Not poor, lacking vision.
First of all, there are some incredible and cost effective ways to get more protein in your diet.
1) Dry beans or other legumes and dry rice, buy in bulk and they are dirt cheap to add complete vegetarian protein to an omnivorous diet at prices far below that of meat and eggs.
2) Purchase less popular cuts of meat. Chicken breast is expensive compared to thighs, wings, etc. You can get more protein per dollar and flavor (and myoglobin) getting dark meat and never paying that chicken breast premium price. For bonus points you can buy even cheaper meat at an Asian grocery store and if you're lucky it will come with bonus steroids.
3) Eggs are awesome. Add a fried egg to all of your meals, extra protein. If you're super poor but you have space, raise some yard birds and collect eggs.
4) grasshoppers, hard to catch in the city but free protein in the summer. you can also get cheap bags of fried and seasoned grasshoppers at the Asian market.
There's no problem getting protein from your vego diet, unless you're just eating celery once a day, or something. Don't believe the bro science.
Yeah kale smoothies don't do anything for gains. You have to eat that kale sauteed with potatoes, squash, peppers, onions, and four different types of beans. Veggies bros that don't or can't cook tend to starve.