Ditch The Store

CJ Steedman

🎙️ 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. 7h ago

    Episode 188 - What I Still Buy At The Supermarket

    Yes, I still shop at the supermarket, and I probably always will. This week I go through the things I still buy and why: what I can't grow in my climate, what takes too much equipment or time, and what I simply choose not to make. There's no guilt on this list. The goal of Ditch The Store was never to stop walking through the supermarket doors. It's to make sure that when you do, you're buying things you've consciously chosen to buy, not things you had no other option but to buy.  WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE  - Why I still shop at the supermarket, and why toilet paper is never leaving our house - Living in Papua New Guinea for four years, where the whole group of us would ring each other when the local supermarket got mushrooms or broccoli in - Dependence versus sensible purchasing: buying because you can't produce it is different from buying things that don't make sense to produce - Community gardens for people in urban areas, and aiming to take about half your trolley out of the supermarket rather than all of it - Toilet paper (and the bidet and water trade-off) - Coffee and tea: why they won't grow where I live, and why I'm not giving up my coffee - Chocolate, and why the processing puts it out of reach - Flour and grains: why I buy 10-kilo bags in bulk at Costco, and what it would take to grow and mill heirloom wheat - Salt, sugar, honey and maple syrup- Spices (turmeric, ginger and other tropical ones don't grow in a cold climate) and mixing my own spice blends and brisket rubs from bought ingredients - Oils: buying olive oil directly from local producers, and making ghee and tallow myself - Cleaning ingredients: bicarb soda, washing soda and soap bars to make my own laundry powder, plus a tub of Gumption under the sink - Convenience foods without the guilt: pre-cooked rice, pasta, cookies for the kids' lunchboxes, and Thursday takeaway night - Why I'd make butter if I could find two-litre jugs of cream, and why I buy my pumpkin pie at Costco - Alcohol, and wine country - Storage and equipment limits: no chest freezer means no meat birds for now, and a small toaster oven on solar power - Paying someone else when it makes sense: shearing seven Angora goats for $300 and why it was worth it - Cooking at home five to six nights a week, and teenagers batch-cooking their own lunches - Three groups to sort your trolley into: things that don't make sense for you to produce, things your climate doesn't grow, and things you simply don't want to produce - The next Ditch The Store 5-Day Challenge: 23 to 27 November, free inside the Skool community - Coming up: Episode 190, Why Self-Sufficiency Isn't About Doing Everything Yourself  RESOURCES MENTIONED  - Join the Ditch The Store community on Skool (free to join, with a paid tier at $19 USD a month that you can leave any time, for much more access to me and the information I share): https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - The 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge: 23 to 27 November, free inside the Skool community. About 10 to 15 minutes a day, to sort your shopping list into what you can produce now, what you could produce eventually, and what you're happy to keep buying. - From Brooder to Plate, my book on raising meat chickens: Kindle: https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL Paperback: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons: Kindle: https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD Paperback: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com Tell me: what's the one thing you'll never stop buying from the supermarket? Send me a message. Please leave a review. It helps more people find the show.  FOLLOW ALONG  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71O_rvkChJ94ZKDvDsDxbA Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net

    Episode 188 - What I Still Buy At The Supermarket
  2. Nov 4

    Episode 187- How Much Food Could You Actually Produce At Home?

    If I handed you a normal backyard and asked how much food you could get out of it, what would you say? Most people have no idea, and most guess far too low. This week we look at what a rental backyard, a suburban block and a small acreage can really produce, why food production isn't only measured in kilograms, and how to work out what's worth producing for your own household without hype or guilt.  WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE  - Why the lawn might not be doing much for you, and what could go in its place - A farm update: parsley that got eaten, trimming hooves, and the meat boys heading off for processing - Where it started: milking cows and making butter as a teen, then a rental backyard in suburban Canberra growing cherry tomatoes, pumpkins and strawberries around plants already in the garden, and making bread and yogurt on a single mum's budget - Two and a half acres at Gunning: two milking goats, 10 to 15 hens, fruit trees, veggie gardens and bees, all in less than an acre - How to size it down: using a "what can I grow on one acre" layout as a guide and picking out only what matters for your block - Why food production isn't only measured in kilograms: count what you stop buying. Herbs, eggs, salad greens, tomatoes, honey, bread and yogurt all count. - Real examples: herbs that cost about $20 to $30 to grow versus around $100 a year to buy, sourdough at about $1.50 a loaf at home versus about $9 for a good loaf in the shop, and baby spinach at about $49 a kilo - Which crops save the least (carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini) and why you might still grow them - Thinking in categories, not an annual food supply: vegetables, fruit, eggs, meat, dairy, pantry staples and household products. Pick a couple, not all seven. - Worked examples: eggs per hen per week, litres from a goat, kilos of honey per hive, and meat birds at roughly $7 to $10 each to raise - A supermarket trolley exercise: could I grow it, raise it, make it, buy it direct from a local producer, or will I always buy it? - A tip: record your trolley on your phone while you shop, then use an AI tool or Google to compare your costs with growing it yourself, and double-check the numbers - The reality check: water, feed, fencing, soil, equipment, knowledge and especially your time. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. - When paying to learn is worth it - The next Ditch The Store 5-Day Challenge: 23 to 27 November, inside the Skool community  RESOURCES MENTIONED  - Join the Ditch The Store community on Skool (free to join, with a paid tier at $19 USD a month that you can leave any time, for much more access to me and the information I share): https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - The 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge: 23 to 27 November, free inside the Skool community - From Brooder to Plate, my book on raising meat chickens (start with the Kindle edition, then buy the paperback if you decide to go ahead; the paperback has the colour photos): Kindle: https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL Paperback: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons: Kindle: https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD Paperback: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store, with a 15% birthday sale this weekend https://www.notthefarmerswife.com - Episode 176 (Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan): baby spinach at $49 a kilo - Episode 184 (Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home) and Episode 185 (How Real Families Are Ditching the Store) - Pinterest tip: search "what can I grow on one acre" for layout ideas to adapt to your own block - Please leave a review. It helps more people find the show.  FOLLOW ALONG  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71O_rvkChJ94ZKDvDsDxbA Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net  Thanks for listening. See you next week.

    Episode 187- How Much Food Could You Actually Produce At Home?
  3. Oct 28

    Episode 186 — Beltane: From Planning to Producing

    EPISODE 186: Beltane on the Homestead Beltane is an old Celtic seasonal festival that marked the shift into the high-production half of the year, and for us in the Southern Hemisphere it lands right now, around 31 October to the first week of November. This week we look at what Beltane really meant to the original homesteaders, why it still matters if you grow food or keep animals, and simple, practical (and not-too-woo-woo) ways to mark the change of season while getting your homestead ready for summer.  WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE  - What Beltane is, where it comes from, and why it's about the seasons and food production as much as ritual - Why the date is flexible: 31 October to about 7 November in the Southern Hemisphere, and 1 May in the north - Beltane vs Samhain, and why it feels odd for Aussies to see autumn decorations in the shops during our spring - The farming connection: fire, livestock, dairy and community feasting, and why it was all about a productive season ahead - Safe ways to bring fire into the day (and why a permit and common sense come first). Candles and a fire pit count. - A planning check-in as summer approaches: succession planting, breeding plans, supplies you need to order now, and a quarterly planning day in the Skool community - A seasonal walk around your property (or your neighbourhood): what's flowering, fruiting and germinating, and what needs attention - Parasite loads, weeds and pests booming with the grass, plus an honest update on a goat with barber's pole worm - What to plant now: tomatoes, beans, zucchini, pumpkins, corn, herbs, sunflowers and flowers for pollinators - Bringing flowers and greenery inside (olive jars make great vases) - Making something from milk: butter, yogurt, ricotta and mozzarella, and why to try them before you buy a milking animal - Baking something and sharing it, and a simple summer abundance list for the less woo-woo-averse - What "fertility" really means on a homestead: soil, seeds, pollinators and pasture - A Beltane homestead reset checklist: preserving jars and lids, irrigation, water troughs, shade, poultry and goat housing, the seed box, freezer space, tools and watering routines- Your Beltane challenge: grow one thing, make one thing, and prepare for one thing  RESOURCES MENTIONED  - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - Share your favourite gardening videos and books in the community. Quarterly planning days are coming to Skool. - From Brooder to Plate (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com - Leave a review: it helps more people find the podcast  A SAFETY NOTE Check your local fire restrictions and whether you need a permit before lighting any outdoor fire. Candles, a fire pit where permitted, or a barbecue are all fine alternatives.  FOLLOW ALONG  - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71O_rvkChJ94ZKDvDsDxbA - Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net  Thanks for listening. See you next week.

    Episode 186 — Beltane: From Planning to Producing
  4. Oct 21

    Episode 185 - How Real Families Are Ditching the Store

    I asked you to send in your stories about how you're ditching the store, and one person did. So this week we hear hers, plus a few real people from around the world who are breaking up with the supermarket in their own way. A jar of hot sauce, fourteen garden beds, a city balcony. Different starting points, same direction. If you've ever looked at someone else's homestead and thought "that's not me", this one is for you.  WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE  - Why I'm sharing stories this week, and how you can send in yours - A farm update: shearing the angora goats (and why blunt blades are a nightmare), a funny tummy for Marie Antoinette, copper bolusing for barber's pole worm, and rabbit-proofing the veggie garden - Charmayne's story: fermenting chillies so she can stop buying hot sauce, and growing enough plants to share with the chooks, the starlings and herself - Why hot sauce is such a smart first swap (chillies, salt and time) and what's often hiding in the shop-bought versions - Andrew from Fern Bay, NSW: a former horticulturist with 14 garden beds, "food feet" instead of food miles, and an honest look at what it costs to set up - Leslie from San Francisco: a small apartment balcony, 24 lightweight containers, and a refusal to keep paying $20 for a salad - What the research says is worth growing: herbs, repeat-harvest crops like lettuce, silverbeet, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, beans and tomatoes, and which crops (onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, potatoes) are poor value in a small space - Why you should always grow what your family will actually eat (RIP, capsicum) - What's happening in the kitchen: refreshing a dormant sourdough starter, and a strawberry plant in a hanging basket away from the rabbits - A call-out for your own "ditching the store" stories, plus a plug for the free Skool community and a review ask  RESOURCES MENTIONED  - Send your own "ditching the store" story (a written message is fine, no recording needed): help@ditchthestore.com - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about - Episode 170 (Fermentation 101): for how to get your fermentations going - Episode 176 (Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan): baby spinach at $49 a kilo and other pricey supermarket items - Episode 184 (Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home): the "halve it, don't quit" idea - Newcastle Herald, "Grow your own food at home: how Hunter gardeners save on their groceries by raising a vegetable garden": https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8857794/grow-your-own-food-at-home-how-hunter-gardeners-save-on-their-groceries-by-raising-a-vegetable-garden - Domino, "This Gardener Grows 35 Herbs and Veggies on Her Tiny San Francisco Balcony" (a US story, so prices are in US dollars): https://www.domino.com/content/leslie-santarina-balcony-garden-ideas/ - The Conversation, "Growing your own food and foraging can help tackle your ballooning grocery bill. Here's how": https://theconversation.com/growing-your-own-food-and-foraging-can-help-tackle-your-ballooning-grocery-bill-heres-how-216264  SUPPORT THE SHOW  - From Brooder to Plate (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons (Kindle): https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 - Not The Farmer's Wife clothing store: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com - This week's tee, "A Good Day Starts" (chickens and coffee), made to order: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com/products/i-like-chickens-and-coffee?variant=45028932780211 - Leave a review: it helps more people find the show  FOLLOW ALONG - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore- Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net  Thanks for listening. See you next week.

    Episode 185 - How Real Families Are Ditching the Store
  5. Oct 14

    Episode 184 - Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home

    Picture your weekly shop with half the items in the trolley, half the bill at the checkout, and half the time spent on the whole process. That's what this episode is about — not giving up the supermarket entirely (we are never, ever giving up shop-bought toilet paper), but cutting it back to just the things that are genuinely too complex to make or grow yourself.  WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE  - A farm update: school holidays, a very pollen-heavy trip to Floriade, and how switching the family to a ketovore way of eating has improved both kids' eczema and hay fever - Farm jobs ticked off: the buck shed is done, Loki's being weaned off the bottle, and a new strawberry plant is going in a hanging basket to keep it safe from the rabbits - A reminder that the October 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge is still open to join any time, day one or day five, and the next round runs November 23–27 - What "halving your groceries" actually means — and what it definitely doesn't mean (no flour mills, no home-grown coffee, no giving up toilet paper) - Category one: supermarket staples that are genuinely overpriced for what you get — sourdough, pasture-raised eggs, strawberries, and herbs - Category two: what "shelf-stable" really means — long-life milk, preservative-loaded "sourdough," and why barn-laid or free-range labels don't guarantee the nutrition you're paying for - What you don't need land for: eggs, bread, herbs, and cleaning products - What you probably do need land for: raising your own meat and milk - A practical starter list for apartment and balcony living, suburban backyards, and small acreage - Why this isn't just about money — the health, food security, and skills side of producing more of your own food - A call-out: send CJ a voice recording of how you're ditching the store, and you could be featured on next week's episode  RESOURCES MENTIONED  - Join the free Ditch The Store community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about- The 5-Day Ditch The Store Challenge is running right now (jump in any day) — next round is November 23–27, hosted inside the Skool community - From Brooder to Plate — Kindle: https://link.amazon/B0fq89feL - From Brooder to Plate — Paperback: https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL - Eggs Without Cartons — Kindle: https://link.amazon/B01mDroZD - Eggs Without Cartons — Paperback: https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6- Want to be featured on the podcast? Record a short voice note on your phone telling us how you're ditching the store and send it via Facebook Messenger to Ditch The Store, or through the contact page at help@ditchthestore.com FOLLOW ALONG - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchthestore/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchthestore/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ditchthestore- Website: https://www.mojohomestead.net  Thanks for listening — see you next week.

    Episode 184 - Imagine If Half Your Groceries Came From Home
  6. Oct 7

    Episode 183 — The 7 Biggest Mistakes New Homesteaders Make

    ⚠️ THE 7 BIGGEST MISTAKES NEW HOMESTEADERS MAKE (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)G'day everyone, CJ here, and welcome to episode 183 of Ditch the Store! Today I'm walking through the seven biggest mistakes I see new homesteaders make. I know them all because I've made every one of them, some of them twice. For each one I cover how it happens and, more importantly, how to avoid it. As the sign in my kids' bedroom says, mistakes are proof that you're trying.In this episode:Farm update: weaning Loki off his bottle before the move to the big boy paddock (Doogie is not impressed that the "baby" still gets milk), and getting the Angoras shornMistake 1, too much, too soon, too quickly: bread, ketchup, yogurt, goats, chooks and an orchard all in one week is a recipe for burnoutMistake 2, buying the gear before the skill: why I'm still canning in a $40 Big W pot instead of a $600 US (1,000+ AUD) pressure canner. Also, how an ordinary bowl and tea towel make a perfectly good proofing basket, and why you should borrow or buy secondhand firstMistake 3, animals before infrastructure: the potty calves we brought home with nowhere to put them, why a predator-proof run comes before the chooks, and how having spare hives ready meant we could catch a swarmMistake 4, underestimating the ongoing cost and time: real numbers from our farm. That's $22 a bag of chook feed, $220–250 a round bale, around $30–37 a bale of lucerne, and sick goats that can turn into $2,000 vet bills. Plus why someone has to be there every day, even ChristmasMistake 5, growing what you think you should, not what you eat: the 40-zucchini problem, and why your supermarket receipt should decide what goes in the gardenMistake 6, no plan for the hard stuff: if you have livestock, you'll eventually have dead stock. Know your vet, set aside an emergency fund, and decide before it happensMistake 7, doing it alone and comparing yourself to the highlight reel: nobody posts the gel soap, runny yogurt or rock-hard bread, and I don't milk in a Laura Ashley dress eitherWhy community matters, and where to find mine🔗 JOIN THE CHALLENGE (FREE) Skool community: https://www.skool.com/ditch-the-store-6174/about The October 5-Day Challenge starts Monday 12 October (12–16 Oct)📖 GET THE BOOKS Eggs Without Cartons (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B09pwYzr6 From Brooder to Plate (Paperback): https://link.amazon/B080SYcCL🔗 FOLLOW ALONG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojohomestead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojohomestead/ Website: https://www.mojohomestead.netNot the Farmer's Wife: https://www.notthefarmerswife.com

  7. Sep 30

    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

  8. 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

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.

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