To: Karst

[Sombs]

Why I do not need a fridge
an essay by
Sombra H.

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To some people, it seems absolutely unthinkable, no, even absurd to not have a refrigerator in your apartment. I am not one of those people. As I tried to explain it, I got ridiculed and defamed, and the explanations I delivered were dismissed as "not justifying it". Multiple people in voice chat kept making snide remarks about it, and I can not leave this matter undefended, because, in fact, it is U who is the one who deserves getting ridiculed and defamed.

Allow me to list the reasons as to why I decided to not need a refrigerator, and explain them in full context.

1. It is cheaper
   
2. I live next to an Edeka
   
3. I live alone
   
4. I have regular meals
   
5. I wear clothes
   
6. Food does not spoil instantly
   
7. I work

It is cheaper

I'm saving a lot of money per year by not having a refrigerator and/or freezer, as those eat power. A lot. Even if you have a very power-efficient refrigerator, which is usually a likely more expensive one-time investment than a cheap but power-hungry refrigerator, I likely save 20-200€ per year by not having those devices eating power. Plus, power is not getting cheaper, especially lately, thanks to political instability and inflation and many other factors.

Now you could argue that I merely shift my expenses by buying smaller packages of food or something, but that's not really the case. Yes, there are SOME foods that would be more efficient to buy in larger packages, but only very few of them are those that need to be kept cool. I will explain this in more detail at the paragraph "Food does not spoil instantly".

I live next to an Edeka

As I already explained on Discord, Edeka is literally just two houses away. That's like 20 meters. Everything I need, I can get in less than five minutes. I don't have issues with wearing a mask. There is no discomfort for me to quickly get over there, get what I need for the day or for the weekend and be done with it in like ten minutes. There is no point in stuffing my apartment with food and get a refrigerator and pay power for it, when there is a shop right next to my apartment that stores the food and keeps it cool anyway.

I live alone

For the sake of studying, I moved into a very cheap but very practical and cozy 1-room-apartment. And then I kept staying in here, even though my worse half and I could easily move into a big apartment or small house together. I simply like my private space and since we don't plan on having children, there is no real reason, in our opinions, to move together, except that it would likely be a little bit cheaper but more inconvenient.

So, with that context explained, the point is that I don't need to cook for multiple people. Just for me. I cook 5-7 times a week, so basically almost every day. I don't cook more or less healthy than anyone else, and whenever I cook something, it's enough for a day and sometimes even for the next morning. I'm a thin person, I don't eat much and my job does not require me to eat a lot to compensate the energy used for heavy physical work. (Traits of studying psychology! Yay!)

I have regular meals

As explained above, I don't cook more or less healthy than anyone else. I will have pizza or burgers from time to time, sometimes Dinoschnitzel, sometimes potato soup, sometimes rice pudding (Milchreis), sometimes pasta, etc, you get the idea. I don't eat fast food that often. Occasionally, I like instant Ramen.

I have regular breakfasts, with Baked Bread Rolls (Aufbackbrötchen) and some topping like strawberry jam, peanut butter, nutella or hard-boiled eggs. Those don't need to be cooled, and they don't last long enough to spoil. Butter, cheese and meat would need to be cooled, if you buy them in amounts that make it necessary. Edeka, however, has fresh food counters for both meat and cheese. You can literally just buy five slices and pay for five slices.

I have regular lunch and dinner, and usually, when I cook lunch, it's enough left to have dinner with it, and as mentioned above, sometimes even for the next morning. I usually don't eat after dinner, but even if I get the munchies, I have a box of various foods and snacks - like everyone else - that I can pilfer from, be it a Corny bar or a pack of Ramen noodles or a can of Foxglove's horrible, horrible raviolis. Not only that, but Edeka is open from 7 to 21 every day except sunday. I will not starve during that time, and I will not miss out on anything. Even if I really needed some food I don't have at home, there are 24/7s in my area, but so far I've never needed them.

I wear clothes

Even now, I wear clothes. That means I'm not naked when I'm at the PC or in my apartment, except when I shower or go to bed. I'm not one of those people who are naked when they are alone, because I like to be spontaneous, my friends like to be spontaneous and even during the rare moments of heat like right now, I have light clothes. I don't sweat in my apartment, I don't need to be naked for that.

If you are reading this and think WTF, that's good. But there are people who like to be naked in their apartments, which is fine, too. But since I wear clothes even when at home, it's no extra effort for me put on clothes and get outside to get stuff, since I already wear clothes.

Food does not spoil instantly

I would like you to look at your fridge right now and check what you have in there that you actually need every single day, that is not consumed within 24 hours and desperately needs to be cooled, and that you can't get from the shop next door if you were in my position. I know you, Karst, like alcoholic beverages. I don't. I drink Vilsa carbonated water and fruit juice. A bottle of fruit juice doesn't spoil within the time I need to drink it empty. Water doesn't spoil at all, at least not within a reasonable time frame and not without leaving it open and stale in some filthy area with pets.

So, no milk. No beer. As explained earlier, cheese and sausage I can buy in the measures I actually need. That's literally the one thing where I guess I pay notably more than if I would buy packed cheese/meat, but on the other hand, I get a higher quality product. A package of Salami with 20 slices may be cheaper, but it tastes LIKE SHIT compared to fresh peppered salami from the counter. Even if you argue "no, that's not true because lizardmen", it definitely FEELs and TASTEs like it's the case. And that's what food is all about when your elementary needs are covered.

What else is there that needs to be cooled? Eggs don't need to be cooled, a bag of potatoes does not need to be cooled, rice does not need to be cooled, noodles don't need to be cooled. Most of the fruits and vegetables don't need to be cooled in the quantities that I buy them in. Like, a pack of apples will stay fresh and tasty for at least a week, especially if you don't have insects in your apartment. (I have mosquito nets. Moments like last night where a giant moth managed to get in are like once in a year happening, and they are unrelated to the nets.)

Everything that needs to be frozen, I can get from the shop in five minutes without effort. Pizza? Shop. Ice cream? Well, I don't eat ice cream at home. Pudding or similar desserts I get when I crave for them, not to store them en-masse in my apartment. And even then, non-creme puddings don't need to be cooled. (Like Monte or Fruchtzwerge.)

I work

I'm currently enjoying some time off because I can afford it, but usually I'm half of the day not at home anyway but at work. I eat there, occasionally, and cook there, occasionally, although not the same way I'd do at home. Which means I'm even less required to have a refrigerator at home, as I eat at work, and thus need even less food at home, which means less food that could spoil. Not only that, but there is even a refrigerator at work, so if I wanted to enjoy something that needs refrigeration, I don't need that at home but can have that at work, where other people can enjoy it, too, like cheese or sausage. I'm also spending a lot of time at my friends' places, or at my worse half's place, meaning I literally never get to miss out on specific meals. We often cook together, just not at my home, because there is not much fun in doing that in my tiny 1-room-apartment with minimal kitchen equipment.

Conclusion

As you see, I am not missing out on anything by not having a refrigerator and/or freezer. I am not weird for not having those. In fact, I may be weird for justifying to YOU WEIRDO that I don't have a refrigerator, while you are sitting naked at your PC, drinking a beer while saying "This is ALG - Alpha - 1", trying to write Infocards that boast about ALG's slightly exaggerated superiority compared to other factions in the hopes that they are subtle enough to get into the game. Yes, Karst, you are the weirdo. Do you get that? I'm calling you a weirdo. A powerful, positive, happy weirdo, but a weirdo!

I like you but don't ever dare to point your finger at me again for not having a refrigerator, because YOU are the weirdo here, and I made you read this mini-essay on why I am superior to you because I don't have a refrigerator WHILE I WEAR CLOTHES! Ha, think about that! This essay is my translation of T-Posing on you to assert my dominance. I bet you feel stupid now. Why don't you make an Unioner character, while you're at it, huh?

In fact, it is U who is the weird one here.

[Shelco]

These forum threads are just a (somewhat) acceptable outlet for Sombra to satisfy her addiction to be around and I'm here for it.

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[James Greed]

I'm going to pin this essay on my fridge.

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Greedback

[Karst]

I'm going to need to formulate a proper response to these outlandish and concerning claims, however, as Depeche Mode once wisely said:

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[Vulkhard Muller]

Honestly? You've successfully convinced me to go with out a Fridge when I move out assuming I am close enough to a grocery store to merit it.

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Sent me a Comm? Haven't received a reply in a reasonable time span? Sorry! Post here and I'll get back to you asap!

[Emperor Tekagi]

oh ok

[Groshyr]

That's a very long text

[Aingar]

Personally I can't stand cooking, so when I do, I make a massive batch that would spoil long before I'm done with it. But that's me.

[mm33dd]

yep, totally worth the time

[Corile]

i'm gonna point out this thread every time someone mentions that the west is more civilized and prosperous than poland

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Reflections on the Revolution in Gallia
Custodi // High City of Heraklion // The Cult of Archangels
Log Filter // Post Creator // Manhattan