On preparing for recession (as a vegan)

Here are some tips on keeping yourself from going hungry when the budget gets tight

I’ve been making videos on TikTok for a while about how to eat a high-quality, high-fiber vegan diet on a low budget. On the app, there’s often a search suggestion that indicates what people put in the search bar after they watch my videos. This week, a new one is showing up: “how to prepare for recession.” Woof.

Taking a moment to search for this myself on Google, I’m seeing so much advice that’s just not applicable to people like me. I don’t have any investment assets, and neither do half of my fellow Americans. Selling off or moving money aren’t options for me, because there’s nothing to sell and nothing to move. Recession-proof my career? Those used to be health and government careers, but I’m specialized in a field of health research that was essentially cancelled by the executive branch and most of my hard skills are being taught to AIs. Great! Learn to grow food? I live in an apartment with no outdoor space that I’m allowed to use.

After housing and transportation, though, the biggest expenses for poor households are food, and that’s something that we can actually do something about. So, from a super average poor person to other super average poor people, here are 7 tips for saving money in the kitchen as the economy collapses around us: