Ditch The Store

CJ Steedman
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🎙️ Ditch the Store Life’s too short for store-bought eggs. Tired of soaring prices and supermarket nonsense? This podcast is your cheeky, no-nonsense guide to growing food, raising animals, making homemade goods, and living frugally—whether you’re in the suburbs or on a small farm. New episodes weekly + a new Ditch the Store book every two months to help you break free, one step at a time. Let’s grow it, make it, raise it—and ditch the store.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 182 — The Ditch the Store Method

    🧾 THE DITCH THE STORE METHOD: A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK TO STARTG'day everyone, CJ here! Before you watch this one, do me a favour: go and find your last supermarket receipt. It might be in the car or the bottom of your handbag. Don't guess what's on it; get the real one. Today I'm walking you through the exact method I use to start breaking up with the supermarket. It's the same one we used in the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge in my Skool community.And let me be clear: this isn't an overnight thing. I still shop at the supermarket (we are never breaking up with supermarket toilet paper in this house). The goal is to spend less there, one small swap at a time.In this episode:A farm update: weaning Loki off his last bottle, his new "big boy paddock" with the waterfront apartment on the big dam, and false spring hitting the Southern TablelandsWhy you need a real receipt and not your memory (26 years in law enforcement taught me that memory is the least reliable witness there is)Looking at the health cost of what you buy, not just the dollar cost, and why the meat pies on my own receipt made me stop and thinkThe four categories: a pantry staple, a fruit, veg or herb, a protein, and a cleaning productWhy you only work on two at a time, not all four at onceMy four easy starting examples: sourdough, potted herbs, backyard eggs, and homemade laundry powder (which cleared up my son's eczema and mine)Picking with your gut: choose the item that makes you wince every time you pay for itPlan first, replace later: how planning around your real life (holidays, a new baby, caring for someone) stops you giving upStacking a new habit onto one you already have, like the watering can next to the dog's food bowlWhy the 5-Day Challenge now runs every month in Skool, and the upcoming dates🔗 JOIN THE CHALLENGE (FREE) Skool community: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about Next rounds: likely 12–16 October (final dates posted in Skool) and 23–27 November📖 GET THE BOOKS Eggs Without Cartons: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6From Brooder to Plate: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL🔗 FOLLOW ALONG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net Not the Farmer's Wife: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com

  2. Sep 23

    Episode 181 - What We Learned From the Ditch the Store Challenge

    🌱 WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST DITCH THE STORE CHALLENGE (and what's coming next!) Hey everyone, CJ here. Last week we ran the very first Ditch the Store Challenge on Skool, and today I'm recapping how it went, what surprised me running it, and — the big news — where this goes from here. In this episode: What Skool actually is for anyone who's never heard of it, and why I like it a lot more than Facebook for building a genuine, supportive community A personal update: two months into a keto/carnivore way of eating, the weight loss, and the mental clarity that's made a real difference to how much I get done A farm update on Loki, our baby buck, as we start weaning him off the bottle What running the challenge taught me — including the live-call feature on Skool I didn't even know existed until a member went looking for me Why the challenge works just as well self-paced as it does live, and where to find the 180A–E mini-series if you haven't caught them yet The community update: over 60 members on Skool and a combined email list of nearly 250 The big announcement: the 5 Day Ditch the Store Challenge isn't a one-off — it's going to run every month from here on, living permanently in a Skool classroom so you can do it whenever suits your life Confirmed dates for the next two rounds: 19–23 October and 23–27 November Why it's staying free-first rather than becoming a paid course, and what's coming next week (episode 182 — the Ditch the Store Method) Missed last week's challenge, or couldn't make it work with your roster, your kids, or your farm? That's completely fine — there's always another one coming. JOIN THE CHALLENGE (FREE) Skool community: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about Eddie Abbew Crew on Skool: https://www.skool.com/abbewcrew/about?ref=e31882b2226844c093df8c88e1ee1852 (yes it is an affiliate link, 🙏🏼) GET THE BOOKS Eggs Without Cartons: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6From Brooder to Plate: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL FOLLOW ALONG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net Not the Farmer's Wife: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com

  3. Sep 21

    Episode 180E — Day 5: Where Do You Go From Here?

    DAY 5 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge: where do you go from here? I'm CJ, and if you've made it to the final day — congratulations! Even if you've only landed two small changes out of the four categories, that's genuinely worth celebrating. Today I'm recapping the big lessons from this week (progress over perfection, one change at a time, and building skills even before you "need" them) and talking about where to take this next: my free Skool community, the paid tiers if you want more, and my two books if you want to go deeper on backyard eggs or raising your own meat birds. Day 5's own task is cleaning products — soap, spray and wipe, laundry powder, and gumption, all doable at home with far fewer chemicals than store-bought. And I've got some news: I'll be running this 5-day challenge again next month, and next Thursday's episode is a full review of how this week went — plus a lovely story about a community member who turned my workbook into an app. 🔗 Join the free 5-Day Challenge community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about 🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net

  4. Sep 20

    Episode 180D — Day 4: Building Confidence One Skill at a Time

    DAY 4 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge: building confidence one skill at a time. I'm CJ, and today's episode is about something bigger than any one skill — how real confidence with homesteading actually gets built. I'll tell you about growing up on 400 acres with parents who taught me to milk a cow, make our own butter and cheese, and grow our own food — skills I didn't realise weren't the norm until years later. Today's message: don't try to learn everything at once. Pick one new skill a month — two at most — and actually get good at it before adding another. I'll also touch on my two Amazon-published books for anyone wanting to go deeper on raising your own protein, and how to handle the people in your life who don't quite get why you'd want to do any of this yourself. 🔗 Books Brooder to Plate - Kindle - https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL Brooder to Plate - Paperback - https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL Brooder to Plate - Aussie version https://link.amazon/B0dUhCyLC Eggs Without Cartons - Kindle - https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD Eggs Without Cartons - Paperback - https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 🔗 Join the free 5-Day Challenge community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about 🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net

  5. Sep 19

    Episode 180C — Day 3: The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make

    DAY 3 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge: the biggest mistake beginners make. I'm CJ, and today I'm naming it straight up — the single biggest mistake I see when people start homesteading and ditching the store is trying to do too much, too soon, too quickly. Bread, ketchup, BBQ sauce, yogurt, milking goats, chooks, fruit trees — all at once, all in one week. It never ends well, and I've been there myself. Today's task is growing fruit, veg, or herbs — even if that's just one pot of parsley on a veranda, like mine (wild rabbits mean my herb garden lives in pots until it's established). I'll also explain what Skool actually is for anyone who's heard me mention it but hasn't looked it up, and why picking ONE small thing per category — not five big ones — is the whole point of this challenge. 🔗 Join the free 5-Day Challenge community on Skool (videos stay live even after the official run): https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about 🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net

  6. Sep 18

    Episode 180B — Day 2: Progress Beats Perfection

    DAY 2 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge: progress beats perfection. I'm CJ, back with Day 2 — and today's for anyone whose Day 1 attempt didn't go perfectly. Spoiler: that's most of us, and it still counts. Quick recap for anyone joining late (totally fine to jump in on Day 2), then straight into my "done beats none" philosophy, and the honest story of my first loaves of homemade bread — twenty in, some of them genuinely rock hard — and why that didn't stop me. Today's task is pantry staples: bread, ketchup, mayo, BBQ sauce, stock — the everyday stuff quietly padding out your grocery bill. I'll also tell you about a poster that changed how I think about mistakes, and why I want to see your wins AND your flops posted in the Skool community. 🔗 Join the free 5-Day Challenge community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about 🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net

  7. Sep 17

    Episode 180A — Day 1: One Small Change Starts Everything

    DAY 1 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store Challenge One small change starts everything. I'm CJ — farmer, homesteader, mum, and full-time off-farm worker — and today kicks off five short daily episodes (under 15 minutes each) walking you through one small, doable change a day. No farm required. Today's task: grab your last supermarket receipt and pick one item from each of four categories — a pantry staple, a fruit/veg/herb, a protein, and a cleaning product — that genuinely irks you to buy. I'll share mine (spoiler: sourdough bread nearly broke me) and why writing this down matters more than you'd think. Whether you're on a 120-acre property or in an apartment with a windowsill, there's a version of this you can do today. 🔗 Join the free 5-Day Challenge community on Skool 🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram FacebookInstagramWebsite

  8. Sep 9

    Episode 179 - Frugal Isn't Cheap

    For years I thought being good with money meant saying no to everything. Turns out that wasn't frugal — that was just stingy, and it was making me miserable. This week I'm talking about the real difference between frugal and stingy, why it took me years (and a money boot camp) to see it, and what actually spending with intention looks like day to day. Plus a farm update on Loki and Doogie's new digs, prepping the property for snake season, and a first look at the 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge starting September 14. RESOURCES MENTIONED Denise Duffield-Thomas — Money Boot Camp - https://www.denisedt.com/ The Barefoot Investor (book, plus the kids' edition) - https://link.amazon/B07tStfrH Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool — https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge: September 14–18, hosted inside the Skool community

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About

🎙️ Ditch the Store Life’s too short for store-bought eggs. Tired of soaring prices and supermarket nonsense? This podcast is your cheeky, no-nonsense guide to growing food, raising animals, making homemade goods, and living frugally—whether you’re in the suburbs or on a small farm. New episodes weekly + a new Ditch the Store book every two months to help you break free, one step at a time. Let’s grow it, make it, raise it—and ditch the store.

Information

  • Creator
    CJ Steedman
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CJ Steedman
  • Show Website
    Ditch The Store

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