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 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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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
    190
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CJ Steedman
  • Show Website
    Ditch The Store

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