Reddit mentions of Eat Vegan on $4.00 a Day: A Game Plan for the Budget Conscious Cook

This is a great idea for a challenge. I'm not so great at budgeting but I always enjoy reading about other people's money-saving victories.

Budget cooking resources. I only know of two budget cooking cookbooks for vegans, Eat Vegan on $4 a Day by Ellen Jaffe Jones, which I don't have, and Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson, which I do.

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Vegan-4-00-Day-Conscious-ebook/dp/B006IS83W0/

https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cheap-Robin-Robertson-ebook/dp/B00BKROO22/

Vegan on the Cheap is a good money-saving cookbook, especially if you're fast in the kitchen. The thing about trying to budget is that you often have to trade time, creativity and effort for money. Some of the recipes in the cookbook are geared toward making your own staples rather than purchasing them at the store. Others use affordable ingredients like potatoes, cabbage, lentils and winter squash to create tasty main courses. Each meal lists its supposed cost although food has gone up in price since this cookbook was published, so I'm not sure how helpful that is.

While I don't own it, Miyoko Schinner's The Homemade Vegan Pantry is a cookbook of staples. I suspect it's also money-saving for that reason. Maybe those who have this cookbook can weigh in on whether it is?

https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples-ebook/dp/B00NRQXT70

These are a couple of college cookbooks that say they have affordable vegan recipes, though I have no personal experience with them. Maybe someone can weigh in on them? The are:

PETA's Vegan College Cookbook

https://www.amazon.com/PETAS-Vegan-College-Cookbook-Delicious-ebook/dp/B01CO4HH4Q

Student's Go Vegan Cookbook by Carole Raymond

https://www.amazon.com/Students-Go-Vegan-Cookbook-Recipes-ebook/dp/B003EVJKIU

There is a new money-saving vegan cookbook in the works that won't be out until June, Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen.

https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Vegan-Affordable-Delicious-Cooking-ebook/dp/B01MQ3O7DK/

Finally, I'd like to recommend a book on money-saving that is entertaining as well as educational, The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Promoting-Alternative/dp/0375752250

Dacyczyn and her husband's dream was to raise a family of six kids, but to do this, the Dacyczyns had to become radical money savers. They tried and tested many money-saving strategies, and eventually began to publish a newsletter. Their newsletter subscribers contributed suggestions of their own. This book is a compilation of all their newsletters. It is somewhat dated, since they were published in the 1990s, but many of the money saving tips in it can still be applied.

Did you know that soy flour sold in bulk makes a good egg substitute in baked goods? I didn't either, until I read this book. Did you know that you can calculate the energy costs you accrue when you turn on the oven for an hour? This book shows how it can be done. The book also has some strategies for how to grocery shop -- the authors take in account not only prices at the supermarkets in their area, but also the cost of gasoline when they make multiple trips.

They're not vegan, and many of their strategies were too radical for me, but I really enjoyed reading about their creativity and ingenuity.

These are all the resources I know of, off the top of my head, but I'm really looking forward to hearing what books and blogs others have tried!

Work on expanding your social network to find friends, acquaintances and strangers that can help you, and perhaps you can help in exchange. This could help you get childcare, a place to live and another, perhaps better-paying job. Friends can make life suck less too. Groups on Meetup.com and Facebook are good places to start. Look for groups for moms, single moms, working moms, anything that interests you and any subculture that you consider yourself a part of or might want to join. Most Meetup groups have mailing lists and discussion boards where you can post requests for or offers to help.

I don't know your socioeconomic background or ethnicity, but don't limit yourself to people just like you or worry too much about how you are perceived by others or will be. This applies whoever you are, but especially if you grew up poor or are a person of color. White liberal guilt is this nation's greatest untapped resource.

Whether you are religious, spiritual but not religious, secular humanist or whatever, there is likely a community for you near you. Find it; participate somehow; make connections. It's good for expanding your social network, giving you a sense of community and getting you through difficult times. Unitarian Churches are very welcoming, though I have found that the accusation that they have minds so open that their brains fall out is often accurate. For a more secular community, check out Sunday Assembly.

Many cities have established childcare sharing groups, or you could start your own. See https://www.babysitterexchange.com. I'm not a mom. I haven't used it, but maybe it could help.

Leverage local social services as much as you can. They may be able to help with childcare, food, shelter, job search, and job training. Your local United Way should be able to tell you what's available. See http://www.211.org/ or dial 211.

$5 day is pretty good, but how healthy is it? I recommend this book. Beans are cheap, nutritious and covered by WIC! Soymilk, tofu, breakfast cereal and peanut butter are covered too! Your local vegheads, hippies and anarchists can hook you up with all kinds of stuff, especially food. Try freecycle instead of buying things, though you'll likely need to offer something first.