Five months without a fridge/freezer

Time sure flies when you're... forgetting to keep track of it! ;o)

Switching off the fridge/freezer 15 Sep 2012.

It's been 5 months since I pulled the plug on my fridge/freezer (ok, so I just switched it off at the socket, but that doesn't sound as impressive ;o). I can honestly say I haven't missed it at all. Granted, it's been winter, so I've been able to put some food out in the conservatory which on the odd occasion has probably been as cold as a fridge. But most of the time I don't even do that (and, most of the time, this winter has been unseasonably warm).

If you do your research, you will find that there aren't that many types of food that must be stored in a fridge, the most notable exception being dairy products. I don't drink milk, I rarely eat yoghurt, I can't stand cream, I am trying to cut down on my cheese consumption and my eggs (organic and free-range) are doing just fine on the counter. Even vegan butter is fine in the cabinet (that was the one food I thought might go off eventually).

Switching off the fridge/freezer does not require you to change your diet (at least not much). It will save you a lot of money on your electricity bill (depending on the fridge/freezer's age, size, model etc. - my fridge/freezer is quite modern and eco-friendly, so switching it off saves around £60 a year). And the environmental impact is HUGE! The only difference you may notice is going food shopping a little more frequently. I quite enjoy that bit, though. Every few days, I swing by the local shop towards the end of the dog walk. I thought having to shop more often would be annoying and make things complicated, but there's actually something quite indulgent about the whole "hmmm... what should I have for dinner today?" puzzle. I am free to choose from everything in the shop, rather than the limited selection at home.

If I don't have the time or inclination to nip to the local shop (i.e. if it's raining cats and dogs), I've got dry food staples in my cabinet. Ryvita or porridge oats for breakfast; lentils, rice, pasta, sauces, bouillon powder etc. for dinner. Jam lasts a really long time, but I'm not too fond of it. My favourite 'spread' on Ryvita is sliced bananas. I also keep some vacuum-packed baguettes in the house ready for baking when I fancy a 'Sunday Morning Breakfast', i.e. soft-boiled eggs with vegan butter on baguettes. Yummmm... I call it Sunday Morning Breakfast because my grandma used to make soft-boiled eggs every Sunday morning without fail. My eggs can't compare with hers yet, but soft-boiled eggs are so easy to make (plonk them into boiling water and boil for 7-8 minutes, depending on how runny/soft you like them) and so tasty that I often have many Sunday mornings a week. Sometimes I even have Sunday mornings for lunch. It is one of my favourite simple pleasures, and also one of the perks of working from home! I haven't been too keen on eggs in recent years, I mainly ate them to avoid having to take lots of expensive supplements - but when I prepare them like this, they're irresistible. And taking your time over your breakfast like that feels so luxurious.

A bit too runny, but oh-so-yummy!

And it's not like I'm blessed with a particularly well-stocked local shop. The Londis down the road is tiny. Their selection for vegetarians is virtually non-existent. They don't even sell regular rice (just the stuff that has to be microwaved). The nearest proper grocery store is a 45 minute walk or a bus-ride away. So I get the yummier, fresher food when I'm in town for whatever reason (like when I have a driving lesson), and then stick to my staples for the rest of the week. I guess it will get even easier once I have a driving licence and a vehicle, but my point is that this is already really easy to do! I hardly think about it at all. It was supposed to just be a challenge, to see how it would go and how long I could do it for, but I really haven't missed that infernally loud apparatus one iota. I sleep so much better without the fridge switching itself on at random hours of the night, and I'm sure the dogs do, too.



So I suggest you give it a try. The worst-case scenario is that you find it doesn't work for you, and you can say you tried. The best-case scenario, of course, is that you will find you're better off; eating better, sleeping better and having more money left over at the end of the month - not to mention (if you're anything like me, anyway) - it will ease your I-really-don't-do-enough-for-the-environment guilt.

I confess I still use my fridge, though. I store my pots and pans in there.

Love Neens xx

PS: I've been living dishwasher-free for much longer than 5 months, but I still haven't managed to get into the habit of doing the dishes every day. I hate the way it makes my skin feel, I guess I need some of those glamorous washing-up gloves with feathers and sparkly bits, lol! Anyway, I'm glad you can't see my kitchen right now. Living TV-free is much easier, though. I watch a little online TV, but even less now that the tv-link.eu website isn't working. I prefer to read in my spare time now. Give me an absorbing book and I can forget all about those dishes before you can say "chapter 1"... ;o)