Living Large for Less

Downturn, shmownturn. Just because the economy’s been circling the drain for a while now doesn’t mean we need to forego the good parts of life. While pinching pennies is never a bad idea, knowing when to let them go can be about a thousand times more fun, especially when you know exactly how to make the most of each one. Most of us probably aren’t planning any around-the-world trips right this second, but that’s no reason to think that all good times must cease until we’re magically millionaires. (OK, so maybe we weren’t all millionaires at the best of economic times, either.) Great meals, easy entertaining, and maybe just one or two splurges here and there make for a life that’s rich in experience, if not in moola.

We’ve pulled together three plans, each for a varying level of income. Whether you’ve always been of the thrifty persuasion (aka been a broke college student), or you’ve been forced to downsize from your $20 million mansion to one that’s worth a mere $5 million since Madoff made off with your money, we’ve got a rundown on the best buys for vegetarians—from food to fashion.

The Young & Hungry Idealist
Disposable income: $300/year
What’s in your shopping cart?: Free samples from the farmers’ market, thrift-store t-shirts
Inner circle: Colleagues from campus AR and Green Party groups, local co-op clerks
Fave dining spot: College cafeteria and grassy knoll at the park
Last vacation: What vacation?
Must-have groceries: Bananas, broccoli, dry beans, garlic, green onions, miso, multigrain bread, peanut butter, red bell peppers, rice, romaine lettuce, spinach, tofu, tomatoes, tortillas
Your story: You’re 20 years old, and one broke cookie. After moving to the big city to “make it,” you’re now just barely making rent. What you do have, though, is a teeny bit of play money—300 smackeroos, to be exact—to blow on whatever your little heart fancies. Getting freebie yoga classes by volunteering at a studio takes care of your workout requirement. For entertainment, there’s Saturday night penny poker with friends with a one-dollar buy-in, lubricated with only the finest: Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s. And one mustn’t forget the 2am, 100-percent-off Dumpster Food Special—don’t knock that free-ness until you’re a hungry activist with nothing to spend but goodwill and your youth. The one thing you don’t count change on is the best body care on the market—Zuzu Luxe cosmetics, Derma e moisturizer, and Giovanni hair prods so that your hair shines like the million bucks that you so don’t have. At the market, your motto is: Waste not, want not. Frugality certainly needn’t equate with fuddy-duddyness, and with smart buys you’ll be able to make great meals—this week and next week. Combine simple flavors for scrumptious results. Make quick tacos of beans, rice, and grilled green onions; warm, homey miso soup with spinach and cubed tofu; quick, crustless quiche with broccoli and bell pepper; and, of course, all the Elvis-style peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches you like.

The Up & Coming Do-Gooder
Disposable income: $3,000/year
What’s in your shopping cart?: Weekly home delivery from local CSA, Geoff Rowley-designed Vans slip-ons
Inner circle: Friends from yoga class, the waitress at the local veg diner
Fave dining spot: Soul Vegetarian in Atlanta
Last vacation: Weekend getaway to Portland, Ore.
Must-have groceries: Angel-hair pasta, balsamic vinegar, capers, cherry tomatoes, frozen artichokes, peaches, pineapple, red-leaf lettuce, rice-wine vinegar, russet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms
Your story: Congrats! You’ve landed that non-profit job stabbing baby seal clubbers in the eye. (Figuratively speaking, duh. What? You think this work pays?) This affords you, oh, $3,000 a year in splurge funds. First big buy? That would be a Vitamix and some cookbooks, maybe Moskowitz’s, since you’re all post-punk now. Later, for a special-occasion treat, go nuts on Chinese Laundry satin flats and a real swank haircut à la Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction at your neighborhood Paul Mitchell salon. At home, get all fancy with some organic hemp sheets to roll around in while you dream of the day that the seal-pelt industry officially becomes the seal-hugging industry. Breathe a little breath of relaxation: you’ve got enough money in the bank to cover this grocery trip, and could even indulge in a post-grocery-shopping latte, so you can be a little looser with your purse strings. By adding more flavor-packed elements, like shiitake mushrooms, you’ll get more out of your meals for just a few extra bucks. Take your everyday eats to the next level this week with flavorful additions to staple meals. For dinners, make quick Italian-inspired pasta tossed with capers and artichokes or oven-roasted potatoes with a chopped-shiitake drizzle. When the urge for something sweet hits, splash fresh peaches with balsamic vinegar for a light, refreshing dessert.

The High-Rolling Herbivore
Disposable income: $30,000/year
What’s in your shopping cart?: Truffle oil, Prius with hemp interior, solar-paneled summer house in the Hamptons
Inner circle: Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman, and the owners of New York City’s Jivamukti Yoga School
Fave dining spot: Candle Café in Manhattan
Last vacation: Dubai
Must-have groceries: Apricots, asparagus, avocados, blueberries, Bosc pears, broccolini, fennel, French fingerling potatoes, fresh artichokes, garam masala, hemp oil, kalamata olives, raspberries, saffron, smoked paprika, star anise, white truffle oil
Your story: Sure, you’re used to a steadier—and stronger—cash flow than most, but it’s still a good idea to take stock of how your stocks are being spent. After opening your own yoga studio, it’s time to hook up a few of those young-and-hungry activists—who could have been you earlier in life—with work-trade gigs. With a surplus $30,000 to spend this year, you’ll be jetting to Thailand for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. After that, instead of heading straight to New York City for a weekend of overindulging on Olsenhaus shoes, like you might have in years past, order those puppies online. Of course, one mustn’t forget one’s roots: make hefty donations to Food Not Bombs, Mercy For Animals, and Animal Place to fund all your fellow activists and animal rescuers, many of whom depend on donations and get really strapped for cash during hard times. Since you’ve been pretty tame in your big-time spending—not even one trip to the French Riviera this year!—feel free to indulge when it comes to food. Exotic spices are really what set this list apart, as they’ll transform any recipe into five-star fare. Fancier veggies lend themselves to more indulgent cooking, so go on, get some equally inspiring seasonings to make their flavors really pop. When you’re using top-notch ingredients, cook to impress: finish off your fingerling-potato salad with white-truffle oil, caramelize your pears in sugar and star anise, and make simple salads explode with flavor when you combine avocado, fennel, raspberries, and a hemp-oil-based dressing. Of course, hosting a dinner for a few of those up-and-comers who still can’t quite afford the goodies you can, will make everything taste better.