Christmas Shopping: My Challenge to Stay Cruelty-Free

This year's Christmas shopping brought new challenges—challenges that were never an issue for all the years before.  This year's shopping would be much different. For this year, I did my Christmas shopping for the first time as a vegan.  I really didn't think much about it as I headed out, but I soon was faced with decisions that would define who I am...now. 

I started my shopping a few months ago.  This year I decided that we would try layaway.  So we picked a store and went out to get it all done in one day. My husband and I decided to split the list and we each went our way throughout the store looking for gifts.  I already had an idea of the kinds of gifts I wanted for the people I was looking for. 

I was looking for handbags for the women on my list.  Every time I found one I liked, I read the label.  I think I read the label on just about every bag in the store.  It is sad that most of them have leather on some part, if not all of the bag.  What's even harder is that not all items label what they are made of.  So in that case, I would smell the bags to see if they smelled like leather. I must have looked like a crazy lady to the other shoppers. 

Needless to say, after sniffing most of the store, we finished our shopping and took them to the layaway department to leave them until they were ready for pick up eight weeks later.  Then yesterday, against my better judgment, I went out again (two days before Christmas) to see if I could find a few extra things for my husband and my daughter. 

I went to this one particular store that I thought I would be able to find what I needed without having to go anywhere else.  As I went in the store, I discovered the perfect handbag...for me! Of course I always find the perfect gifts for myself when I'm shopping for others.  It was way over budget, but I knew that I just had to have it.  So I carried it around with me as a looked for gifts. 

I found some great things for my husband and I wanted to get one more thing...a hat.  My husband loves to wear hats and I love the way he looks in them.  So I looked for one that he doesn't already have.  Then I found it! It was soft, black, sexy and I knew he would love it.  Then I read the label and it was cashmere.  I knew cashmere was made from animals but I didn't know the specifics.  So I grabbed my phone and did a search on cashmere and discovered that it has many of the same cruel practices involved with wool products. 

So I stood there for a few minutes looking at the hat, imagining my husband's face after opening the gift and how it would look of him.  For a second I thought to myself, would it be horrible if I bought this? After all, I don't eat animals and I don't buy any other animal products.  But then I saw the images of the goats and imagined what they might have endured to make this hat and I hung it back on the wall and walked away.

Then I made the really long line in the store, still carrying the handbag that I really couldn't afford.  As I stood in line, making my way to the front, little by little, I began to look more closely at this bag.  I could tell that most of it was made out of a synthetic material.  But then I noticed the strap and there it was...leather.  Or at least what I suspected to be leather.  Once again, the label did not specify the materials so I began to do what I did before, yes smell the bag.  It smelled like leather to me, but because I wanted so desperately for it to not be leather, I kept smelling it hoping that I would change my mind.  I could only imagine what the people around me were thinking. 

I came to the conclusion that it probably was leather and there again I had that conversation with myself in my mind, trying to justify why I could buy it.  But my conscience always wins and when I finally made it to the register, I gave it to the cashier and told her that I didn't want it anymore.  As I left the store, I felt a bit disappointed that I put those items back, but I also felt proud.  I was proud of myself for sticking to a commitment that I made months ago to live a life free of cruelty and suffering.  It's not always an easy way to live, but I could not have it any other way!

Project Food Budget: Week 7

Project Food Budget: Week 7


Week: May 15- May 21
Budget: $120
Spent: $0




This week, once again, I skipped my scheduled shopping trip. This was a busy week for me and I just could not find one day where I had the energy (or motivation) to go shopping. So thanks to enough left over food to make and a few days of take out, we made it through the week without having to visit the grocery store. Even though I put $0 for the amount spent for the week, we did spend on take out and maybe picking up a few things here and there. But I didn' keep count so I can't tell you how much we spent.

Project Food Budget: Week 6

Project Food Budget: Week 6

 Week: May 8- May 14
Budget: $120
Spent: $124


After taking a week off from my budget last week, I knew this week I would have to be extra careful not to go over budget. Well, I did pretty good! I was only over by $4. I decided to go to just one store this week and see if I could get everything I needed there without having to go to more than one place. So I went to my local grocery store and left Whole Foods for next week.


Each week I seem to find more things at my local grocery store. I'm not sure if they are carrying more items, or if I am just getting better at finding them. I am finding many things that I could only find at Whole Foods before. I recently found dairy free ice cream the other day. Sure they don't have the selection that Whole Foods has, but it will hold me over for now. Now if I could only get them to carry vegan cheese!


I used to have three stores that I would shop at, but after a recent shopping trip to one store, where I found old rotting food, mold in the garlic and even maggots in the potatoes, I have decided never to return to that store. Now I see why the prices are cheaper! I would rather have better food and pay more. I may have to increase my budget a bit, but I think it is worth it!!


This Week's Lesson Learned: Be careful shopping at cheap grocery stores...you just might get what you pay for!


On this week's menu:
Tofu Lo Mein
Sloppy Joe's
Shepherd's Pie
Veggie Pasta Marinara



This Week's Participating Blogs:
Emily Levenson
Veggie Converter
Dairy-Free Cooking
Motor City Girl In the Steel City
Veggie Burgher
The Happy Cactus
Test Kitchen Tuesday
Newly Vegan
Veggie on the Cheap
MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
Caroline Cain Holistic Health
Going Veggie
Under The Apple Tree
Be the Change

Vegan Shopping

So yesterday, I did my first vegan shopping trip.  Wow, was that exhausting! I knew that I was going to be there longer than usual but I felt that the day was never going to end.  Before leaving the house, I planned my meals for the week and then made my shopping list (my very long shopping list) and put on my comfortable shoes and then headed out.  I picked up a coffee and then was on my way.  

I wasn't sure which store to shop at; I was torn between three places.  There was Whole Foods, that I just knew was probably the best place to find vegan foods, the grocery store that I usually like to shop at that has quite a good selection of organic and vegetarian foods, and then the store I least like to shop at but is the most affordable.  Since I was not only shopping vegan, but also on a budget, I decided to go to the most affordable place.  Big mistake!! 

You see, not only did I sign up for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart this week, but I also signed up to join Project: Food Budget where bloggers set a weekly food budget and then each week share their experiences.  I didn't realize at first when I signed up for both challenges that they would begin on the same week.  So now not only am I shopping vegan, but on a budget as well! This just may be a really good thing because I think it would be very easy to go way over budget with the vegan shopping. I have found that the better the food, the more it will probably cost. 


So I went to the cheapest grocery store and I quickly found out that this store does not cater to the vegetarian or vegan kind! I began in the produce section.  This was probably the easiest part of the whole trip since most of my list was fresh produce.  Then I moved on to the rest of the list.  This was not so easy.  I think I read the labels on every item I picked up.  I was very surprised to find out that many products contained milk or eggs, products that I would never havethought  did.  For example, I could not find any bread crumbs or croutons that did not contain milk. I had no idea that there was milk in bread crumbs. Maybe I'm just a bit ignorant but I thought it was just...bread! I guess that shows me that you don't really know what's in your food unless you read the label. 


Well, after about two and a half hours later, I had made it through the entire store. I knew that I was not going to continue going to this store.  This store was a place for people on a budget but not those who are looking for healthier foods.  There was not many choices for vegetarians or vegans. And if there was a vegan option, there was only one option and it was not cheap!  There were some products that I could not even find, such as soy cheese and soy yogurt. It was frustrating!


So I have learned that I need to shop at a place that has more options and keeps the vegetarian and vegan shoppers in mind.  I'm sure that if I went to Whole Foods I would be able to find everything I need, but I still need to try to stick to my budget and I don't think I can do that and shop only there.  So next week I will try the other grocery store that is a bit more expensive but has more choices for vegan shoppers. Let's hope I have better luck!