I’m still not happy with the challenge. I think I could do better. Here is why I’m not happy with it: I think the grocery list I made as an example accurately shows how new homesteaders (as we are) would shop in the middle of winter when our own resources aren’t readily available.
This grocery list is going to change over the years based on our homesteading abilities. For example: we plan on buying a pig and a cow every year to grow and slaughter for our meat, chickens for the year, and a few deer as well. Until we actually do these things those budget costs can’t be put into out food budget but they also can’t be assessed by a weekly basis either.
I terms of growing our food we plan on having enough berries, honey, peppers, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc to last us the year, or at least most of the year.
So really the only things that should be on a true homesteaders budget are things you can’t grow yourself. Things like exotic spices, oils, flour (unless you grow and mill it or trade with someone who does), Exotic cheeses, etc. when you think about it our food budget should actually look more like this:
Oatmeal (because I’m not sure I want to mill things yet)
Flour
Yeast
Cheese
Butter? (Depending on if we do get a milk cow)
Milk
Cream
Expeller pressed Safflour oil
Ev olive oil
Coconut oil
Nuts (if we don’t grow our own)
Wine
Baking soda
Baking powder
Spices
Vinegar
Seafood
Exotic fruits and veggies
Rice, quinoa (some sort of grain)
Really that’s about it. I would be surprised if we spend over $300 a month on these things. This is our goal. This is what we want to teach people to do for themselves.
