According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, removing meat and dairy products can help lower your grocery bill. The study published in JAMA Network Open found that consumers could save an estimated $500 a year if they opted to go vegan. Scientists say you can lower your food costs by 16% if you cut dairy and meat out of your diet. "We knew that a vegan diet significantly reduces your risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and now we have proof that opting for beans instead of beef will also lead to significant savings on your grocery bill," said Hana Kahleova of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The analysis involved splitting a group of people into two, with one enjoying a low-fat vegan diet, while the other made no changes. To assess the cost of food, each person’s dietary record was compared with food price data from the Department of Agriculture’s Thrifty Food Plan. Vegan shoppers enjoyed savings of 16% ($1.51 daily), while the other group saw no significant changes to their expenditure. Researchers highlighted meat ($1.77 a day) & dairy ($0.74 a day) as the most costly items while avoiding eggs is also beneficial to your savings. Though vegans spend more on vegetables, roughly $1.03 per day, the money they save by avoiding animal food products sees them save more.