As much as I love a well-stocked fridge, I’m not very good at grocery shopping. I either get too many packaged foods and not enough fresh, or too much fresh stuff that then spoils when I don’t eat it in time. In my search for a way to grocery shop smarter and not harder, I came across this story about the 6-to-1 grocery shopping method.
It sounded like exactly what I needed to try to fix my lackluster grocery habits, so I decided to try it out.
What Is the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method?
The 6-to-1 grocery shopping method limits what you purchase to specific categories in order to save time and money at the store. Here’s what you get: six vegetables, five fruits, four protein sources, three starches, two sauces or spreads, and one item just for fun. The food is meant to last one to two people (depending on how many servings each item you buy contains, you can always adjust the quantities) for a week.
What I Love About the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method
I was excited to try this shopping method. I loved that I didn’t need to make a grocery list — I just needed to remember the amount I needed in each category. So long, terrible attempts at meal planning! I wasn’t sure how restricting myself to these quantities would feel, but in the end my total haul didn’t feel limited at all. Here’s what I ended up buying.
Vegetables
- Spaghetti squash
- Brussels sprouts
- Potatoes
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Grapes
- Blueberries
- Avocado
- Tofu
- Yogurt
- Almond milk
- Impossible burgers
- English muffins
- Cornbread
- Pretzel chips
Sauce/Spread
- Hummus
- Cheese spread
Just for Fun
What Happened When I Used the 6-to-1 Grocery Shopping Method
I struggled with two things during this grocery shopping trip. First, I usually buy vegetarian groceries, but I’m not used to buying a wide variety of vegetarian proteins, so I had to do a bit of research at the store. Second, I went shopping with my husband, and we normally take our time strolling through the store and picking out what we want. Using the 6-to-1 method definitely expedited the process, which is great, but I did miss that part of shopping together.
The next time I do this, I’ll likely go alone — also because my sweet husband bought a few things that didn’t fit into the structured list. If I really want to limit myself, I need to shop by myself.
Something I really appreciated about this method was how much it encouraged me to buy more fresh ingredients than I usually do, and it prevented me from impulse-buying shelf-stable extras like soda or candy that can add up in cost quickly.
As a budgeting strategy, the 6-to-1 method works quite well — I spent about $15 to $20 less than I usually do on a weekly grocery run, as I was buying a little less and refraining from just-for-fun purchases (besides the one allotted). So if you’re looking to shave a little bit off your grocery bill, this is a great method to keep in your back pocket — especially if you’re running out without a shopping list. But if you want to drastically slash what you’re paying, you may need to supplement with coupons or other budgeting hacks.
I’ll definitely keep shopping this way for a while to see how it goes. If nothing else, I’ll be saving a little cash and eating more fresh foods.