A year without the grocery store | My budget for this year |

Today we chat about how I intend to stay away from the supermarket in 2024. What my budget is for this year and the #threeriverschallenge.
Find out why I'm trying this challenge.
#newzealand #farmerswifehomestead #threeriverschallenge #ayearwithoutthegrocerystore #fivekchallenge
If you would like to send me mail, here is my PO Box. Please address it too.
Stacey
PO Box 83
Raglan Central Post Shop
16 Bow Street
Raglan 3265
New Zealand
Email
[e-mail]

[@jenniferharris1761]

If your dry goods are 'expired' but do not smell rancid use them! 😊

[@earthsongdivine7384]

I am a kiwi living in Melbourne In Australia the government has a current enquiry happening about supermarket monopoly and price gouging. The farmers are struggling, the customers are struggling but the shares, CEO’s commissions are staggering! I buy bulk meat from a farm co-op, and live out of my tiny suburban garden. It’s hard work but actually I’m healthier and happier than ever x

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Yes, yes to all you said. I'm over it, they cry when their profits are cut in half. While we cry every day! I'm glad I'm, not the only one looking at a different journey.

[@HomeEc101]

WOW- a whole year no grocery store! Will be following to see how this plays out for you. I'm trying to go through the end of Feb - allowing myself $50/wk for produce and dairy kind of items. I did not stock for this quest either- that's kind of the point of the exercise- use what you have in a creative way. Make your garden work for you, barter, rotate the pantry. Don't buy more- use what is on hand. Harvested two cauliflower today- so we will eating cauliflower for a while! Another goal is to use up and through the extra cleaning products we have on hand as well.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

I like the way you think. I'm so determined to stay out, so hopefully, I can make it happen. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

[@bulldogmom]

As for paper towels I made my own out of flannel fabric. They’re called unpaper towels. Lots of videos on them. I haven’t purchased toweling in a long time. So glad I found your channel.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Great tip! Thanks for sharing

[@fussyrenovator7551]

I ripped up a flannel sheet. Makes great rags. I haven’t even bothered to hem them.i resent buying paper towelling.

[@joanneridge7733]

I love this idea. IM IN. I will not go to a supermarket (when I work out where to get my dog food😂 this will be my exception ) I’m in Australia so I will get my loo paper from ‘who gives a crap.’ I’ll source the stuff to make my cleaning products and body products. Farmers markets, f&v shop and local butchers. My bulk store is not local. Another exception. Once every 3 months I’ll do the stock up. I already grow some of my own. Now to set a comparable budget. Thank you Stacy.

[@toniaroane]

This is brilliant and I love it! My trust level with what is sold in the stores has waned considerably, even with reading labels, and I already know I will be getting more from farmer's markets and roadside stands, which also supports local business! PS...I LOVE your hair down, but as someone who also has long hair, mine goes up to stay out of my way.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

It's been on my heart for well over a year, so I'm glad to finally get moving on it. It's Saturday here tomorrow so I might even go check out the farmers market. Thanks, I like it down as well, but yes it does get in the way lol

[@lisakiel9695]

Yes reading labels an eye oppener if you cant pronounce it dont eat it😂

[@IbbitsList1]

I'm doing the challenge this year too. Mine is to rotate all the food out of my pantry and freezer by using what I have on hand before buying more. The grocery budget money for the month will be put aside for future use to restock. Then when I find a good sale I'll buy in larger quantities and will have the funds and freezer space to accommodate.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

It is a great challenge to do. I love that you are joining in!

[@pearlyb51]

Just watched your channel for the first time and I love it! I am widowed and have a good supply of food laid up. I am doing the Three Rivers Pantry Challenge to try to save money and to use up the stores that I already have. It’s helpful to see how other households are tweaking this challenge to suit their individual needs. So thankful that I can learn something from each of you. Blessings!

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Welcome!! and thanks so much for watching. I love how Jessica made the challenge to suit anyone's needs.

[@natalietolchard7896]

The best part about purchasing from smaller businesses like fruit stalls is the fruit generally tastes better, they may look ugly but the flavour is much better. Bartering is great. I swapped flowers for fruit last weekend! I love your thinking and understand your goals and that you are walking your talk is inspirational.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Thank you, two months down and I am saving so much money staying away from them.

[@HarvestMoonFarmKC]

Holy cow!! That’s a big goal! Good for you and good luck! I’m sick of the grocery stores here as well.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

It has been on my heart for some time but I'm determined to give it a go. It's actually fun trying to think of different places that I now have to get supplies.

[@christawright2685]

I lump household items in with grocery stuff because I usually buy them together! Thanks for sharing, it's so interesting to see perspective and happenings in other parts of this big world!

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

You are so welcome! I'm really enjoying my little challenge, and the first month has gone well.

[@tinawhite5876]

Oh wow so happy I found your channel, I have wanted to do this for some time, you are a great inspiration to me 🥰

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

You can do it! I don't miss it!

[@11Aradia11]

I love the idea of avoiding the supermarket but need to up my pressure canning skills. I'm watching the Canuary challenge by Sutton's Daze again this year - they always do unusal recipes and its very encouraging for this novice canner.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

I would love to do Canuary! I think you have to be invited though so maybe next year I could try. I am going to do some in-depth beginner guide to canning very shortly.

[@jennivanhart3016]

I love this! We participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program every year, we buy shares of cow and pig. We love our farmers' markets. Our budget has a category for bulk purchases. There are many things we don't buy in the grocery stores anymore and every year I strive to add more to that list. Thank you for your inspiration. ♥ Kiwi gal who had a pet lamb every spring that "went back to the farm" and our freezer filled with lamb - ha!, we had chickens and ducks and Mum and Dad had a huge vegetable garden and many fruit trees. As my life allows I'm adding container gardening and pressure canning to my world and we are loving it. Baby steps.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

You sound like you are completely thriving! You will get hooked on the world of pressure canning. I have quite a few of those videos if you are keen to watch them.

[@lisakiel9695]

Yes I think you should include household items in your budget i group it all into one makes it easier I am building my pantry makeing as much as possible from scratch dehydrateing canning freezeing and gardening i am aiming for same kind of goal only things i buy will be things i cant make and hopeing to meet like minded souls along the journey i want to know whats in my food too😊

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Good on you! The more I look into this the more I realize just how much convenience and C#@p food goes into the average supermarket trolley. Mine included!

[@lisakiel9695]

Yes exactly and people wonder why theirs so much ill health even in young people additives and chemicals in fake food!!!! Awesome so many of us are saying no and growing and preserveing real food🙏💜

[@phyllisruss5174]

Nice to find a fellow kiwi homesteader 😊

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Hello there! I hope you are enjoying the channel :-)

[@PeanutButter-hr7uu]

👋🏻, just found your channel! I’m doing the challenge also. This is my third yr. This time I’m doing February as well and will see how it goes. I don’t pre stock for this challenge as I do it to use up my canning and work down my pantry and freezer stock. I am also an envelope person too! It works for us. And I do include pet food and household items in my amount for my budget. Since it is my rules for my home. I love frugal like minded channels. Good luck with a year long challenge.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Hello and welcome. It is a great challenge to do. I find it makes me more intentional on how I'm cooking. I just posted an update on how the first month was. Thanks for watching.

[@KathAlderwick]

hi thanks for everything u show how live more frugally also u hair looks lovely out

[@elizabethcollins-lowe3147]

Thanks for inspiration. I am reflecting on the year past, and how much our family needs have changed with new jobs and commitments. Feels like we are finding our feet all over again,

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

You got this! It's a good time of the year to really reflect.

[@chichita9202]

Great ro see you again. I have not done supermarkets for decades. I started like I said when a book called The 100 mile diet came out and I started shopping ONLY at the farmer's market. I buy the soap goods and such at wholesale type stores (the kind of stores where convenience stores get their supplies) and I buy the largest container possible of dishwasher liquid and laundry soap and so on. This lasts me years literally and you can't imagine the number of plastic containers that I don't use. The latest is recently (Oct last yerar) I moved to a remote small town and brought with me a great deal of supplies to have on hand especially considering to last the winter but just in fear of not having food because I didn't know what I was going to be able to get there. It turns out I can get a lot of good things like for example eggs are cheaper here than in the big town and get delivered to my house on certain dates when the farmer comes to town and you can put an order and there is a woman nearby who started doing hydroponics and such but nonetheless I have done only a couple of extra shopping mostly for fresh veg or if I feel like having milk and such. Other than that I have not done any groceries now for 4 month when we end this month is a few weeks and I can already see that I will be able to make dishes to last me until the end of the month for sure. Good luck with your no buy!

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Wow good on you! I'm really enjoying the challenge and it's almost fun to try and figure out other places to purchase goods. Thanks so much for writing and letting me know how you are doing things.

[@nzmoneykarma]

I love this- I also hate using the supermarket and am hoping I can get myself in a position to do this too, I'll be cheering for you! My Grandparents used to drive once a year to the Hawkes Bay to pick up a trailer of fruit to preserve. I can't imagine being able to do that now! We are getting backyard chickens this year and I can't wait! I agree re: Coolworths v wountdown. We are part of a food co-op and that is a great way to get your staples like oats, rice etc in bulk at wholesale plus gst prices. I look forward to watching along with this 🙂

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

I would love to be a part of a co-op as well. I've looked into it but couldn't find one over here. It might be time to look into it myself. I wish we had something like Azure standard over here I think it would do well. You will love your chickens, they are amazing little critters and I love just sitting and watching them when I need some time out! p.s I love watching your vids X

[@nzmoneykarma]

@@FarmersWifeHomestead Thanks so much 🙂

[@Cegopopa]

I fully agree with you, Stacey, and try to avoid supermarkets too. As much as i can i buy local and if not local at least from small, family-owned businesses. My problem is mainly my husband cos some things (particular brands) he’s wedded to i can only get from the supermarket😢

[@sjordan7085]

So glad to have been a long time Prepper. I am going to be just like you. I don't live with a family, but I plan to live by shopping my preps and seeing how long I can go without shopping at the grocery store. I may have to spend a few dollars for fresh items, but even if I spent only $20.00 a week, I would be satisfied with that. Likely more doable than being too extreme. Unfortunately, Farmers Markets are terribly expensive where I live. I eat whole foods plant-based, which automatically makes my food expenses much less. Sad you don't love your other animals as much as your chickens, all are sentient beings worthy of our compassion.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Sounds like you are onto it. I have been a long-term prepper as well and it is nice to not have to worry about things when times get tough. Please don't assume I don't love my other animals as much as my chickens. I have lots of animals that I have rescued including my horse who had been abused, pigs, 3 cats, and my dog. We also have pet sheep and cows. Thanks anyway for watching.

[@nettynoohawk200]

I’m totally with you Stacy, I too support local farmers and I’m diligently working towards being self sufficiency . We must push back against mega corporations, our freedom of choice is reliant on our ability to sustain ourselves.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

100 Percent agree!

[@victorious3926]

Happy New Year from America. I feel like when you take on challenges like this. The whole point is not to spend anything and to use what you have. My personal opinion i feel like a person should get all their supplies. They need before they take this challenge on. So it really is a challenge that you're not spending anything to see how far you actually can go, God bless you..

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

The three river challenge that Jessica does, has no rules. You make your own. Some people have a budget for vegetables others have for dairy. For me, I'm only getting vegetables and dairy as we don't have a cow yet. Here in New Zealand, it is summer, and it's peak growing season, so to put things up for our winter I need to still get vegetables in season. Thanks for watching.

[@victorious3926]

@@FarmersWifeHomestead I understand here in Michigan we are in winter.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

It's so hot here atm I WISH it was winter lol. Keep warm ❤

[@fracturedopal]

Hi, I'm Opal, it has been 42 days since I shopped at the duopoly. #dontshoptheduop

[@madamkiwi1094]

I did a shelf -temper challenge and then did another couple of months with buying just what was needed, then lockdown came and we had very empty cupboards with no American preper pantry, always a bit weary now but still more intentional with what we do buy. Yes to a question video, ive also enjoy cash stuffing / budget videos

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

I know right! it's a balancing act to have enough stored for a rainy day but also make use of what you have. Okay, I'm filming a new video today and will ask for questions in that video. Thanks for watching.

[@dorothycameron7398]

I would add household pets food costs into the budget but not if they are farm animals for example herding dogs, because I would consider these a business item. Definitely do house cleaning items into your budget. I will be interested to see what if anything you come up with for making any of these yourself, for example cloth washing liquid or powder etc. Keep up the great videos. Hope its not too long before the knee is sorted.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Ok, thanks great to know. Thanks for the well wishes and for watching the videos. Take care Stace

[@emmagudsell59]

I'm loving this channel 🎉❤

[@chichita9202]

I am alone too so it is different for me than you. I have dehydrated the cranberries I had and they are pretty good! I "invented" making pizza dough with rice to use more of the rice because I am not a big rice eater and that is pretty good (cook the rice, add seasoning, eggs and grated carrot or whatever else if you want or just leave it plain, also I did not have cheese but think cheese would be nice, flatten the paste in an oiled pan and cook until golden, use next or set aside to be ready for next time you want to make pizza

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Love this!

[@chichita9202]

Yes please a Q&A yes I would like to learn about New Zealand. I live in Canada.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

ok feel free to ask me anything. I love Canada!

[@sheilaabayateye1558]

Wow so admire you and will follow your progress. My challenge is to to make my own condiments and sauces and preserves. Learn to can meat. As I am going mainly carnivore. Like you disgusted with supermarkets here in UK too. Food is so expensive now.

[@mariawhite1328]

Best of luck Stacey. I must look into this Gilmours.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

It is a fantastic shop! Thanks for the best wishes.

[@lisajackson3452]

Very excited to follow 😀

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Thanks so much 😊

[@bettyadkisson1681]

I buy my eggs,butter and milk from the Amish and potatoes,and veggies from aldi's and French dip . But I'm trying for home grown veggie too can this year and freezing and dehydrating more veggies too. For the whole years groceries.

[@lydiawilsonknight828]

Used to live in Fairfield Dunedin Otago N Z in 03 and am Living The Wartime Dream and Lifestyle and Frugal to the Core of my life and Anti State and Renouncing EVERYTHING TO DO with the nwo and the Governments

[@TheAbbottAbode]

I'd swap some food with you if we were closer. Great challenge, and you're inspiring me to do some kind of food related challenge too. Took me moving to New Zealand from the US to start a garden!

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Oh hello and welcome. I'm so pleased you are enjoying gardening now. Where are you based?

[@TheAbbottAbode]

@@FarmersWifeHomestead Wairarapa. 5 years in NZ but 1 year in Wairarapa. Originally from the Midwest in the US.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Oh wow, that's awesome. The Wairarapa is home to me. I mostly grew up there and raised my family there. It will always be home to me. I miss it dearly.

[@mystik.mermayde.aotearoa]

What a great idea!! I love this and I'm looking forward to following your progress. Kia kaha from Tauranga 🙏 PS, i think Gilmours is owned by Foodstuffs (Paknsave, New World), so will you still be shopping there or avoiding it also due to our being part of the supermarket chains? I'm curious to know. Thank you

[@donnanorman340]

With me, what I use on a daily basis I include in my food budget. Toiletries, cleaning products, pet food etc.

[@tarnr5713]

Best of luck to you! I look forward to following your journey. We are in Nth Canterbury and transitioning away from the supermarket has been so very frustrating, basically impossible. I have a mindset that wants to support local, shop at farmers markets and butcher shops and to buy things in bulk to save money - but I have a budget that says I can only afford supermarket prices and as far as I can tell bulk buying is just not an option in most of NZ unless you live close to Auckland and Costco or are a business and can buy wholesale.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

That would be super frustrating not to have bulk food buying options down your way. I had to bend my rules yesterday, Husband is sick and needed some extra bits and pieces to tide us over while we are all sick. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time out to leave a comment.

[@kotafuku3779]

I love your videos ❤

[@dawndowling9916]

I’m even loving the fly

[@elt.214]

Our challenge was a little different and vowed not to buy store bought beef for 3 months. The red meat we consume is venison and we found that it’s not only healthier but because it’s more nutrient dense we eat less but stay fuller longer. I love your challenge idea.

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Most of our red meat is venison as well. It's such a lovely meat and we are lucky we can hunt it. Thanks for watching.

[@KerryJames-l6z]

Everything is included in my grocery budget I am fully stocked on chicken sausages salmon and frozen vegies in the freezer so that's a chunk off grocery bill for a few months

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Well done it all helps in the end right. I think I will include it as well.

[@KerryJames-l6z]

Glad I could help​@@FarmersWifeHomestead

[@WendyPipe-f8r]

Hi Stacey, Do you have a recipe for home made pickles ?

[@Kiwiwanderer]

Brilliant challenge ! Where are you in NZ ?

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Thank you, we are in the Waikato

[@robertaackerman6931]

Expired food is still fine.

[@KathAlderwick]

hi recipes would be good like onion relish ,

[@ShannonMargaretWilson]

You asked so il say 😂 would love a budget tips etc like video ❤ if you haven't done one already

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Yes, there is a couple of them up now :-)

[@Marie-yx5ie]

👏👏👏👍😉🇮🇪☘️

[@KatrinaCriglington]

Do you eat bread? Are you going to be making your own bread?

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Yes we do, I plan on making most of it myself. I love bread making. I will have a few backup loves in the freezer though. I can buy that at the vegetable shop if I need it.

[@Elizabeth-fn5hq]

What is T P .please ?

[@FarmersWifeHomestead]

Probably toilet paper, I would have to re watch but it is probably that