May 2023: Life without a freezer, decorations and coffee at home. Crown cap instead of soap dish.

May 8/9, 2023. The next day, my storage jars were picked up, and I dedicated the entire day to writing an article about minimalism, filled with many tips for people who also want to discover minimalism for themselves.

During dinner, I watched a documentary about Albert Einstein. It reminded me of my past goal of one day receiving a Nobel Prize and being as brilliant as Albert Einstein. This desire had long disappeared from my consciousness, but it still slumbered deep within me. For a brief moment, I imagined how the Phase-Independent-Fit method I developed in my master's thesis contributed to discovering many previously unknown phase transitions in quantum systems. Despite the simplicity of this method, it proved to be so valuable in research that I was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for it.

The next morning, I gave Hanna my cocoa. I originally used cocoa for my porridge. However, since I no longer ate porridge and couldn't find any other use for it, I decided to minimize and get rid of the cocoa. I also gave my coffee to Hanna, as I had decided not to drink coffee at home anymore. I was aware that I would drink it less often since I couldn't afford my current consumption of three to four cups a day in a café. But I hoped that I would enjoy the coffee much more and that a cup would become a special moment. From now on, I would use my French press exclusively for tea.

My thoughts on giving up coffee at home also had a societal dimension. I dreamed of a society that was more cohesive, one that felt like a big family. I believed it would be beneficial if people didn't enjoy their hot drinks alone at home but went out to cafés, where they could meet other people and enjoy a hot drink at a reasonable cost. I was convinced that it would be good for society not to consume coffee in isolation but in the company of "strangers." Leaving the house more often and recognizing that the world was much more beautiful and diverse than the personal internet bubble suggested.

After this morning's philosophical round of minimalism, I made my way to the library, to the second floor to my regular spot. Today, I began writing an eBook on minimalism. Occasionally, I got distracted by spontaneous ideas. The thought of simplifying my website logo crossed my mind. I interrupted my work and removed the lamp's base, so the logo only consisted of a ringed planet with a lightning bolt inside. I was very pleased with the result and immediately replaced the old logo with the new one on my entire website.

During lunch, I ate a vegan burger with some fries. I told the lady behind the counter that I didn't want too many fries to avoid waste. A student who was built similarly to me imitated me and smiled. I smiled back.

When I returned to the library, I started feeling slight stomach pains, most likely because the burger had an avocado spread. I had discovered through my own experimentation that my stomach was allergic to avocado. I don't know why I was so masochistic that day.

With the stomach pains, I couldn't focus on writing the eBook. Instead, I distracted myself with random YouTube videos on personal growth. Suddenly, I had the idea to replace my white fabric bag with a black one that had my new logo. So I quickly designed the black bag and ordered it from a printing provider.

Spontaneously, I decided to order an atom sticker for my MacBook to personalize it. My thought was: if I lost it, at least I could say my MacBook had the atom sticker around the Apple logo. I had a similar thought about my house key. Therefore, I ordered a keychain with my engraved phone number and name.

After leaving the library, I sat on a bench outside and ate an apple. On the bench opposite, I noticed Luisa, a German studies student I had met some time ago in the cafeteria. When our eyes met, we smiled, and she waved me over. She told me she was now working on her master's thesis. I shared my interest in minimalism with her and some principles I had developed to transform one's life into a minimalist one. We discussed it, but she didn't seem very enthusiastic about my ideas.

When I first approached her, I found her fascinating because she often sat alone in the cafeteria, looking out the window. She exuded a certain uniqueness, and when I first spoke to her, I immediately realized: she was a thousand times smarter than me. Her arguments were precise and convincing. I could learn a lot from her. Unfortunately, I could only imagine a friendly relationship with her because she had two cats, which, after my considerations about pets, was clearly a deal-breaker for me.

Afterwards, I went home briefly to take my floor lamp to Borsum. I had already installed a ceiling lamp that could be controlled via an app and was completely sufficient for me. I only used the floor lamp for dimmed light in the evenings, but my ceiling lamp could do that just as well. So, I decided to take it back to Borsum today.

There was coffee and apple cake with my family. I was very pleased that Dascha and Tobi had remembered my request and gifted me their padded kitchen chair. They were moving to a new apartment in Hildesheim and had sold their chairs, leaving one for me. This one was much more compact and lighter than my current office chair, which I wanted to replace before moving. The chair had only three legs and couldn't swivel or roll.

Before heading back home, I stored my iPhone's power adapter in the drawer under the TV cabinet. Recently, I had noticed that I only used the charging cable to charge my phone directly at the laptop's USB-C port.

I took the new chair back to Hanover after the coffee visit. People gave me strange looks as I sat in the crowded train's bicycle compartment on a chair, working on my laptop.

When I got home, I tried it out and was very satisfied with it. It probably weighed only half as much and, unlike my office chair, was easy to transport with one hand. I then listed the office chair for sale on eBay Classifieds.

Crown cork instead of soap dish

May 13, 2023. This morning, I used up my last frozen blueberries and decided not to buy any more since there’s no way to get frozen fruits and vegetables without packaging. Long-term, if I want to live zero-waste one day - and I do - I’ll have to stop buying frozen foods. Therefore, I decided to switch to fresh fruits and vegetables that are either unpackaged or minimally packaged.

Since I don’t freeze my food anyway, I decided to stop using my freezer altogether. I left a note on the shared apartment’s whiteboard: “You can use my freezer compartment. Best, Sascha.”

During breakfast, I noticed the bottle caps on the table. Hanna had probably celebrated with her friends last night. As I loaded my dirty dishes into the dishwasher, a sudden idea struck me: “What if I stick this bottle cap into my bar of soap and then place it on the sink without a soap dish? This would prevent the underside of the soap from getting mushy and avoid soap residue collecting in the soap dish.”

I immediately tried it out. I took a bottle cap, went to the bathroom, pressed it firmly into the soap, and washed my hands with it. Then, I placed the soap on the sink. I bent down to look at the side of the soap’s resting surface. There was a small gap of air between the soap and the sink, allowing the underside of the soap to dry. “What a brilliant idea,” I thought and took my white soap dish to put it with the “free to take” items.

While brushing my teeth, I noticed that my dental floss had finally run out. Finally, I could replace it with a plastic-free alternative I had found at Rossmann a few days ago. This new floss could be completely disposed of in the organic waste. While at Rossmann, I also decided to replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one, which could also be fully disposed of in the organic waste. I took the opportunity to apply my latest realization that a small brush head is better for cleaning teeth. Additionally, I noticed that the green color on the plastic bristles had worn off at the tips. I concluded that this color and likely the plastic particles from the bristles, which adhered to the teeth through abrasion, were then swallowed and ended up inside the body. I wanted to eliminate that risk.

After the shopping trip, I went to the library to continue writing my eBook on minimalism. When I got to the chapter on “Healthy Minimalist Eating,” I listed all the foods I consumed. Under the subsection “Animal Products,” I stopped writing and wondered if I should include this in my diet repertoire. I hesitated. Ideally, I would like to become vegan overnight. However, I was aware that it was much more difficult than becoming a vegetarian from one day to the next. But in my mind, I was firmly convinced that a future society should live without the mass exploitation of other species. If I wanted such a society, then I must lead by example by not consuming animal products from captive animals.

After watching some motivational videos and compelling arguments for veganism by Niko Rittenau, I decided that from today onwards, whenever there’s a vegan dish in the cafeteria, I will always choose it. Even when dining out or ordering food, I will opt for vegan options whenever possible. This would be my next step towards a vegan diet.

In the evening, my office chair was finally picked up by a man who looked just like Jule’s father, especially with the same round glasses. He was also just as nice as her father.

Shortly before going to bed, I lay under the leaves of the Monstera plant that were hanging over my bed. Thoughts swirled in my head: “My room looked much nicer with the plants, and it would be a shame to get rid of them. But... when I lived in Borsum, I didn’t have a Monstera or any other houseplants in my room, and I didn’t miss them.” The need for plants in my room only developed after my move. This need arose only after I owned the plants. I further considered: “Maybe the need will disappear if I give the houseplants away. Perhaps I would even go out into nature more often if I get rid of the plants. And I wouldn’t need to water them or dust the Monstera leaves anymore.”

All these thoughts led me to decide to sell my cactus on the table and the Monstera by the bed – in fact, all my houseplants.

Hanging above my bed were plant garlands, and on the walls, there were two pictures of plants. After careful consideration and being inspired by other minimalists, I decided to take them back to Borsum. Now, I had no more decorations.

1. I no longer drink coffee at home. This reduces my consumption, which will surely improve my sleep, and I enjoy it more when I have it in a café or with my family. Additionally, I avoid packaging waste.
2. I have no additional lighting in my room except for the ceiling lamp. This reduces cable clutter and dust collectors and saves energy. Fewer lighting fixtures also mean less hard-to-dispose waste.
3. I have replaced my office chair with a much more compact chair that weighs only half as much and is half the size.
4. I charge my smartphone directly from my laptop instead of using a wall outlet. This means I no longer need a separate charger for my smartphone.
5. I no longer use soap dishes. Instead, I press a bottle cap into the bottom of the soap. This keeps the bottom firm and dry.
6. I have replaced my plastic dental floss with a more sustainable option and my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush. Both my new dental floss and toothbrush can be completely disposed of in organic waste. By avoiding plastic bristles, I ingest fewer plastic particles.
7. I don’t use a freezer to help me move towards a plastic-free life, as without a freezer, I’m not tempted to buy frozen, plastic-packaged products. Additionally, I save energy and no longer need to defrost it regularly.
8. When eating out, whether at a restaurant or in the cafeteria, I always prefer a vegan dish. This lifestyle aligns more with my vision of a non-violent utopian society.
9. I don’t own houseplants. Since I love nature, not having plants will force me to go outside more often. By not having houseplants, I no longer need to water or dust them.
10. I don’t own decorations. Why? Many decorative items are made from non-sustainable materials (my garlands were made of plastic). Decoration is often very subjective. What I like today may no longer appeal to me in a year, resulting in disposal. This creates unnecessary waste. Additionally, decorations collect dust that needs to be wiped away constantly.