Hi Ivy,
Going vegan can be easier if you first find 5 or 6 vegan dishes that you really enjoy and that really satisfy you. These might be hearty, meatless versions of dishes that you already enjoy - whole wheat pasta with lentils, soup with sliced vegan sausage, whole wheat pita with hummus, rice dishes, etc. Once these vegan dishes become part of your regular eating, it won't be such a big deal to leave behind your old meat dishes.
Keeping it simple is also helpful. No need to make any 10 ingredient dishes (unless you enjoy doing so). Boil some pasta, add some mashed tofu (kind of looks like ricotta cheese), pour on jarred sauce, and serve with a dark green salad. Done! Oatmeal is good at any meal. Carrots, melons, and citrus fruits are nutritious snacks. Peanut or walnut butter on whole grain bread also very good.
No need to obsess over nutrients, either (unless you have an existing nutrient deficiency). Plant foods are healthy. There's nothing nutritionally magical about meat. A vegan daily multivitamin is a good idea, just to fill in any little nutritional "gaps". Amazon sells a variety of them - many are affordable:
Amazon.com : vegan multivitamin. In particular, Deva multivitamins (available with or without iron) sell for about $12 for a 3 month supply.
Vitamin B12 supplementation is essential for all vegans - vegan daily multivitamins contain B12, or you can choose a once-weekly B12 supplement of 2000 micrograms. B12 supplements are very inexpensive (typically $2 to $3 per month).
For calcium, there are several different calcium-fortified plant "milks" at your supermarket - soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk. Check the label for calcium content. Oat milk seems to have a similar taste to dairy milk. Your market likely also sells calcium-fortified orange juice.
Calcium is also found in certain dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens). Their somewhat strong flavor is tamed by simmering them in soups and stews. Worldwide, several classic soups contain dark leafy vegetables - Vietnamese pho, Portuguese caldo verde, southern United States stewed greens, Italian wedding soup, Spanish lentil soup. You can even buy canned soup at the market (choose low-salt varieties) and just simmer in some dark leafy vegetables.
Trader Joe's market has very affordable vegan foods and products. Inexpensive whole grain pastas and cereals, canned vegan soups, dried and canned beans, unsalted nuts and nut butters, plant milks, hummus, dips, vegan ice cream, so many things.
If you are nursing, pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or are addressing an existing health problem, it's a good idea to plan your vegan diet with the help of a Registered Dietitian. Your physician can refer you to one.
If you let us know what kind of dishes you enjoy now, we can probably suggest ways to "veganize" them.
.