Cutting down on meat saved British people more than £2.8 billion last year according to a recent survey. Researchers found that 26% of people in the UK had reduced their meat intake in the last 12 months, saving an average of £209 each.
Meat-eaters in the UK eat meat five days a week on average. And during a typical year they'll spend £752 on meat.
As part of National Vegetarian Week 2019, we asked you on twitter if cutting down on meat was good for your bank balance.
People do save money by going vegan or veggie
Cutting out meat can reduce the cost of your weekly shop. Why not try putting the extra money in a pot and saving towards something else instead?
We have stopped eating meat during the week and save easily £80 a month on our food shop.
— C. Rose Cleaning (@crosecleaning) May 15, 2019
We save about £10-£15 a week by not eating meat and eating more vegan dishes.
— Ashley Moat (@ashleymoat1989) May 15, 2019
Yeah absolutely 👌especially at Christmas, no meat platters, expensive cuts for the roast etc. Where I'd normally spend £100+ on food for Christmas, maybe £50/60 now. The only thing that does annoy me is that veggie dishes at restaurants can be more £ than meat.
— Jamie (@Jamie2090) May 15, 2019
My food bill used to be £60 a week, now it’s £15-£20 👏🏼
— HANNAH ✨ (@hnnhkndrck) May 15, 2019
Not sure exact amount saved but our weekly food shop for 2 is about £30.
We usually cook most from scratch so that saves a lot also!
🤷🏼♀️🍜
— Hollie 📼 (@_hsquared) May 16, 2019But veggie alternatives can be expensive
Be warned that some veggie and vegan alternatives can be just as expensive (and sometimes more!) than meat.
Not really because vegetarian alternatives are often the same price if not more expensive than actual meat. But we feel healthier!
— David Chow 📶 (@davidchow) May 15, 2019
I agree with others. I’m vegan and no change to spending. Expensive meat offset with higher cost of staples like oat milk, tofu etc. Definitely healthier and feel better though.
— Sean Baylis (@seanbaylis) May 15, 2019
If I cook from scratch without meat substitutes then I can save money. I can make a really good vegan curry with just veg and various beans
— Sam (@SamP20) May 15, 2019
You don’t need to cut out meat entirely to save money
You can start by cutting out meat during the week and treating yourself on the weekend!
We have stopped eating meat during the week and save easily £80 a month on our food shop.
— C. Rose Cleaning (@crosecleaning) May 15, 2019
My boyfriend is veggie so I've started using Quorn more often instead of chicken. It tastes great and definitely saves me money!
— Skip Barden (@stephyx_dev) May 16, 2019
Got tips on how to eat less meat and save money?
Read the full thread on twitter and share your tips too 👇
Are you vegan or veggie? We want to know if you save money by not spending on meat, and if so, how much? 🍽️#nationalvegetarianweek
— Monzo (@monzo) May 15, 2019
Thinking of going veggie? Use Monzo to track how much you're saving on groceries and eating out!