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People Swear By the '6-to-1' Grocery Shopping Method to Save Money: 'This Is Genius'

The money-saving hack has been taking TikTok by storm as consumers look to spend less at grocery stores.
FACT CHECKED BY Justine Goodman

With rising prices for many staple food items like olive oil and beef continuing to stretch American budgets, consumers need all the help they can get these days with saving money at the grocery store. Thankfully, a viral hack that's currently taking TikTok by storm promises to not only help you preserve more of your hard-earned dollars, but also make your shopping trips quicker and easier.

Chef Will Coleman has been using his TikTok page (@chefwilco) to educate viewers about his "6-to-1" grocery shopping hack. In one viral January TikTok video with a million views and more than 156,000 likes, Coleman explained that the method entails purchasing six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces or spreads, and one "fun" item for yourself during a given grocery trip.

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@chefwillco

My 6 to 1 grocery method makes shopping cheaper and easier! Let me know how you like this grocery shopping method. #6to1method

♬ original sound – Chef Will Coleman

The 6-to-1 method guidelines are wide enough to give shoppers the freedom to choose the foods they enjoy most from each category. At the same time, the hack also sets a clear limit on how much customers should buy at the grocery store and prevents them from spending too much.

"This makes grocery shopping way easier, way cheaper, and you get in and out so you're not there all day long. This has worked for me, my homies, and everybody on social media [who] has tried it," Coleman said in the January TikTok.

Coleman's 6-to-1 hack has become something of a sensation on TikTok as scores of other creators have tried out the method and raved about the results.

"I've been using your method and it honestly helps," one user commented on the video.

"I love this, thank you. I have been doing this for the last few weeks and it [has] been amazing," another wrote.

Some fellow TikTokers have even posted their own videos trying out the 6-to-1 method and were more than pleased by the results. One user, @fashionistalala, used the hack while shopping at the discount grocer Lidl in January and reported paying less than $70 for the full haul.

@fashionistalala

@Chef Will Coleman's 6-1 grocery shopping method WORKS!!! Tiktok University strikes again 😍😍 #LIDL #budgetfriendly #adulting #fyp #groceryshopping #groceryhaul

♬ Poetic Justice – Instrumental – Prod. Dior

"Chef Will Coleman's [6-to-1] grocery shopping method WORKS!!!" the TikToker captioned the video.

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Another user, @the_confidentbabe, said in a January video that she paid just $94 during a grocery run where she used the hack.

"This is genius. My mind is blown," the TikToker raved, adding that she couldn't remember the last time she didn't spend more than $100 at the grocery store.

@the_confidentbabe

#stitch with @Chef Will Coleman why have I never grocery shopped like this before?!?! GENIUS 👏🏻 honestly simplifing is key for me #groceryshopping #grocerylist

♬ original sound – the_confidentbabe

Of course, this hack isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all fix since some shoppers may need to purchase more to feed larger families. Or, some may not be able to stick to the method when they need additional items not included in the 6-to-1 guidelines like paper products or drinks. Still, the number of people reporting success with the 6-1o-1 method shows that it's more than worth a try for those looking to save time and money at the grocery store.

Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe