How to Use the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method to Save Time and Money

Chef Will Coleman's supermarket strategy just may be the key to beating inflation.

Want a new grocery shopping strategy? This popular TikTok hack may help you save time and money, with the added bonus of making healthier and more eco-conscious deductions at the store.

Grocery prices are at an all-time high, with the shopping cart contents of a $100 shopping list from 2019 reportedly costing $137 as of April 2024. That’s a 37% increase and far heftier than average wage increases and inflation rates in that five-year period. Shopping more strategically may help Americans stay within budget at the supermarket, and this brilliant trick doesn’t feel frugal — just efficient, smart, and celebratory of the best thing in life: Food.

Here’s how to try the 6-to-1 grocery shopping method, wherever and whenever you shop,

The Origins of the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method

The 6-to-1 Grocery Method came from, where else, TikTok. In early 2024, Chef Will Coleman shared a now-viral video explaining his signature shopping method, designed to make visiting the supermarket cheaper and easier. The fun part about his easily applicable method is that the efficiency method works anywhere, from Erewhon to Trader Joe’s to Wegmans, and every grocery store in between.

The Basic Idea Behind the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method

The 6-to-1 Grocery Method is a basic calculation (we’re talking elementary-level math, basically counting), to plan your weekly grocery shop. Here’s the system: Fill your grocery cart with six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces or spreads, and one "fun" item for yourself. It’s a countdown of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, prioritizing nutritious ingredients without depriving yourself of a little treat. The method is also super flexible, so you can switch up what you buy each supermarket visit without overthinking the contents of your cart, thanks to the method.

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Of course, portion size can also vary for the 6-to-1 method, regardless of whether you’re shopping for yourself or a larger family. The method is also adaptable to several diets, including veganism.

How to Use the 6-to1 Grocery Shopping Method in Real Life

There are various ways to implement the 6-to-1 method practically. You can start by making a shopping list of the six veggies and proteins you need to buy, thinking of what works together and what can function best for meal prep or recipes in your rotation. Or, you can wing it at the supermarket, picking what looks freshest in the produce aisle, the catch of the day at the seafood counter, and so on.

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For example, if green leaf lettuce looks great this week, add radishes and carrots to your cart to make a nice salad. The radishes and carrots could also work with a roast protein, like chicken. Green beans, asparagus, and kale could also work nicely as a side dish with the chicken, or in a stir fry with tofu or shrimp. Eggs with kale make a nice breakfast, perhaps with an English muffin or rice, which could pair with the stir fry. A box of pasta can be your third starch, a versatile base for any of the veggies or proteins, and you can add pasta sauce to the mix or go for hummus to dip your veggies in. The special item is totally up to you!

Of course, the 6-to-1 method leaves plenty of room for interpretation. If you’re planning on making a curry that requires both curry paste and a can of coconut milk, count that as one sauce. The strategy is also flexible with budget. If canned lentils are the best protein for you this week, go for it. If frozen veggies are easier on the wallet, stock up on six.

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The method also doesn’t account for fresh herbs, essentials such as cooking oil and spices, or beverages (coffee!). Adapting the method to your weekly shop will provide the best use for your specific lifestyle.

Planners can also build off a basic template for the 6-to-1 method, and print it out and write it on their smartphones each week.

Benefits of Using the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method

The biggest benefit of using the 6-to-1 method is that it can help save money and simplify the shopping process. By streamlining what goes in your cart, you’ll hopefully have less spoiled food at the end of the week, fewer cartons and boxes stacking up in your pantry until they expire, and more cash in your pocket from not buying on impulse.

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The method also leaves little room for highly processed food and junk food, so you’ll have to think carefully about which little treat will offer the most joy this week. This is definitely a method for an ingredients household.

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