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PODCAST

Ditch The Store

🎙️ 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.

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

00:40:43

Episode 182 — The Ditch the Store Method

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/30

🧾 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

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00:33:10

Episode 181 - What We Learned From the Ditch the...

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/23

🌱 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 communityA personal update: two months into a

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00:09:48

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

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/21

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

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00:12:45

Episode 180D — Day 4: Building Confidence One Skill...

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/20

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

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00:12:13

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

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/19

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

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00:11:41

Episode 180B — Day 2: Progress Beats Perfection

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/18

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

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00:14:16

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

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/17

DAY 1 of the 5-Day Ditch the Store ChallengeOne 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

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00:38:57

Episode 179 - Frugal Isn't Cheap

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/09

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

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00:44:35

Episode 178 - Why Most People Never Start

Ditch The Store ·

2026/09/02

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

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00:29:21

Episode 177 - Eggs Without Cartons The Book

Ditch The Store ·

2026/08/26

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

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00:46:22

Episode 176 - Your Spring Ditch The Store Plan

Ditch The Store ·

2026/08/20

What To Stop Buying Before You Plant AnythingDESCRIPTIONSpring 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

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00:42:30

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

Ditch The Store ·

2026/08/12

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 EpisodeWhy 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

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00:39:59

Episode 174 - Stop Buying Seeds Every Year

Ditch The Store ·

2026/08/05

Do you really need to buy new seeds every spring?The answer is… not always.In this episode, we're talking about one of the simplest ways to become a little more self-sufficient—saving your own seeds. I'll explain why seed saving is worth learning, the difference between heirloom and hybrid varieties, and which vegetables are the easiest for beginners to collect seeds from.I'll also share a farm update, explain why some plants don't play by the same rules, and walk you through how I

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00:44:17

Episode 173 – The Secret to Growing More Food Without...

Ditch The Store ·

2026/07/29

Have you ever wondered why some gardens seem to thrive while others constantly need more fertiliser, more water and more attention?In this episode, we're talking about the biggest mistake many gardeners make – focusing on feeding the plant instead of feeding the soil.I'll explain why healthy soil is the foundation of every productive vegetable garden, how poor soil can become an expensive cycle to break, and the simple things you can start doing now to build a garden that produces more while

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00:45:05

Episode 172: 10 Ways to Make Every Egg Count (and Buy...

Ditch The Store ·

2026/07/22

Eggs are one of the most valuable foods you can produce—or buy—but most of us only think about them at breakfast.In this episode, I share 10 practical ways to use every egg well, reduce food waste, save money, and get more value from your backyard chickens (or your local egg supplier).We'll cover preserving eggs, meal planning, using leftovers, making homemade mayonnaise, and simple ways to stretch every dozen further.Whether you've got your own flock or you're just beginning your

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00:39:25

Episode 171 - Should You Get Chickens..

Ditch The Store ·

2026/07/15

Everyone says chickens are the perfect first homesteading animal—but are they?In this episode, I explain why I love chickens, why they're still one of the best additions to any homestead... and why they might not be the first step for everyone.If you're just starting your journey towards self-sufficiency, we'll look at the practical skills that can save you money, build your confidence, and make keeping chickens much more rewarding when the time is right.We also cover Australia's

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00:37:46

Episode 170 - Fermentation 101 — Sauerkraut & More

Ditch The Store ·

2026/07/08

Have you ever watched a beautiful cabbage, zucchini, or box of fresh vegetables slowly turn into compost while sitting in your fridge?What if there was a way to preserve that food for months, improve its flavour, support your gut health, and do it all without a freezer, pressure canner, or expensive equipment?In this episode of Ditch the Store, we're diving into one of humanity's oldest food preservation methods: fermentation.From simple homemade sauerkraut to kimchi, sourdough, kombucha, and even

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00:40:19

Episode 169 - Bird Flu in Australia

Ditch The Store ·

2026/07/01

Bird flu has officially arrived in Australia, and if you keep backyard chickens, you've probably seen plenty of headlines, social media posts, and opinions flying around.But what does it actually mean for your flock?Should you be worried? Do you need to lock your chickens up? What practical steps can you take to protect your birds without falling into panic mode?In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ separates fact from fiction and explains what backyard chicken keepers need to know about avian

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00:36:11

Episode 168: Celebrating Yule on the Homestead

Ditch The Store ·

2026/06/24

Winter has settled in. The garden has slowed down, the chickens are taking their annual leave, and the shortest day of the year is almost here.But what if this wasn't something to endure?What if it was something to celebrate?In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ explores the history of Yule, the ancient midwinter festival that celebrated the longest night of the year and the return of the light. We look at how many familiar Christmas traditions have roots in older seasonal celebrations and why

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00:43:25

Episode 167: Why Your Chickens Have Gone on Strike...

Ditch The Store ·

2026/06/17

Have your hens suddenly stopped laying eggs? Before you panic and start questioning your chicken-keeping skills, take a breath.If it's winter, there's a good chance your girls haven't quit their jobs—they've simply gone on annual leave.In this episode of Ditch the Store, CJ explains why egg production drops (or stops completely) during winter, what a molt actually is, how daylight affects laying, and the practical steps you can take to help your flock through the season.You'll

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