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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The Less is More project: Week 8 - Wake up and smell the coffee

ume-y, Flickr


Is coffee a necessity? That question used to pop in my head every time I went to a morning meeting or to a kids' basketball game: everyone showed up with a mug. I also pondered it every time I saw it on the list of "essentials to take on a minimalist, back country camping trip".

(Okay, yes, I do tend to ponder things a lot in general.)

That was before I started drinking coffee myself. They are right: it's a - mild and legal - drug. Once you get started on it, it's hard to stop. Mind you, I only drink one cup of the black, unadorned substance (no cream, no sugar, sometimes a drop of milk) in the morning. But still. I does make a difference in my waking up process.

That being said, when I go camping, I don't bother bringing coffee. I feel so energized waking up to the nature sounds and smells that I practically pop out of my sleeping bag like a toast pops out of a toaster!

Now coffee (or tea) comes with a price tag. If you only drink it at home, and make it the old-fashioned way (i.e. with a bodum, like I do - it tastes wonderful), the price tag might be small. But a lot of people own fancy "small appliances" that not only are more costly, but also take up more room on the counter top. AND pollute incredibly. Don't get me started on the Tassimo or Keurig style coffee makers. I won't touch them with a ten-foot pole: their impact on the environment is enough to deter me completely. 

For more on the environmental impact of those single cup brewers that use coffee pods, click here and here.

As for buying coffee "on the go"... it might not be much better, from both an environmental and a health perspective. Disposable coffee cups are at the center of a debate, but if that isn't enough to raise doubts, consider the fact that a great proportion of people who grab coffee on the go sit at the drive-thru for several minutes. Who turns their engine off? 


Do your own little survey and let us know.


Another impact our coffee drinking can have is an economic and social one. For something we do mindlessly every morning, do we even question the provenance and the human impact? There is an ethical way to consume. There is fair trade coffee on the market. I believe it's worth buying.

Wow. A lot of things to ponder for a couple bucks a day, don't you think? Well, I'm not done with you. How many bucks are we talking about exactly? I know someone who buys coffee from a big chain every day on the way to work. She once told me "It's just $5 a day, I think I deserve it. Who cares if I spend a couple hundred dollars on coffee every year". I asked her if she systematicall buys coffee on workdays. She said yes. I made a quick calculation: if she buys coffee every day she works, her total for the year is probably well over a thousand dollars. Assuming that she never gets tempted by a muffin or bagel too. 


How much do you think you spend on hot beverages each year?


This whole post was prompted by an unfortunate event this week: my bodum broke. At first I did not have time to go buy a new one, so I had to come up with a quick fix. I found an alternative to filter the coffee particles: I make the coffee in a measuring cup (easier to pour from), then use a small strainer that I already had (and almost never used) as I pour the coffee into my drinking cup. It works fine. Now I wonder if I should even replace my bodum at all! 

I do own a bigger, traditional coffee maker, but I never use it. Since I am the only one who drinks coffee in this house, and only have one cup in the morning, it seems like a lot of hassle for such a small quantity. Which leads me to another question: do I even need this bigger coffee maker? Should I get rid of it? I only use it when we have people over, and mostly only the people who come to my place in the morning. Very few people drink coffee past lunch time, I have noticed. So this is a very occasional occurrence. A regular coffee maker takes up a lot of space. Maybe the solution is to acquire a good quality, bigger bodum, that I could use when I'm alone and when I have company over. I will think about it.


For further readings on the coffee industry:

Starbucked, A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture by Taylor Clark

Acheter, c'est voter. Le cas du café (To Buy is to Vote. The Case of Coffee) by Laure Waridel



WEEK 8 IN REVIEW

Temptations 


A bodum? I don't know. We will see.


I was briefly tempted to buy teaching materials. It's for work, after all. But I already own more than enough teaching materials. There's no rush. 


Donations


This week I finally tackled the daunting office. I am not done - the whole  process will likely take weeks - but it already looks less cluttered. I donated books.

I am also using the small, cheap, gently used toys my kids are not using anymore as prizes for my students when we play Bingo. Up to now no one has complained whatsoever. 


Observations

I realized that:

  • I have quite an emotional attachment to some of my books! Especially the cumbersome and pricey textbooks from my B.A. in Psychology! There is one I think I will keep. One is reasonable, right?
  • I own 3 different coffee measuring scoops. Mind you, they don't take up much space. But still. I will keep my favourite one.

Cogitations

It occurred to me that acquiring stuff is a little bit like gaining weight. The tendency is not easy to reverse. It takes a lot of hard work. Better off never accumulating stuff (or body fat) in the first place. Easier said than done...



What did you resist this week? Did you donate or get rid of anything? How did that make you feel? Please comment below! And...


36 comments:

  1. I very rarely buy takeaway coffees, I just don't see the sense in spending that much money each time. At home I have the same cheap instant coffee that my parents used to buy, it's what I'm used to. I buy the 500gram tin and that lasts me at least six months because I don't make the coffee very strong and only have one a day most of the year, two in the winter, sometimes no on really hot summer days.
    Donations? After finally getting my bookshelves and plastics cupboard sorted and restacked, I donated several books that I knew I wouldn't read again, plus one that I had two copies of, the three stuffed toys that were taking up book space and some plastic containers that I don't use because the lids are difficult to open now that I have arthritis in my thumbs.

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    1. I am "guilty" of having occasional instant coffee too, LOL

      Great donations! You will gain so much space.

      I am sorry to hear about your arthritis.

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  2. I'm an occasional coffee drinker - it totally depends on whether I've got milk or not because I only like it with a hefty dose of moo (which I don't drink other than coffee... so it's a chicken and egg sort of a thing - or maybe a cow and milk sort of thing...) Anyhow, I have a very simple coffee system called a Melitta - it's basically just a little filter that sits on top of the mug and holds the coffee grounds. Works great and makes wonderful coffee. I never really understood the whole Starbucks craze as I think their coffee tastes burnt and terrible!

    On days that I don't do coffee, I start off with a nice cup or two of green tea - I buy the cheap stuff in teabags and it works fine for me. While I do understand the desire to buy organic and fair trade (which I try to do if/when I can afford it) I really don't understand the whole coffee/tea snobbery thing. Just seems like a waste of money to me!

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    1. Green tea is wonderful too, I have to agree! It's my afternoon treat. :-)

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  3. As someone who had to fast this morning for a blood test and forgo coffee once awake, I was not happy. I've had coffee from a machine that uses pods and it seemed a very expensive and wasteful way to make coffee.

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    1. Yep, it's hard to skip coffee once you are accustomed to it. Hope all is good!

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  4. I am glad someone is saying it: Tassimo and Keurig! Terrible for the environment, and although I have never checked the price tag (because I don't go near them, either), I bet they cost a pretty penny. I am not hooked on coffee, but I really do enjoy a cup in the mornings. I am not a morning person, so it's a pleasant way to wake up. Lots of good points and interesting considerations in this post. I used to have a reusable filter, but we bought a new coffee maker (we used our old one for 15 years, and still use it at the lake now) and have been using paper filters since. This was a good reminder to go and find a reusable filter that fits. Very interesting blog - I subscribed. Looking forward to reading the archives. Take care!

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  5. I swear this is my ONE GREAT THING!!
    I never ever ever have coffee out let alone hit up starbucks :-)
    #IMCHEAP

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  6. Very interesting article. I too drink coffee along with my husband we have a 4 cup Mr. Coffee maker and like it just fine. We each have a cup at different times and the pot makes just enough for one big cup for each of us. We have had this maker for over 10 years now and still going strong. The price of a can of coffee keeps going up too. I try to buy it on sale but its still not cheap. Very good article I enjoy reading your blog thanks for writing.

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    1. I had not realized the price of coffee had been increasing. Mind you, I'm not the one doing the groceries. Thanks for commenting!

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  7. If we drink coffee at home it's instant. I do have a big coffee maker and when we finally get our condo it will be donated or sold as we also have a small Melita pot/filter thingie and it works just fine. If we get coffee out we have it IN the coffee house so no disposable cup is used. I was tempted by the K cups but resisted. I really don't have room for yet another coffee maker.

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  8. Get rid of the bigger coffee machine!

    And the downfall of a bodum is I find they break easily. People seem to be breaking their French presses all the time- it may be worthwhile to find another simple but more long lasting method. Drip coffee or a stove top percolator.

    I am trying to get off coffee altogether. I only started drinking about a year ago. I find exercise, eating and breathing techniques just as effective as of a method for waking up.
    And this week I realized I just actually love the taste of coffee and it is not even the caffeine effects or addiction that I like. Most of the time I actually hate the way it makes me feel- light headed and crazy. And I hate the way it dehydrates me. The only benefit I see of coffee is that is decreases my appetite so I eat less in the day (saving on the grocery bill!).

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    1. I agree that exercise, eating and breathing technique (and good sleep) can definitely be as effective as coffee!

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  9. I have improvised so many coffee maker/filters. From paper towels to dish towels, and even a fishnet. Need v. want. Your learning well :-)

    As for the coffee debates themselves, there are many. Environmental impact of growing, transporting, brewing, it goes on.

    I consider coffee the world's economic and social glue, despite all the negatives. It's almost universally agreed up, and how many things can you say that about...?

    BTW: LOVE that weight gain comparison. Never seen it used before.

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    1. Fishnet! Did it give your coffee a special taste? ;-)

      You must be right about the fact that coffee is one of the rare things so many people agree on (and like and consume).

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  10. Early in my career, I drank a lot of coffee. One day I realized it was because I was bored so I cut down to some in the morning only like you do. I don't think there is anything wrong or unhealthy with that. That said, for the past couple of years I have stopped all caffeine, and I feel fine without it. Here in the states, if you look hard enough, you can find the same coffee for much less at some stores.

    Perhaps I don't quite understand your mission, but even Buddha recommends the middle ground after living the extremes of extravagant and ascetic. I don't see why you need to strip your life down so much.

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    1. Don't you worry, Dr. J, my life is not stripped down to the extreme.

      Right now, however, the call of ascetic is strong. I believe this is a good enough reason to explore it. I will know I have gone as far as I can when I reach that point. :-)

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    2. Getting rid of the junk that clutters the house, being environmentally friendly and understanding which behaviours that contribute to cluttering and polluting is hardly ascetic. Counter-cultural, aware, engaged maybe, but not ascetic.

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    3. I'll let everyone know if I get to the point of ascetic. ;-) Certainly not there yet!

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  11. Thankfully coffee is one of the few things that doesn't tempt me in any way. Less than 5x a year I will nee someone for coffee (I drink cider or chai) but it is just not something I like to spend money on. Chris drinks coffee and makes a pot every morning - he fills his thermos and to-go cup (not a throwaway) to take with him to work.
    I do think that getting rid of things is hard - some things I have no problem parting with and others I hang on forever.

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    1. I agree with you Kim! Some things are way more difficult to part with than others!

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  12. Well for me tea is 'essential' .......whereas husband, Eddie, would go for coffee.
    These two items will always be on my shopping list ..... biscuits etc not but these two beverages yes.

    All the best Jan

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  13. Dear Julie,
    An interesting post. I don't drink coffee and AGA has his coffee via a cafetiere. Tea bags are something we do use though for our first cup of tea in the morning - and they make great compost material if torn beforehand. I much prefer however to use loosleaf tea and a teapot.
    Temptations? antiquarian book hunting on ebay but I am resisting.
    Donations? We don't have anything at present as we have only been here for seven weeks but we have agreed that when the container arrives we are going to go through all the clothes we have and downsize.
    I'm enjoying your blog!
    Bye for now,
    Kirk

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    1. It sounds like a great idea to go through the contents of the container and decide what you will keep! Thanks for coming by Kirk.

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  14. I DO NOT buy coffee on the go! Yes, I will meet people for "coffee" but I usually just get a cup of water!! HA! Free and I still get to have "coffee" with whomever! ;)

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  15. Hi! I grew up in a religion where coffee and tea were taboo. It was equated with sin. I became a "sinner" when I was 16 and haven't looked back since. There have been plenty of legit studies that show that coffee..."Coffee is a rich source of disease-fighting antioxidants. And studies have shown that it may reduce cavities, boost athletic performance, improve moods, and stop headaches -- not to mention reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, liver cancer, gall stones, cirrhosis of the liver, and Parkinson's diseases."

    So I drink it daily made at home from organic free trade coffee beans. It's one of my health foods.

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    1. Very interesting comment on all accounts! I have never seen tea and coffee as a sin. I do think there might be health benefits when consumed in small amounts. You can add to it an improvement of constipation and asthma.

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  16. Hi Julie, My son just got a Turkish coffee set today, which reminds me of your pretty cup of coffee above. His new coffee cups and saucers are expresso-sized, really beautiful, and it is a fine way to cherish food rather than glut large quantities of it. :-)

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  17. Very interesting! I also ponder the enviro impact and the cost of coffee drinking - but I'm totally addicted! I occasionally buy take-away coffee but very rarely - it's a real treat. I drink instant at home as I won't buy the pod coffee makers and the bigger, expensive machines don't seem justifiably in terms of space or cost when I'm the only coffee drinker in our house. I do take coffee on camping trips, though - if we get real cold or driving rain, there is just something about having a steaming hot coffee in the middle of nowhere!

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    1. If take-away coffee is rare and a real treat, I'm sure you enjoy it so much more! :-)

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