His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ – Matthew 25:21
Were you hit by the recent snow storm? Did you get the groceries you need? How did you feel about the near empty shelves before the storm? Where do you usually go for groceries if farmers markets are not available or closed for the season?
Shopping is an essential part of modern day living as compared to mostly trading in the past. Before you write it off and leave this page, thinking you don’t have an ALDI in your area, or this post is mostly about shopping and groceries, I won’t blame you. People who shop smart probably also spend their time wisely. If you have your shopping routine already established, or even better, you have your own “grocery store” at home, why bother wasting time reading something that might distract or disrupt your routine? Especially, if you already have a lot going on, you are confident about what system works for you and your family.
However, I also want to mention that as a homeschooling family, we are learning all the time as life unfolds. You learn along with your children even if you don’t homeschool. It’s just that homeschooling gives us more opportunities to optimize life experiences we share together. Like it or not, as a home educator, we tend to be more wired to make life lessons out of daily happenings. So if you are interested in practical ideas on home education in real life experience, you might want to stick around a little longer.
That being said, do you have an ALDI near you? Do you shop there? If you have had a bad experience with ALDI, don’t give up trying another time. Items on the shelf can change from week to week. Different times of the day may affect what is available. And your seasons of life can change, which will lead your lifestyle changes. When we first moved back to the States from China, I was researching all the grocery stores in our area, trying to find WHERE to find WHAT for a good price. ALDI was not on the list back then. I had shopped there a few times and found they didn’t always have what I wanted. Also, ALDI tends to have a limited selection of items compared to bigger stores, like Walmart. ALDI was also located a few minutes out of our normal routes.
Months, if not years later, I revisited ALDI. Change takes time, doesn’t it? :-) I reevaluated our shopping lists, budgets and priorities, and made ALDI our weekly grocery run choice. At this point in our life, I am grateful that my husband is happy to regularly pick up groceries with the younger ones or by himself when in town for errands. I just need to make a shopping list (Link at the end of this post) through Keep, which can update instantly even when my hubby is in the store. We still shop at ALDI about once a week. Sometimes, life happens, like being stuck with broken vehicles, and we would go for over two weeks without groceries. I know some people can go much much longer, but it was a little stretch for us. We were not anything close to starving but fresh fruits and ingredients were definitely coveted during those days.
Even though being grounded for days in a strange place just after moving out of state was a test of faith, the Lord definitely has used those days to sharpen our vision and to confirm the call to the land. It was also during those forced home-bound days I was inspired to study more about weeds, identifying living things on our property. A decade ago, answering the call to homeschool was a step of faith as a Chinese Mom. Moving our family in our mid-forties to the country definitely was another big leap of faith for a city girl. The Lord is gracious and patient as we follow His call one step at a time.
It was such a relief to know our property, though zoned unrestricted, would be within a 20 minute drive to the closest ALDI. There is still a TON for us to learn about off-grid living, producing most of the food we consume, food preservation, holistic healing and so many more possibilities and opportunities involved with the land. Our lack of knowledge, skills or experience does not intimidate us but actually excites us. Thankfully, our goal is not simply to be self-sufficient, but to be God-sufficient and to follow God’s leading. His leading and provision can vary from you and me. But the same God will draw us closer to Himself in His unique ways.
For the past year, we harvested easy-to-grow plants from various organic growing methods (mulch/no till garden, container garden, Hügelkultur culture and Tower Garden /a hydroponic system). We also rotationally graze our farm animals to naturally improve this once-deserted land. It’s encouraging to see changes already happening as life comes back to the soil. Some people might assume that if you homestead, you probably would not need to buy groceries. Yes, that is very true for a few experienced homesteaders. For beginners like us, it’s rewarding when we can buy less and less as we produce more on our farm, even if just for a season. The grocery bill is a testimony that we are slowly transitioning from a pure consumer to a grower and hopefully, in the not-too-far future, a contributor to the local community.
For now, we are grateful for grocery stores like ALDI nearby, especially if we want those tropical fruits, other healthier treats or conveniences. As we gratefully make those grocery trips while building our homestead, I have observed a few leadership lessons from ALDI’s business management. As a keeper of my home, I think those management practices are worth noting. Since this post is getting long, I will start a second part for those management tips, which could be helpful in managing our homes as well.
3rd Culture Living 