I tried the viral 6-to-1 grocery shopping method from TikTok. It's tricky for a family of 4 but has strong benefits. (2024)

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While picking out the veggies, I quickly learned that this is limiting for a family

6 veggies: salad mix, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and sweet peas.

Cost of veggies: $21.60

Picking out six veggies is easy for one person. But when I started making a list for our family of four, it was hard to narrow the contenders while making sure I had the 24 required servings if buying six vegetables for four people.

Salad mixes and cauliflower offer flexibility, so I added them to the list. I also went with some basic canned veggies, including peas and carrots, which are more universally loved in our family. Finally, I added some Brussels sprouts, which I am still trying to get the kids to warm up to.

The biggest obstacle was getting enough food for four people with six items, so I doubled up on most.

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The fruits made me realize the biggest benefit of this method

5 fruits: Bananas, apples, avocados, strawberries, and grapes.

Cost of fruits: $18.04

Buying the fruit felt easier than the veggies because it is not difficult to scale up bananas, apples, and grapes. Meanwhile, avocados and strawberries add flexibility over a week.

More importantly, this was when I realized the biggest benefit of the 6-to-1 method for our family.

The 6-to-1 grocery shopping trick reminds me of the "pay yourself first" method in budgeting, which requires you to start by thinking about what is best for you.

While our family does a decent job of consuming fruits and veggies, when previously shopping, I thought of them more often as accessories to a meal rather than the focal point. The 6-to-1 method is great at making you focus on them more.

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Shopping for proteins with the 6-to-1 method ended up costing me more than usual

4 proteins: Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, pork chops, and turkey meatballs.

Cost of proteins: $44.17

To get enough protein for four people and seven meals, I again needed items that would give me some flexibility. Chicken is the easiest way to do that, with breasts and thighs. Pork chops are an easy protein that everybody in our family loves. Finally, I added some turkey meatballs, which go well with many dishes and are an easy way to add protein to something like pasta.

The problem is that I prefer to buy meat in bulk and then store the extra in a freezer. Purchasing large quantities is not only considerably cheaper — especially if you bulk up when it is on sale — but it cuts down on the grocery shopping you need every week.

For example, the chicken breasts cost $4.79 per pound. When I buy in bulk, it is often well under $3 per pound. In addition, the meatballs were about $5.80 per pound. I can buy a large bag of meatballs at Costco for about $3.50 per pound, which will last a couple of months.

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Shopping for the starches was easy

3 starches: Pasta, tortillas, and sweet potatoes.

Cost of starches: $7.44

Starches tend to be flexible foods that work in lots of different types of meals. The pasta is an easy choice for teens. The tortillas can be used for tacos one night after I grind up some of the chicken breasts. Finally, sweet potatoes are a nice side in many dishes.

This was probably the easiest step for a family of four.

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The sauces and spreads felt like an unnecessary step for a family of four

2 sauces or spreads: Tomato sauce and ranch dressing.

Cost of sauces/spreads: $6.68

Look in the fridge of most families and you will probably see that they already have plenty of sauces and spreads. Sure, they need to be replaced occasionally, but they are not typically something my family buys weekly.

However, to keep within the rules, I went with some tomato sauce and paste to make some homemade pasta sauce and some ranch dressing for the salads.

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Oops, I cheated on the fun food

1 fun food: Cookie dough and brownie mix.

Cost of fun food: $6.10

Like some of the other steps in the 6-to-1 method, this was tricky for a family of four because you need enough servings for an entire week and something everybody enjoys.

How did I solve the problem? I cheated and got both cookie dough and brownie mix.

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I love the concept, but it is too challenging for a family

Total cost for a week of food for a family of four using the 6-to-1 method: $104.03

The 6-to-1 method is designed to help you save time and money by planning your meals and sticking to the list. But that is true for any form of grocery shopping.

If you know exactly what you are eating each week and shop just for the things you need, you will spend less time in the store and are less likely to go off-script and buy extra items that add to the total bill.

But where the 6-to-1 method shines for a family of four is the emphasis on healthy foods first.

In the future, I might try a modified version of the 6-to-1 method that is easier for a family. Instead of picking just six veggies and five fruits each week, for example, I will ask each family member to pick six veggies and five fruits each week as a place to start our shopping list and then build up the rest of the ingredients from there.

Besides, try telling two teenage daughters that they can only have one fun food every week. I dare you.

Do you have any grocery budgeting tips and are willing to discuss how they help you or your family? Contact this reporter at [email protected].