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. 19h ago

    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

  2. 1d ago

    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

  3. 2d ago

    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

  4. 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

  5. Sep 2

    Episode 178 - Why Most People Never Start

    Why Most People Never Start (Ep. 178) | Homesteading, Perfectionism & The Excuses That Hold You BackDESCRIPTIONIt's not that people don't want to grow their own food or stop handing money to the supermarket every week — nobody wants that. Somewhere along the way, "getting started" turns into a huge, all-or-nothing thing in their head, and that's what actually stops them. This week I pull apart the excuses I hear all the time (not enough land, not enough time, I'll mess it up, I'll start when things settle down), why none of them hold up, and what starting small and imperfectly actually looks like.Plus a farm update, big news on my second book, and a first look at the 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge running September 14–18. RESOURCES MENTIONEDJoin the free Ditch The Store community on Skool — https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge: September 14–18, hosted inside the Skool communityEggs Without Cartons: The Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Chickens for Eggs — live now on KDP https://link.amazon/B038oHMhc or https://link.amazon/B00elw2LrFrom Brooder to Plate — my first book, on raising chickens for meat https://link.amazon/B0fejzIlkThe Barefoot Investor — mentioned as a starting point for practical money guidance - https://link.amazon/B05l8gkTE

  6. Aug 26

    Episode 177 - Eggs Without Cartons The Book

    Episode 177: My second book, Eggs Without Cartons, goes live on Amazon this Friday — and I'm too egg-cited not to talk about it, even in the middle of the hardest work fortnight of my year. This week: why I split my chicken books into two (one for meat, one for eggs), three free tips straight out of the new book — including a myth about fertile eggs that genuinely blows people's minds — plus a quick farm update and an honest look at why this book took as long as it did to write. Grab it this weekend on Kindle at a discounted price, and if you read it, please leave a review — it's the single biggest thing that helps people find it. 📖 Books: [LINKS BELOW]🔗 Follow: Ditch the Store on Facebook & Instagram [LINKS BELOW] Eggs Without Cartons (Kindle): https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0HGG6XKZGFrom Brooder to Plate (USA & Kindle): https://amzn.to/44yQr2LFrom Brooder to Plate (Aussie): https://amzn.to/4eTcGnwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomesteadInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/Website / email list: https://www.mojohomestead.net

    Episode 177 - Eggs Without Cartons The Book

  7. Aug 20

    Episode 176 - Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan

    What To Stop Buying Before You Plant Anything DESCRIPTION Spring success doesn't start with buying seedlings — it starts with deciding what you're going to stop buying from the supermarket. In this episode I walk through the exact planning process for a spring garden that actually cuts your grocery bill, the mistakes I see people make every year, and a sneak peek at my upcoming 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge. Plus a farm update: our new Anglo Nubian buckling Loki, fencing progress, and why I'm finally getting back into the beehives after a year off. RESOURCES MENTIONED Eden Seeds (Australian seed supplier) https://www.edenseeds.com.au Brooded or Plated — my book on raising your own meat chickens Brooder to Plate - USA and Kindle https://amzn.to/44yQr2L Brooder to Plate - Aussie version https://amzn.to/4eTcGnw Mojo Homestead on social media — follow for photos and videos of Loki @mojohomestead Take the Ditch The Store quiz and join the mailing list: www.ditchthestore.com/dtsscore #DitchTheStore #Homesteading #SpringGarden #GrowYourOwn #Homestead #Self Sufficient Living #AustralianGarden #FoodBudget Thanks for watching — see you next week for episode 177.

    Episode 176 - Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan

  8. Aug 12

    Episode 175 - The Best $25 You'll Spend in Your Garden

    Think $25 can't do much for your garden? Think again. In this episode I break down the exact numbers on why buying seedlings (not seeds) this year could save you well over $200 in grocery money — and I show you every calculation so you can do it yourself. In This Episode Why sometimes buying seedlings beats saving seeds (and that's okay!)A farm update — walking without crutches after 10 months, garden prep, and Loki the buckling melting heartsThe exact 5 punnets I'm buying at Bunnings this year, and whyThe real dollar-for-dollar maths on seedlings vs. supermarket pricesWhy "don't buy crops you don't eat" is the golden rule of getting a good returnWhat you still need to budget for: water, soil health, and sunlightThis week's challenge: plan your own $25 garden $25 Seedling Maths Five punnets from Bunnings, total cost $24.08 — here's what came out of the ground: Seedling Cost App. Yield S/market Return Iceberg lettuce $4.85 ~6 lettuces $3.50 each = $21.00 ~4x Cherry tomatoes $4.85~3kg p/plant x6 $29.50/kg = $531 ~110x Spring onions $4.85 ~12 bunches $3.00/bunch = $36.00 ~7x Baby spinach $4.85 ~200g $49.00/kg = $9.80 ~2x Parsley $4.68 ~9 bunches $4.50/bunch = $40.50 ~9x Total spent: $24.08 → Total value: $254.80 That's not a one-off harvest either — tomatoes, spinach, and parsley in particular keep producing for months, so this isn't a "pick it all at once" return. It's ongoing. The Golden Rule Don't buy seedlings for crops your family won't actually eat. Grow what replaces your regular supermarket purchases — for us that's lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, baby spinach, and parsley, because they're things we'd otherwise be buying (and often wasting) every week. Don't Forget Water — hand water if you're not getting regular rainSoil health — dig in your compost now, ahead of plantingSunlight — make sure your bed gets good light through the dayFrost protection — cover seedlings on cold nights, mulch around the base This Weeks Challenge Start planning your own five punnets now for September planting: Pick five crops your family will actually eatCheck prices on the Bunnings websitePrep the garden bed (and any frames you'll need for climbers)Track what it costs you vs. what you'd have spent at the supermarket over summer Links Take the free Ditch the Store Score quiz: www.ditchthestore.com/dtsscore Enjoyed this episode? Share your "store swap" pick — lettuce, baby spinach, spring onions, or parsley — and tag me on social media.

    Episode 175 - The Best $25 You'll Spend in Your Garden
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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
    183
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CJ Steedman
  • Show Website
    Ditch The Store

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