I tried viral 5,4,3,2,1 shopping method & it cut my weekly food bill in HALF – but here's why I won't be doing it again
Can this budget formula feed a family and save serious cash? Writer Julie gives her verdict
FOOD FOR THOUGHT I tried viral 5,4,3,2,1 shopping method & it cut my weekly food bill in HALF – but here's why I won't be doing it again
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FIVE, four, three, two, one . . . no, not that old Manfred Mann hit from the 1960s – this is the latest food shopping trend on social media.
It's a simple method: Buy five portions of veg, four fruits, three proteins, two grains and one sweet treat each week.
5
Julie Cook with the groceries she bought to try out the trend on her family
Credit: Chris Balcombe
5
The mum-of-two tried the method for five days and gives us her verdict
Credit: Chris Balcombe
The budget formula has gone viral, especially as mums claim it has cut their food shop bills by half or more. It encourages you to cook from scratch, avoiding the high costs of pre-packaged meals and snacks.
For a family of four, my weekly food bill frequently hits £120 or more.
So can this hack feed a family and save serious cash?
Julie Cook tried it, for five days, and this what she found.
DAY 1: THE REALITY OF RATIONING
BREAKFAST would often be cereal or an egg — but today it was toast only.
'Bread is all I have in,' I said to my kids, Alex, 16, and Adriana, 11.
They stared at me as if I'd said I'd just seen a unicorn. 'What, no cereal?' Adriana gasped.
They eat lunch at school so when they came home I made them a cottage pie with half the minced beef, an onion, two chopped carrots, some of the potatoes to make mash and some tomato puree I had in the cupboard.
The meal went down a treat and they asked for more.
Afterwards they usually want something sweet but I explained about the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method and how sweet treats were rationed this week to just one pack of six mousses.
I'm an Irish mum & I feed my family of six for three days with €26 shop
Alex loves fruit so was happy but Adriana has a sweet tooth. 'Can't I have a mousse?' she said.
'When they're gone, they're gone,' I replied.
Hubby Cornel, 44, a musician, was happy with the cottage pie and fruit.
When I also explained this strategy could save us hundreds, maybe even thousands a year, he perked up even more. So far, so good.
DAY 2: COOKERY COMPLAINTS
AFTER a breakfast of, you guessed it, toast, my kids set off for school clutching bananas as extras.
Normally, I'd cook something from scratch one day and, if there were no leftovers, make something simple like frozen chicken in breadcrumbs the next — but they were off-limits this week.
Besides, I still had half a pack of mincemeat to use up, as it said to use within 24 hours once opened.
I made a bolognese with the mince and added it to the pasta shells I bought. Normally the kids love this dish.
But Adriana groaned: 'We had mince last night.'
I replied: 'Well, I want to use it up.'
I felt rather miffed. The ingratitude!
Hubby seemed OK while Alex, bless him is 16 and all food's good food to him — although he did ask if there'd be something 'different tomorrow'.
They ate resignedly and I bribed both by offering one of the sweet treats. 'When they're gone . . . ' I began.
'Yes, when they're gone, they're gone!' Adriana snapped before running off upstairs with hers.
I snuck my mousse out now and decided to eat it before anyone did a late night fridge raid.
I BOUGHT...
Five vegetables:
2kg potatoes, 385g brown onions, 500g sweet peppers, 1kg carrots, 180g curly kale
Four fruits:
600g strawberries, 1.095kg bananas, 800g grapes, 1.5g apples
Three protein:
750g lean mince beef, 950g chicken breast, 520g salmon fillets
Two grains:
1 loaf of bread, 1kg pasta
One sweet treat:
6 chocolate mousses
DAY 3: FRIDGE RAIDERS
WITH my family well and truly tired of mince, I used the four-pack of salmon I had bought.
I paired them with a jacket potato each and some curly kale. I also roasted the sweet peppers in some oil.
I was pleased to be serving up healthy fish and greens and definitely eased the mum guilt of no treats in the house.
At least I was giving my kids their Omega 3s.
Despite all the veg, though, the salmon steaks were tiny and everyone asked for more.
'Er, that was it,' I winced.
The kids raided the fridge and found three sorry-looking mousses.
'Where are all the yoghurts?' Alex asked.
'They're not part of this week's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,' I replied.
He grabbed some strawberries and sloped off upstairs.
'I'm starving,' Cornel groaned, looking in the fridge. 'Where's all the food?'
Not a good day, really.
I stared into the empty fridge weighing it up.
On one hand, I would be saving a ton doing this. On the other, was it really worth it if everyone was starving?
DAY 4: CALORIE CONUNDRUM
DINNER tonight was chicken breasts with roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and some curly kale.
I learnt my lesson last night with the meagre salmon steaks so I used all the chicken up to ensure everyone had second helpings.
The kids were getting used to our fruit pudding now and asked for strawberries. There was a tiny handful left.
'It's a bit, well, monotonous,' Cornel said, helping me load the dishwasher.
I stared into the fridge and felt the same.
Usually it would be heaving with yoghurts, puddings and chocolate biscuits.
I went to bed worrying whether I was giving my kids enough calories.
Boys are supposed to have 2,800 a day at my son's age and my daughter is supposed to have between 1,400 and 2,000.
I was concerned at this point if they'd had enough.
Thank goodness they also get a healthy lunch at school.
5
The mum spent £63 over the five days
Credit: Chris Balcombe
'Structure helps for a more balanced diet'
MARTIN NEWMAN, the Consumer Champion, says . . .
"The 5-4-3-2-1 shopping method gives shoppers a simple framework to ensure their trolley reflects a more balanced diet – especially useful in an age of ultra-processed convenience.
Going into the shop with this structure makes you more intentional. It shifts you from reacting to supermarket deals or packaging to thinking proactively about your meals.
For parents, this is an easy-to-remember guide that helps ensure kids get nutritional variety without overthinking meal plans.
By focusing on food groups, not brand names, shoppers may save money and reduce waste – especially if they plan meals around what they buy. People with specific nutritional needs – athletes, people with diabetes, allergies, or those on plant-based diets – may need more tailored approaches.
Also, rigidly sticking to a numeric formula might not suit everyone's lifestyle, especially those cooking for larger households or with varied preferences." See martinnewman.co.uk
DAY 5: SOUP SAVES THE DAY
ALL the protein was now gone. I looked in the fridge and felt panic engulf me.
My teen son works out at the gym and if there's no protein on his plate it's a disaster. But it had all gone.
I decided to make a soup out of the bag of carrots, one onion and some potatoes, and blended it.
Then I made a simple pasta sauce with some of the onion and some tinned tomatoes I had in my cupboard (thankfully.)
'Is there any cheese?' the kids asked.
I grimaced. 'I only had three proteins — fish, chicken and meat,' I explained.
'This is NOT normal,' Adriana sighed.
Afterwards I gave them both the final leftover chocolate mousses, with guilt.
At the weekend, the cupboard and fridge were bare so I did my normal huge weekly shop, with yoghurts, crisps, biccies and all that.
Oh, and sugary cereals. It came to £110.
5
She says she's convinced her kids and husband were hungry by the end of the night
Credit: Chris Balcombe
5
An example of the meals Julie cooked at home for her family
Credit: Chris Balcombe
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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I tried viral 5,4,3,2,1 shopping method & it cut my weekly food bill in HALF – but here's why I won't be doing it again
Can this budget formula feed a family and save serious cash? Writer Julie gives her verdict FOOD FOR THOUGHT I tried viral 5,4,3,2,1 shopping method & it cut my weekly food bill in HALF – but here's why I won't be doing it again Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FIVE, four, three, two, one . . . no, not that old Manfred Mann hit from the 1960s – this is the latest food shopping trend on social media. It's a simple method: Buy five portions of veg, four fruits, three proteins, two grains and one sweet treat each week. 5 Julie Cook with the groceries she bought to try out the trend on her family Credit: Chris Balcombe 5 The mum-of-two tried the method for five days and gives us her verdict Credit: Chris Balcombe The budget formula has gone viral, especially as mums claim it has cut their food shop bills by half or more. It encourages you to cook from scratch, avoiding the high costs of pre-packaged meals and snacks. For a family of four, my weekly food bill frequently hits £120 or more. So can this hack feed a family and save serious cash? Julie Cook tried it, for five days, and this what she found. DAY 1: THE REALITY OF RATIONING BREAKFAST would often be cereal or an egg — but today it was toast only. 'Bread is all I have in,' I said to my kids, Alex, 16, and Adriana, 11. They stared at me as if I'd said I'd just seen a unicorn. 'What, no cereal?' Adriana gasped. They eat lunch at school so when they came home I made them a cottage pie with half the minced beef, an onion, two chopped carrots, some of the potatoes to make mash and some tomato puree I had in the cupboard. The meal went down a treat and they asked for more. Afterwards they usually want something sweet but I explained about the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method and how sweet treats were rationed this week to just one pack of six mousses. I'm an Irish mum & I feed my family of six for three days with €26 shop Alex loves fruit so was happy but Adriana has a sweet tooth. 'Can't I have a mousse?' she said. 'When they're gone, they're gone,' I replied. Hubby Cornel, 44, a musician, was happy with the cottage pie and fruit. When I also explained this strategy could save us hundreds, maybe even thousands a year, he perked up even more. So far, so good. DAY 2: COOKERY COMPLAINTS AFTER a breakfast of, you guessed it, toast, my kids set off for school clutching bananas as extras. Normally, I'd cook something from scratch one day and, if there were no leftovers, make something simple like frozen chicken in breadcrumbs the next — but they were off-limits this week. Besides, I still had half a pack of mincemeat to use up, as it said to use within 24 hours once opened. I made a bolognese with the mince and added it to the pasta shells I bought. Normally the kids love this dish. But Adriana groaned: 'We had mince last night.' I replied: 'Well, I want to use it up.' I felt rather miffed. The ingratitude! Hubby seemed OK while Alex, bless him is 16 and all food's good food to him — although he did ask if there'd be something 'different tomorrow'. They ate resignedly and I bribed both by offering one of the sweet treats. 'When they're gone . . . ' I began. 'Yes, when they're gone, they're gone!' Adriana snapped before running off upstairs with hers. I snuck my mousse out now and decided to eat it before anyone did a late night fridge raid. I BOUGHT... Five vegetables: 2kg potatoes, 385g brown onions, 500g sweet peppers, 1kg carrots, 180g curly kale Four fruits: 600g strawberries, 1.095kg bananas, 800g grapes, 1.5g apples Three protein: 750g lean mince beef, 950g chicken breast, 520g salmon fillets Two grains: 1 loaf of bread, 1kg pasta One sweet treat: 6 chocolate mousses DAY 3: FRIDGE RAIDERS WITH my family well and truly tired of mince, I used the four-pack of salmon I had bought. I paired them with a jacket potato each and some curly kale. I also roasted the sweet peppers in some oil. I was pleased to be serving up healthy fish and greens and definitely eased the mum guilt of no treats in the house. At least I was giving my kids their Omega 3s. Despite all the veg, though, the salmon steaks were tiny and everyone asked for more. 'Er, that was it,' I winced. The kids raided the fridge and found three sorry-looking mousses. 'Where are all the yoghurts?' Alex asked. 'They're not part of this week's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,' I replied. He grabbed some strawberries and sloped off upstairs. 'I'm starving,' Cornel groaned, looking in the fridge. 'Where's all the food?' Not a good day, really. I stared into the empty fridge weighing it up. On one hand, I would be saving a ton doing this. On the other, was it really worth it if everyone was starving? DAY 4: CALORIE CONUNDRUM DINNER tonight was chicken breasts with roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and some curly kale. I learnt my lesson last night with the meagre salmon steaks so I used all the chicken up to ensure everyone had second helpings. The kids were getting used to our fruit pudding now and asked for strawberries. There was a tiny handful left. 'It's a bit, well, monotonous,' Cornel said, helping me load the dishwasher. I stared into the fridge and felt the same. Usually it would be heaving with yoghurts, puddings and chocolate biscuits. I went to bed worrying whether I was giving my kids enough calories. Boys are supposed to have 2,800 a day at my son's age and my daughter is supposed to have between 1,400 and 2,000. I was concerned at this point if they'd had enough. Thank goodness they also get a healthy lunch at school. 5 The mum spent £63 over the five days Credit: Chris Balcombe 'Structure helps for a more balanced diet' MARTIN NEWMAN, the Consumer Champion, says . . . "The 5-4-3-2-1 shopping method gives shoppers a simple framework to ensure their trolley reflects a more balanced diet – especially useful in an age of ultra-processed convenience. Going into the shop with this structure makes you more intentional. It shifts you from reacting to supermarket deals or packaging to thinking proactively about your meals. For parents, this is an easy-to-remember guide that helps ensure kids get nutritional variety without overthinking meal plans. By focusing on food groups, not brand names, shoppers may save money and reduce waste – especially if they plan meals around what they buy. People with specific nutritional needs – athletes, people with diabetes, allergies, or those on plant-based diets – may need more tailored approaches. Also, rigidly sticking to a numeric formula might not suit everyone's lifestyle, especially those cooking for larger households or with varied preferences." See DAY 5: SOUP SAVES THE DAY ALL the protein was now gone. I looked in the fridge and felt panic engulf me. My teen son works out at the gym and if there's no protein on his plate it's a disaster. But it had all gone. I decided to make a soup out of the bag of carrots, one onion and some potatoes, and blended it. Then I made a simple pasta sauce with some of the onion and some tinned tomatoes I had in my cupboard (thankfully.) 'Is there any cheese?' the kids asked. I grimaced. 'I only had three proteins — fish, chicken and meat,' I explained. 'This is NOT normal,' Adriana sighed. Afterwards I gave them both the final leftover chocolate mousses, with guilt. At the weekend, the cupboard and fridge were bare so I did my normal huge weekly shop, with yoghurts, crisps, biccies and all that. Oh, and sugary cereals. It came to £110. 5 She says she's convinced her kids and husband were hungry by the end of the night Credit: Chris Balcombe 5 An example of the meals Julie cooked at home for her family Credit: Chris Balcombe
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
I tried viral 5,4,3,2,1 shopping method & it cut my weekly food bill in HALF – but here's why I won't be doing it again
FIVE, four, three, two, one . . . no, not that old Manfred Mann hit from the 1960s – this is the latest food shopping trend on social media. It's a simple method: Buy five portions of veg, four fruits, three proteins, two grains and one sweet treat each week. The budget formula has gone viral, especially as mums claim it has cut their food shop bills by half or more. It encourages you to cook from scratch, avoiding the high costs of pre-packaged meals and snacks. For a family of four, my weekly food bill frequently hits £120 or more. So can this hack feed a family and save serious cash? Julie Cook tried it, for five days, and this what she found. DAY 1: THE REALITY OF RATIONING BREAKFAST would often be cereal or an egg — but today it was toast only. 'Bread is all I have in,' I said to my kids, Alex, 16, and Adriana, 11. They stared at me as if I'd said I'd just seen a unicorn. 'What, no cereal?' Adriana gasped. They eat lunch at school so when they came home I made them a cottage pie with half the minced beef, an onion, two chopped carrots, some of the potatoes to make mash and some tomato puree I had in the cupboard. The meal went down a treat and they asked for more. Afterwards they usually want something sweet but I explained about the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method and how sweet treats were rationed this week to just one pack of six mousses. I'm an Irish mum & I feed my family of six for three days with €26 shop Alex loves fruit so was happy but Adriana has a sweet tooth. 'Can't I have a mousse?' she said. 'When they're gone, they're gone,' I replied. Hubby Cornel, 44, a musician, was happy with the cottage pie and fruit. When I also explained this strategy could save us hundreds, maybe even thousands a year, he perked up even more. So far, so good. DAY 2: COOKERY COMPLAINTS AFTER a breakfast of, you guessed it, toast, my kids set off for school clutching bananas as extras. Normally, I'd cook something from scratch one day and, if there were no leftovers, make something simple like frozen chicken in breadcrumbs the next — but they were off-limits this week. Besides, I still had half a pack of mincemeat to use up, as it said to use within 24 hours once opened. I made a bolognese with the mince and added it to the pasta shells I bought. Normally the kids love this dish. But Adriana groaned: 'We had mince last night.' I replied: 'Well, I want to use it up.' I felt rather miffed. The ingratitude! Hubby seemed OK while Alex, bless him is 16 and all food's good food to him — although he did ask if there'd be something 'different tomorrow'. They ate resignedly and I bribed both by offering one of the sweet treats. 'When they're gone . . . ' I began. 'Yes, when they're gone, they're gone!' Adriana snapped before running off upstairs with hers. I snuck my mousse out now and decided to eat it before anyone did a late night fridge raid. DAY 3: FRIDGE RAIDERS WITH my family well and truly tired of mince, I used the four-pack of salmon I had bought. I paired them with a jacket potato each and some curly kale. I also roasted the sweet peppers in some oil. I was pleased to be serving up healthy fish and greens and definitely eased the mum guilt of no treats in the house. At least I was giving my kids their Omega 3s. Despite all the veg, though, the salmon steaks were tiny and everyone asked for more. 'Er, that was it,' I winced. The kids raided the fridge and found three sorry-looking mousses. 'Where are all the yoghurts?' Alex asked. 'They're not part of this week's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,' I replied. He grabbed some strawberries and sloped off upstairs. 'I'm starving,' Cornel groaned, looking in the fridge. 'Where's all the food?' Not a good day, really. I stared into the empty fridge weighing it up. On one hand, I would be saving a ton doing this. On the other, was it really worth it if everyone was starving? DAY 4: CALORIE CONUNDRUM DINNER tonight was chicken breasts with roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and some curly kale. I learnt my lesson last night with the meagre salmon steaks so I used all the chicken up to ensure everyone had second helpings. The kids were getting used to our fruit pudding now and asked for strawberries. There was a tiny handful left. 'It's a bit, well, monotonous,' Cornel said, helping me load the dishwasher. I stared into the fridge and felt the same. Usually it would be heaving with yoghurts, puddings and chocolate biscuits. I went to bed worrying whether I was giving my kids enough calories. Boys are supposed to have 2,800 a day at my son's age and my daughter is supposed to have between 1,400 and 2,000. I was concerned at this point if they'd had enough. Thank goodness they also get a healthy lunch at school. 'Structure helps for a more balanced diet' MARTIN NEWMAN, the Consumer Champion, says . . . "The 5-4-3-2-1 shopping method gives shoppers a simple framework to ensure their trolley reflects a more balanced diet – especially useful in an age of ultra-processed convenience. Going into the shop with this structure makes you more intentional. It shifts you from reacting to supermarket deals or packaging to thinking proactively about your meals. For parents, this is an easy-to-remember guide that helps ensure kids get nutritional variety without overthinking meal plans. By focusing on food groups, not brand names, shoppers may save money and reduce waste – especially if they plan meals around what they buy. People with specific nutritional needs – athletes, people with diabetes, allergies, or those on plant-based diets – may need more tailored approaches. Also, rigidly sticking to a numeric formula might not suit everyone's lifestyle, especially those cooking for larger households or with varied preferences." See DAY 5: SOUP SAVES THE DAY ALL the protein was now gone. I looked in the fridge and felt panic engulf me. My teen son works out at the gym and if there's no protein on his plate it's a disaster. But it had all gone. I decided to make a soup out of the bag of carrots, one onion and some potatoes, and blended it. Then I made a simple pasta sauce with some of the onion and some tinned tomatoes I had in my cupboard (thankfully.) 'Is there any cheese?' the kids asked. I grimaced. 'I only had three proteins — fish, chicken and meat,' I explained. 'This is NOT normal,' Adriana sighed. Afterwards I gave them both the final leftover chocolate mousses, with guilt. At the weekend, the cupboard and fridge were bare so I did my normal huge weekly shop, with yoghurts, crisps, biccies and all that. Oh, and sugary cereals. It came to £110. MY VERDICT THE 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, method of shopping sounds great on paper – and it is, in some ways. It made me meal-plan rather than going off the cuff like I usually do, and made me use up every single thing I had bought. But it also left very little room for spontaneity, extra portions or even just fun little treats. I am convinced my kids were hungry by the evening – hubby certainly was, I may have heard his stomach rumbling – and I just felt stressed by the whole thing. I am all for cooking from scratch – but only when you have the knowledge you have enough back-up food, if the kids want extra helpings or just something else that evening. I can see why people rave about the method – it certainly did save me money – about £63 over the five days, which would work out at £4,599 over a year. But I won't be doing it again.
Time Out
3 days ago
- Time Out
A brand-new boat bar from the Grand Banks crew is cruising into Hudson Yards
A fishing boat has docked at Hudson Yards —and this one serves lobster rolls and martinis. Sailor's Choice, a sprawling 200-seat seafood bar from the team behind beloved boat bars like Grand Banks and Pilot, opened yesterday at 350 11th Avenue at 30th Street. It's the latest project from hospitality duo Alex and Miles Pincus, whose Crew group has practically defined the city's waterfront drinking scene. This time, though, they're doing things a little differently: Instead of floating on the Hudson, they've brought the boat to land. At the heart of Sailor's Choice is a vintage Hinckley fishing vessel, transformed into a full-service bar and surrounded by a sunny deck with yellow-and-white striped umbrellas. 'It's a gentleman's yacht that's designed after a classic Maine lobster boat,' Alex Pincus told Time Out. 'It's one of the most desirable boats in the boating world—I've wanted one my whole life. So the idea of setting one in the plaza and building the bar around it just made sense.' A second bar, tucked inside a retrofitted Airstream, pours spritzes and other breezy cocktails, while the main deck channels East Coast summer with none of the ferry schlep. The menu nods to classic New England seaside fare with a polished Manhattan twist: You'll find lobster BLTs, golden-crisp fish and chips and oysters shucked to order—available by the half or full dozen. For those who like their comfort food with a side of indulgence, the caviar-topped tots are a no-brainer. 'The lobster BLT is the standout for me,' says Pincus. 'It's such a good bite of summer; it's exactly what you want to eat when you're by the water.' On the drinks side, expect yacht-club classics and warm-weather crowd-pleasers: gin and tonics, martinis, watermelon-vodka spritzes and a curated wine list. But don't miss the namesake "Sailor's Choice," a frosty beer served over ice with lime for just $7, lifted straight from the brothers' post-sailing ritual. 'It's what we always drink after being out on the water,' says Pincus. 'A lobster BLT and a Sailor's Choice out there in the sun brings me back home.' Though Hudson Yards may have seemed like an unexpected fit, Pincus says the location wasn't so far off from the team's usual approach. 'All the projects we have ever done are really rooted in place,' he says. 'We took a site that didn't really have anything on it... and tried to explore what the potential of that location is and how it engages with us in the way that we think about restaurants and experience.' Once the idea of placing a boat in the plaza surfaced, he says, 'it all sort of suddenly made sense.' Now open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sailor's Choice offers a fresh new reason to eat and drink near the Vessel —and you don't even have to check the ferry schedule.
