Minimalism in kitchen

Minimalism is a broad spectrum concept. It does not restrict itself to fashion. It goes beyond your wardrobe and can find its relevance in every corner of your house. One such corner where minimalism can play an essential role is the kitchen.

Let us see how. Imagine you go out for grocery shopping. You have made the list of items that you need. You have decided that you are going to stick to the list and you are not going to buy anything in addition. While going through the various isles you see that a brand has launched a new product. Out of curiosity you buy that product even though it was not on your list. You come home to see that you already have the same product from a different brand. Now you have the same product from two different brands. Now you are wondering that how are you going to manage to finish the product that you have in excess.

I believe this will be a completely relatable situation because it happens to all of us. When shopping for groceries I used to find it difficult stick to the list. Groceries would be more irresistible than clothes and accessories (this phase is very prominent in 30s). I knew that I had a good control over impulse purchase of clothes but I still had not controlled my mind which would venture to buy excess of groceries. When I would go for grocery shopping I would feel like I wanted to try every spice that was there on the shelves. I wanted to try every lentil. I wanted to try every healthy snack. This is what I would feel and a lot of times I used to end up buying more than what I required. Then I found a technique to implement minimalism in the kitchen.

Before going out for grocery shopping I would diligently take Inventory of what I already had in the kitchen. I would check every rack and every container. I would check the fridge to see what I already had and what was needed to be bought. I would make the list of things to buy after taking the inventory. I made a promise to myself to not buy any spices till I finished the ones that I already had in the fridge. To a greater extent it helped to minimize the grocery purchase.

Another technique that was simple and implementable was to ensure to finish the grocery that I already had with me. Most of the essentials such as rice, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and legumes were within control. However the spices and flavourants were in excess in my inventory. I decided to target and focus using these condiments irrespective of whether I liked their taste or not. Every week I would focus on one box of spice that I would use throughout the week. For making each vegetable or even for snacks I would use only that spice for the entire week. Using this technique I was able to clear the spices that were stacked within my kitchen. With their mindful usage I was able to finish those spices which had been waiting in my kitchen to be used.

Next technique that I implemented was purchasing only one type of spice in a mini pack. While purchasing new spices I would purchase only 1 mini pack of the spice. I would use the mini spice entirely and then only I would purchase the next pack. This led to two major advantages: the spices remained fresh, fragrant, and tasty. Also I was able to save money on spices and use them carefully. There was no stacking of spices. Similar technique can be used for vegetables and fruits as well. Buy only one type and finish it of before repurchasing.

These tips are very simple and easy to implement. Once starting to implement, the results are prominent and visible. Hence my request would be to not restrict minimalism to your wardrobe but extend it to all areas possible.