but it’s so expensive!” That’s why I am reallyexcited to be bringing youPlant Based Recipes On A Budget With The 99! At the end of this post, I’ll share my savings by choosingthe 99 Cents Only Store versus a local chain grocery store! My goal was to prepare healthy, plant-based, warmer weather meals for you without compromising quality. The 99 is a great place to find all your Spring needs on a budget!

About the 99…

99 Cents Only Stores have all of your favorite name brands at a price that can’t be beat and there is always something new and exciting. You never know what you’ll find when you “do the 99”! The 99 has fresh, affordable produce everyday that allows you to eat healthy on a budget and I’m about to show you how.

They are located in California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada, so if you are lucky enough to live in one of these states, let’s go shopping at the 99! Here is my grocery haul whereI spent just $20.08. I made two complete meals, two drinks and two desserts … with lots of leftover ingredients for even more recipes. The point being, you don’t have to be wealthy to eat healthy 🙂

If you are shopping on a budget, make the 99 your first stop. Here is a quick look at just some of the produce they carried the day I was there. As the name implies, nearly everything is just 99 cents but there are a few items at the $1.99 and up level.

Before I show you just how much I saved by shopping at the 99, let’s take a look at two complete meals I was able to prepare using my $20 worth of ingredients. Technically $18, as I bought a reusable shopping bag and also a bag of carrots that was meant for my personal stash. Yep, I made two separate purchases 🙂

The first meal was a Portobello Fajita Bowl complete with rice, peppers, black beans, a homemade tomato salsa. I offeredit with optional vegetarian choices such as shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream and guacamole. If you are vegan, I’ll assume you more than likely already have dairy-free alternatives to these at home. That means you have extra money to spend elsewhere! I served my fajitas with fresh tortillas that were lightly grilled. I purchased a pineapple and two large bags of lemons which in part, made a homemade Grilled Pineapple Lemonade. Last up in this meal, whole watermelon that I cut into wedges for a refreshing dessert. I mean, just LOOK at that meal. It doesn’t look like budget food, but it is!

With my leftovers from the previous meal, I purchased tortilla chips tocreate Fajita Nachos (which wereamazing). Top with more of the shredded cheese, sour cream and even some guacamole. I served it with a super easywatermelon slushie and for dessert, a frozen sorbet made from that same Pineapple Lemonade above.

Let’s Talk About The Leftover Groceries…

Even after preparing two meals, two drinks and two desserts, you will still have produce and groceries left over. For instance, I had one whole bag of lemons, 3/4 bag of rice, someof the black beans, one whole bag of mini peppers, all of the carrots, a third of thebag of cheese, 3 white onions, 3/4 of the tortillas, 5 Campari tomatoes, most of the guacamole, sour cream and a LOT of watermelon left to slice up. That’s still a substantial amount of food to work with. For instance, you could make rice stuffed peppers, a cheesy quesadilla with toppings or even black beans and tomato rice.

And last but certainly not least, the savings comparison…

After I shopped the 99, I went to my local everyday chain grocery store that I shop at frequently. I photocopied my receipt so that I could reference my purchases and get the closest possible items for comparison. In many cases, I was able to find the exact same brand, size, etc.

The biggest deal at the 99 proved to be the lemons! They have been running consistently high at local grocery stores. But, there were several items that couldn’t even come close to the 99 such as the pineapple, tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, etc. Just take a look below…

Yes, I saved a whopping $45.06 by doing my shopping at the 99! I was so impressed, that I now plan to make weekly trips there and am even planning on doing a few more hauls/posts for you. This was so much fun!

If you are interested in learning more, please visit the 99 Cents Only Storewebsite. You can also check out their Facebook page, Instagram account, YouTubeorTwitter.

Let me know in the comments below if you shop at the 99 and feel free to post your haul photos as well. I’d love to see them! 🙂

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