Resolutions, Revisited

I used to mindlessly buy bottled water at kiosks or at the supermarket whenever I was thirsty. No more: I carry my refillable water bottle everywhere I go, and I have saved so much money and plastic in the process!

Zero waste shopping is now pretty much on autopilot. I usually go shopping once or twice a week at the local farmer’s market and at a small organic store in my neighbourhood that carries a lot of foods, such as lentils, quinoa, nuts, salt, tea, oil and vinegar etc. in bulk. I ordered toilet paper recycled from tetrapaks online. I started making my own pizza dough, my own pasta (surprisingly easy, and it tastes so much better than the store-bought kinds). I’ve thought about making my own yogurt and ricotta cheese but I’m too impatient. Don’t worry, I won’t move to a homestead or raise chickens anytime soon (although the hippie in me dreams of this). So for now, I keep buying these items in returnable glass bottles or my own stainless steel containers. My trash bin was sitting around emptily and uselessly in the kitchen until I turned it into a compost receptacle.

Since shopping zero waste-style, I’ve noticed two things: First, shopping has become a social occasion for me. I chat with the apprentice at the organic grocerer as my bulk coffeebeans are grinding away, I ask for the freshest vegetables at “my” produce stand at the farmer’s market… It’s great to see how proud the farmers are of their beautiful strawberries or lettuces they’ve picked in the morning. And the Turkish grocer in my neighbourhood gives his “vintage vegetables,” as he calls them, away for supercheap and updates me on what’s going on in the neighbourhood. I get to try the cheese I’m thinking of buying, I ask for recommendations on how to cook certain vegetables… It’s such a nice thing! I learn a lot about the seasonality and the origin of my food just by talking to the people who sell it. And I actually feel great about spending money with these guys! I used to emerge depressed from the underground Coop supermarket thinking of all the minimum wage workers slaving away every day. I still feel bad for them, don’t get me wrong. But at least I’m not contributing to their misery by spending my cash there, perpetuating a system I don’t believe in. Buying is voting, and I feel content now because my shopping behaviour is finally in line with my values.

Second, I eat waaaaaay more healthily! Not that I used to eat garbage every day, but I was definitely known to buy packaged crap whenever I felt like it. My diet now consists of vegetables, vegetables and vegetables, with a side of cheese, or grains, or tofu. I do of course indulge in the occasional chocolate bar, cake or cookie but I don’t usually remember to eat this stuff simply because I don’t see it at the places I shop. I do have a weakness for paprika chips and bought a big bag at the Badi in the past. (Twice.) That was definitely a fail. When I travel, I try to carry a little bag with me and ask for sandwiches etc. to be put directly in there. One time, I had three assignments in a row and bought pretzels from the Brezelkönig stand at the station on three subsequent mornings on the way, always with my little bag. On the third day, the guy behind the counter happily exclaimed: “We saved three bags already! We’re so awesome!”

While I’m certainly no Béa Johnson (my role model), I am on a good path food-wise, I think.

On the consumption side in general, I’m afraid I’m only doing so-so. Six months ago, I vowed not to buy anything at all, and if I absolutely had to purchase an item, I would buy it used.

For my photography business, I bought a power pack with two flash heads, used, for half the price of a new kit. Did I need it? Not really, but it definitely makes my life much easier when I shoot on location. So I don’t consider it a total fail. I also had to buy a backpack to carry around my portfolios around Hamburg and London. I didn’t want to ruin my back in between meetings so that purchase was eventually sanctioned by the shopping police (=me).

I also bought some new clothes which I do feel bad about. I didn’t have many good business-y clothes I could wear during a shoot while also looking presentable. So I invested in a pair of jeans, a jean shirt and a sweater. I bought them in a fancy shop in Paris and dropped a bunch of Euros but they are really good quality and will last me many years. In the end, I think if I had been more patient I could have found some great second-hand options so I regret this purchase a bit.

I donated a bunch of clothes over the course of the past months, and whenever I give something away I feel such a relief! At first you think, oh, I can’t give this old, unflattering shirt away because what if all my nice shirts rip and then I won’t have anything else to wear? What if I find some accessories that magically transform it into a hip fashion statement? It’d be such a waste! But whenever I let go of an item that doesn’t serve me, I’m so happy. I’m almost close to a capsule wardrobe which I think is the coolest thing ever. All the clothes fit in a carry-on bag!

I also bought some stuff new that keeps me healthy, mainly because I get to swim or run with them: swim goggles (the old ones broke), a cap and paddles (#roadtorio), and running shoes (I want to avoid injuries when I run so I need the latest and greatest shoes). I don’t regret these purchases one bit because they support activities that keep me sane and fit.

I bought two gifts this year so far—photo posters for my mom, and a cap for a swimming buddy—which I don’t regret either as the recipients have put them to good use. Generally, I abhor useless small gifts of any kind; I never know what to do with them. I much prefer to give gifts of experience, such as a trip to Paris, a movie ticket, a stay at a nice B+B in Scotland, or a drink at Kronenhalle.

I don’t buy cosmetics or cleaning products anymore, I make my own. Basically, I’ve come to the conclusion that there isn’t a single problem in the world you can’t solve with a combination of coconut oil, baking soda and vinegar. My boyfriend laughs about my obsession with baking soda. But it’s the bomb diggity!

As far as travels go, I went to Copenhagen for a secret project in the beginning of the year. It was insane because I flew there in the morning and returned the same day. To compensate for this foolishness, I took trains all the way from Zurich to Edinburgh for my vacation. It was so nice, and actually way cheaper than flying. Coincidentally, I read a book on transport on the trains. And boy oh boy, did it strengthen my resolution to continue this shopping ban! We’re transporting cheap goods all over this world, using the dirtiest oil available only to mindlessly fuel our consumption. It’s so brainless and greedy.

I don’t have any other vacations planned for this year so I should be good on the plane front (for now—please read on).

As a freelance photographer, naturally I tend to be a bit more on the frugal side because I never know whether and/or when any assignments are coming my way. Contrary to what you might have deduced from all the above, I’m not anti-spending at all. But by simply not buying stupid crap I’ve saved a bunch of money in the past six months. I want to spend my time traveling and seeing new places in this world and that’s where all this extra cash will come in handy. I confess I’ve started a bucket list of sorts with places I want to see. Bondi Beach swimming pool, here I come! Iceland, Okinawa, Rio de Janeiro and Hawaii, what’s up! I will have to try and figure out a way to travel in a slow, green way.