'If you give freely, it will come back to you freely': Meet the family of six who spend NOTHING on groceries by growing everything they eat and bartering what they don't need

  • A New Zealand family of six is attempting 12 months without paying for food
  • The Harvey family grows their own fruit and veg, and keeps chickens for eggs
  • They also gift baked goods and excess produce in exchange for food
  • Items they receive include home-kill meat, pantry staples and baking products
  • They started the lifestyle after their son was diagnosed with coeliac disease

By Lauren Grounsell For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 22:55 EST, 8 February 2017 | Updated: 02:36 EST, 9 February 2017

A family of six has ditched the supermarket in favour of their own backyard in a quest to spend nothing on groceries for 12 months.

The Harveys, who live in Whanganui, New Zealand, grow their own fruit and vegetables and keep chickens for eggs. 

Things they cannot produce themselves they work for, or receive in exchange for excess produce and baked goods.

Mother-of-four Lydia Harvey told the New Zealand Herald she initially started looking at the family's diet after her youngest son, Ashton, was diagnosed with coeliac disease.

The family's shift away from processed and packaged foods is also saving them money, as they previously spent more than $400 a week on groceries.

Frugal food: Lydia Harvey, her husband and their four children are attempting to go 12 months without spending any money on groceries

Frugal food: Lydia Harvey, her husband and their four children are attempting to go 12 months without spending any money on groceries

Surplus: The family grows their own fruit and vegetables, and keep chickens for eggs

Surplus: The family grows their own fruit and vegetables, and keep chickens for eggs

Health first: They started the lifestyle after their youngest son Ashton was diagnosed with coeliac disease

Health first: They started the lifestyle after their youngest son Ashton was diagnosed with coeliac disease

So just how do they do it?

'My motto is that if you give freely, it will come back to you freely,' Mrs Harvey told the New Zealand Herald.

'We always have so much surplus, and we give what we have - fruit, vegetables, eggs, baking - and although we don't ask for anything in return, people are happy to give back to us.'

For example, since they started the frugal approach to food Mrs Harvey has taken up work tending to orchids, gardening or housework in exchange for produce or home-kill meat.

They will also receive baking products and pantry items in exchange for baked goods.   

Food trade: 'My motto is that if you give freely, it will come back to you freely,' Mrs Harvey told the New Zealand Herald

Food trade: 'My motto is that if you give freely, it will come back to you freely,' Mrs Harvey told the New Zealand Herald

Making it work: Mrs Harvey has started working in exchange for produce, and will receive everything from home-kill meat to pantry staples and baking goods

Making it work: Mrs Harvey has started working in exchange for produce, and will receive everything from home-kill meat to pantry staples and baking goods

Delicious: They regularly exchange home baking for food they cannot produce themselves

Delicious: They regularly exchange home baking for food they cannot produce themselves

Mrs Harvey said she and her husband Matt could not sustain the lifestyle if they both worked full-time.

'I cook everything from scratch, and if I was at work I just wouldn't be bothered with that,' she said. 

The family has also cut gluten and dairy from their diet, and examined the ingredients in the packaged or processed foods they consumed.

After finding a lot of the ingredients were not even 'proper food' they looked to make a change.

Trade: While they were once spending more than $400 a week to feed their family, they are now attempting to go without spending a cent

Trade: While they were once spending more than $400 a week to feed their family, they are now attempting to go without spending a cent

Making do: 'We grow, we make, we salvage every last scrap to be used for our chickens, our worm farm, even all our vege scraps to make stock,' Mr Harvey said

Making do: 'We grow, we make, we salvage every last scrap to be used for our chickens, our worm farm, even all our vege scraps to make stock,' Mr Harvey said

Speaking out: On their Facebook page, Back To Basics, they share photos of the gluten and dairy free food they make

Speaking out: On their Facebook page, Back To Basics, they share photos of the gluten and dairy free food they make

The Harveys document their food journey on the Facebook page Back To Basics.

There they share everything from photos of their produce to gluten and dairy free recipes, including tips on how to cut your grocery bill.

On February 1 the family celebrated 32 days without buying food from the grocery store.

'I'm still buying wine, cat, bird and dog food, but we have plans in place to barter, hunt or make, to get these items,' Mr Harvey wrote on their Facebook page.

'We make do with what we have. We grow, we make, we salvage every last scrap to be used for our chickens, our worm farm, even all our vege scraps to make stock.

'You feel pleasure in returning a favour or just swapping something like free range eggs for some spuds.

'Things don't have to be so difficult, we don't need things, we want things.'  

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