12 APRIL 2020
When Malaysia started lockdown procedures in mid March thanks to rising COVID-19 cases, I found myself in the supermarket staring at empty shelves. I’ve long been an ardent fan of minimalism and have adjusted my life to “buying what I need, nothing more” and that applied to my pantry. I regularly had “pantry challenges” where I made sure I ate everything in my pantry/fridge. So, a week before the coronavirus-induced “movement control order” was imposed on March 18, my pantry only had, at best, a week’s supply of food.
I really had to stock up in preparation for the lockdown in Kuala Lumpur.
On March 16, rumours were rife that the Malaysian government was going to impose a lockdown. Like most of Malaysians, I decided to prepare just in case. When I got to the supermarket near work, I was stunned to see rows of empty shelves and queues that stretched forever. I felt like I was living a scene straight out of World War Z. Without the zombies, thankfully.
That was when the thought came to me: Convenience has made minimalism possible.
One of the criticisms lobbed against minimalism is that it’s a lifestyle project of rich, bored, first-worlders. “You know what they call minimalism back in the day? It’s called ‘being poor’”, said one comment on a blog I read one day.
We minimalists are used to a world where we can get what we want whereever and whenever we want. But what if supply chains are disrupted and convenience becomes a thing of the past?
The advantages of having a stockpile
I had a taste of that on March 16. My pantry was bare – I only had a few packets of instant noodles, 300g of rice in my pantry. Maybe a couple of frozen meals in the freezer. That’s it.
I was concerned that my parents didn’t have food supplies. They go out to eat most of the time and storing food isn’t a priority. Therefore, I bought as much as I could for them on that first supermarket run and only bought 1kg of rice, flour and some beans for myself.
I shouldn’t have worried, because when I delivered their groceries, I saw that they had heaps of biscuits, a tray of eggs, vegetables from the garden (my parents grow their own vegetables) and meat. All bought before the panic buying of Malaysians.
Hilariously, they don’t have to panic buy toilet rolls either because Mum bought a huge bunch of them during a sale months ago. I remember sighing and shaking my head when she proudly sent me a photo of the tissue boxes and toilet rolls she had bought – there was easily about 6-10 big packets of toilet rolls and tissue boxes there! (Each carrying at least a dozen toilet rolls, mind you.) So they’re set in that department too!
My Boomer parents and I have always been at loggerheads when it comes to how much stuff we should have at home. I think they have too much stuff. They think I’m sill to throw out “useful” things. We could never agree on the definition of “useful”. For example, if my dad buys something that comes in a box, he’d keep the box because he’s pretty sure they’d be useful one day!
On that day when I delivered their groceries, my parents ended up giving me vegetables, eggs, biscuits and eggs because I couldn’t find any in the supermarket. (The pictures below show how dire things were at Aeon 1 Utama on March 16. There were no shopping carts, the meat section was wiped out and people were clutching packets of eggs as if they were gold nuggets.)
Minimalism in the age of pandemics
I can now understand why my Boomer parents don’t throw away anything useful. In the age of COVID-19 where everything is so uncertain, it’s better to have “just a bit more, just in case.”
I, for one, am reevaluating my idea of a “minimalist pantry”. While I’m not going to be a Prepper anytime soon, I think having a two-week supply of food is a good idea. Heck, with bookstores closed during the lockdown, I’m even grateful that I have a massive stockpile of unread books now!
Does this mean I’m ditching my minimalist ways to become a maximalist?
Nope!
Having a minimalist pantry may not serve me during a pandemic. However, I’m grateful that my minimalist lifestyle has given me the mindset of being content with what I have. The frugal habits I’ve built over the years have served me well during this period.
I no longer buy stuff to de-stress or reward myself, so am not tempted to shop online at all. As a minimalist, not wasting food has been a huge big deal for me, so I’m thankful for the meal prepping and planning skills I’ve picked up which has allowed me to save money on my grocery bills.
Minimalism has taught me that I really need very little to survive and be happy.
In the 21st century, we rely on the convenience of systems to prop up our way of life. We live as if technology, raw materials, easy credit and grocery stores would always be there for us.
As a result, we’ve lost the essential skills to care for ourselves and to be sufficient without these props.
We’ve also lived in a way that is draining our Earth dry, and that to grow our economies we need to consume more. Spend more.
Minimalism does have a place in the age of pandemics. In fact, I believe the message of frugality, self-sufficient simple living and minimalism will become more important in a post-COVID-19 world.
How will minimalism look? Despite what people think, it’s not all about zen interiors, 20+ things I own or even, Tiny Houses. It’ll look how you want to look, and there’s no one shape.
The change will come in mindsets. As belts tighten across the world, minimalism will gain more acceptance. More people will realise that their maximalist, debt-ridden lifestyles will no longer serve them and that it’s time to live differently.
Perhaps, finally, mankind will tread more lightly on the Earth as one … instead of a select few.
Elizabeth Tai 