A little money plan, from Ted

The expense that's killing us is my salads & beverages. Here's how I'm going to fix it.

Same meals, same drinks, same amount — for about $940 less a month.

~$940
saved every month
That's about $11,300 a year — eating and drinking exactly the same.

The short version

Two things are blowing up our bill: my salads and my drinks. I eat two big salads a day (~$38) and drink five Frescas (~$3.30) — together that's over $1,200 a month. By moving the salad base to cabbage, buying staples at Costco, dropping the fresh dill, and swapping Fresca for Crystal Light made at home, the same routine costs about $296 a month. I'm not eating or drinking any less.

Salads — what they cost now

Light greens, whole bagTJ
$2.79
Dark greens, whole bagTJ
$2.79
Arugula, ⅓ bagTJ
$0.80
Fresh dill, ½ packageTJ
$3.00
Chicken breast, ½ packTJ
$2.50
Cherry tomatoes, ½ cartonTJ
$2.50
Bacon
$2.50
Crimini mushrooms, ½ cartonTJ
$1.50
Mayo
$0.25
One salad
$18.63
× 2 salads a day
$37.26
+ Carrots, ~130 calTJ
$0.70
Total per day
$37.96
Per month
~$1,139

Salads — the new plan

Cabbage base + handful of greensCostco
$0.55
Chicken (rotisserie / bulk thighs)Costco
$1.25
Cherry tomatoes, bulkCostco
$0.80
Crimini mushrooms, bulkCostco
$0.80
Bacon, batch-cooked (~2 slices)Costco
$0.60
1 hard-boiled eggCostco
$0.25
Mayo, bulkCostco
$0.15
Dried dill, a pinch
$0.05
One salad
$4.45
× 2 salads a day
$8.90
+ Carrots, ~130 calCostco
$0.42
Total per day
$9.32
Per month
~$280

Beverages — Fresca vs. homemade

🥤 5 Frescas a day → Crystal Light from powder

Same ~60 oz of cold lemonade a day — just mixed at home from powder instead of bought by the can.

Fresca / month
~$100
Crystal Light
~$16
Saved / month
~$84

Side by side — salads + drinks, per month

Now~$1,239
New plan~$296

Where the savings come from

🥬 Cabbage instead of bagged greens

~4 bags of greens a day → a head of cabbage (plus a little greens for variety)

Cabbage is the cheapest bulky vegetable there is, just as filling, and lasts weeks instead of wilting in days.

saves ~$11.70/day

🛒 Costco instead of Trader Joe's

Small TJ packages → bulk on chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, mayo, eggs

The exact same foods, just a much lower price per pound when bought in larger sizes.

saves ~$7.50/day

🥓 Bacon bought in bulk & batch-cooked

Small packs → a Costco pack cooked ahead on the weekend

Same bacon — just a fraction of the price per slice when bought big and cooked in a batch.

saves ~$3.80/day

🌿 Dried dill instead of fresh

Fresh dill bunch → the spice jar

Dill is a flavor, not nutrition. The dried version tastes the same in a salad for pennies — the fresh dill alone is costing us about $180 a month.

saves ~$5.90/day

The carrot switch you asked about

🥕 Trader Joe's carrots → Costco carrots

Carrots are the easiest win — identical product, just bought in the big 10 lb bag.

TJ, per lb
~$1.00
Costco, per lb
~$0.60
Saved/month
~$8

The part that matters most

I'm not eating less and I'm not drinking less. It's the same big, filling salads, the same protein and vegetables, the same low-carb plan at about 1,300 calories a day, and the same five cold drinks. The only thing that shrinks is the bill.

Prices are honest, slightly-conservative estimates for our area.
Made with ♥ for the family budget · Last updated June 30, 2026