I live in a house in Abruzzo Italy built in the 1690's and it is so interesting how this house was strategically positioned to facilitate adriatic airflow to cool the house off at night with no air conditioning. These are genius energy free cooling methods that do not even get considered at all with modern building. That we have lost the art of orientation for air flow is such a shame.
Thanks for commenting and yes our house built in the 1600s I think his perfectly positioned to make the most of the direction of the sun and no windows on the north side - it gets cold here in winter. They knew what they were doing when they built these houses.👍🥰
We got so occupied with controlling the environment and making money that we made things more complicated than they need to be (and to be honest, a lot of it is just so people can make money)
It was the way that my grandparents lived back in the early sixties. They used kerosene lamps for lights at night and cooked on a wood stove. The house was always comfortable during the hot muggy summers because the doors and windows were left open at night while it was cool out. Granny worked hard to put up or to prepare foods for storage by ( canning ) everything they grew in the garden. They have us a wonderful time of it. We worked hard to de-weed, chop, carried well water, pulled weeds and picked abd shelled beans and we learned to love rural country life taking the best naps when it was hot and muggy. There was absolutely nothing missing in our lives. Today people look upon living like this as poverty but we were truly rich and content to be well fed and safe. I enjoy your content, subbed for more. 🍃💚
Been without a fridge or fridge freezer for about 18 months now. I found I was shopping to keep the fridge stocked but struggled to eat what I had bought. I shop for what I actually need now Rarely is anything wasted Food does taste much better.
Should be on a refrigerator magnet!😊 I agree though, my spouse grew up hungry and keeps the fridge stuffed. We tossed a regrettable amount of stuff to our chickens and compost pile. I prefer a rather empty one. I feel overwhelmed by large packages of meat especially.😮
Wonderful video! I've been thinking about getting rid of my fridge for years. My mother grew up without electricity or running water, and before she passed away I spent years interviewing her and her older brother about how they did things during their childhood. It's very liberating to realize that you don't really need all the things that you work so hard to buy and maintain and to find ways to live more simply, cheaply, and sustainably. After our power company raised rates by 49% this year, my husband and I started thinking harder than ever about how to reduce our electric bill. I finally convinced him that we should unplug our fridge for a month as an experiment, and we did it yesterday. So far, so good. We live in a fairly cold climate, so it seems silly to have a box inside our home that keeps things cool. We also eat a plant-based diet, so we don't have to worry about meat or dairy products, and we buy most of our perishable foods daily or harvest them from the garden right before we use them, so I'm confident that this is going to go well!
Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment.🥰 Hope it's still going ok without the fridge! I think it's good for us to question the things we do and decide for ourselves if we want to do things differently. 👍❤️
Another great solution to keeping perishable berries and even meat is drying. Indians did it just fine. There's videos demonstrating best way to cut raw meat into strips.
Nice video! I got rid of my fridge 18months ago. Living on a boat, with old batteries and I found I was spending way too much money running the engine to keep the batteries charged…. Just for the fridge! Got new batteries and got rid of the fridge. Now I’m just doing little shopping and often. Eating fresh food and I’m loving it
Never had a fridge till the 1970's managed very well, went shopping every day,bought what I needed, but then that is how we all lived, we had a cold slab in the cupboard under the stairs made of marble, and kept food really cool and set the jellies and kept the milk cool, which was also kept in a jug placed in a bowl of cold water with a little net cover with weights on over the top of the jug to stop anything getting in the milk and allowing the air to enter this was during the summer time same with the butter, all food was bought fresh and eaten he same day, no tummy upsets then.
I love your top.....when I was a child (many many moons ago) people did not have fridges and had pantry's instead and no-one ever got food poisoning, etc my fridge/freezer was using up £15 a month.
Dig down to permafrost. Old time cold storage kept ice blocks with straw year round. Old time basement cellars that were dug through foundation and had a door. America got cushy. Line a room like that to enhance its cold temps even better. Permafrost level stays 45-50° year round. People smoked meat. Cost of living steadily inflated keeping us busy busy getting fiat.
I live in the subtropics Australia. At the moment there is a prediction of snow flurries at a place called Stanthorpe which is a few hours drive from here. There will be people packing up their children to go there for a chance to see snow. It doesn't happen every year. I'll be thinking of you and your permafrost next summer with envy. 😊
We live in America and when we bought our 1930 home the first thing we did was get rid of the dishwasher and the huge ugy fridge… the place where the dish washer was we placed a dorm fridge. It’s quiet and small enough that most people don’t even see it.. as far as our washer like you I hate the noise etc.. we wash all our clothes in a washtub with a washboard and wringer.. it’s nice and quiet and just peaceful to wash our clothes…
Yes, we Americans have to keep our eggs in the fridge due to pasteurization. But not as many things need to be in the fridge as we think. I also need a fridge because I make fresh vegetable chop for my birds and don’t want to have to make it every day.
@@glendabyford8074 I don't have a washer either, after moving my last one I decided to to without (they are not fun to move...) and go to the laundromat for big stuff. But I never did, it does not make sense to spend money that way: I use a five gallon bucket in the tub, after I shower I just put my clothes in the bucket and use my feet to agitate the clothes: it is great exercise and I get a foot soak/massage!
@@phyllisalderson6247I’ve bought an antique one and can see where it would be fairly easy to make one. Amish might actually make them and provide them for sale.
@gailcurl8663 Luck? Hell no. It's a lot of careful planning, sticking to that plan and hard work. I'm autistic, live alone on my homestead on the Texas prarie and have lived debt free for 20+ years. Call me Lucky, if you want. Just don't do it mockingly, please.
@@gailcurl8663luck has nothing to do with it! It's called making that choice of where you want to be and what you want to be doing and then just persevering until you make it happen!
Same here. I'm still experimenting with different preservation methods but did my first ever canning yesterday and it went well :) Getting some slaked lime next pay so we can start water-glassing our eggs :)
When I retired, I bought a small house, and the smallest fridge I could find. I don't live within walking distance of the market, but I do have a well, and a hillside I could dig into. You've put some good ideas in my head - thanks!
I’ve lived off grid in the mountains and on an island in the Pacific. Didn’t need or miss refrigeration or freezing. We’ve been sold a story of what we need to be happy that isn’t actually factual. Thank you so much for this video!
I have been without a fridge for about 5 years now, and I live in the tropics with temperatures pushing 40 degrees most of the year. Like you it was initially due to circumstance.. Old fridge died and no resources for a new one. By the time I was in a position to consider replacement I had become accustomed to not having one, and found many advantages. As a single man it stops me storing and eating left overs or produce that is far less than fresh. I am in an urban environment so I simply buy by the day. Time consuming but the daily trip to market is a walk out and social contact which is enjoyed. I used to think I couldn't drink water that wasn't cold, but have found at ambient temperature it relieves thirst better, and tastes fuller. We get so stuck in doing things by "the norm' we often cannot see the benefits of a different way.
I haven’t had a fridge or freezer for two years and I agree that the noise is a good enough reason to not get one. Also there are MANY foods that say they’re supposed to be refrigerated that absolutely don’t need refrigeration, as our host points out. My nose tells me if something is still good to eat or not. Life can be made much more enjoyable and simple by using what you have and using common sense. Thank you for sharing this. 👏👏👏😇✝️😇👏👏👏
I also don't have a fridge. Once you learn how much truly doesn't have to be refrigerated along with alternative ways of prolonging shelf life, it really makes life so much simpler and cost efficient. You also rethink your food choices. You wind up eating healthier.
Ive suggested people opt for a smaller fridge but people would rather complain about money and live stressed out lives… not that that one change would alleviate all stress… but as part of a bigger set of changes. I’m going off grid. Supposed to close on a place tommorrow. I’ve gone way past the need for ice and a fridge, in my mind… but, I’m about to face the reality!
I can't imagine not having a fridge at all, but I have decided that when mine goes, I'm going to replace it with a smaller, very basic model. Mine really has more space than needed. Like in the video, too many things get shoved to the back and eventually gets wasted.
@@simplerliving-annalgie We are replacing our fridge with a smaller one. Not as small as the ones we had in our apartments in Germany. My great grandmother only a hand pump at the kitchen sink. There was no other plumbing in the house. The outhouse was inside the chicken pen, due to the fear of snakes. Chickens and Guineas will kill and eat snakes.
I lived without a refrigerator for 5 years, but I did have a small freezer. I'm still learning, but I learned alot just by scouring the grocery store aisles for shelf-stable items. 🛒🛍 Sacramento, California USA 🇺🇸
I too live without a fridge. The one little drawback is open cans of cat and dog food that go bad quickly. Have to use it all up in one day. But that is just a super hot weather problem, in the winter, the cans go out on the window sill, same for cheese. I love not having a fridge. Thank you for the encouragement!
I had the same problem until I found "Honest Kitchen" dehydrated cat food, My cats only like the chicken one. It's healthy food, human grade. It was also very helpful with my older cats with kidney disease, they loved it and the protein levels are not bad.
I lived in a beautiful little 84sq ft travel trailer for 10 years. I had a very tiny fridge, but no freezer. I live in a larger travel trailer now with a freezer but it’s empty. I got so use to not having a freezer that I just don’t use one anymore.
You are so right about jars in back of fridge. I do use a fridge. But I am cleaning it and tossing. And I am buying less food. I’m a woman who loves living alone. But I still cook like I am cooking for 4. So I’m going to figure recipes out etc. so no waste.
Really interesting. I hate my fridge. Stuff pushed to the back; things piled on top of things…. At the moment there are no options as we have very limited space to use as an alternative but lots to think about. Thank you.
Love this. People seem surprised that I keep tomatoes & eggs out of the fridge. Also fruit. It all tastes so much better. Only problem with our small fridge is when the kids come at Xmas and have bags and bags of things to be chilled! A trug outside helped to keep the beers cool. We do use a freezer a lot. There being only two of us we often cook more than needed so that there’s a quick meal another time. We also freeze a lot of the summer fruit gluts to see us through the winter. I was beginning to worry about the energy consumption and so have learnt to bottle fruit. - but no fridge! That is something to think about.
We didn't have a fridge or freezer when I was a child and Mum kept the milk in a bucket of cold water and we had a brick larder with a large piece of marble slab and the butter, cheese and other items that needed to be kept cold used to be in lidded china containers on top of that and the slab was very cold. I have a brick larder now and when I get rid of my Mum's old broken down fridge freezer I'm going to buy a slab of marble, it will help keep the fruit and veg cold. Mum didn't buy a huge grocery shop for the six of us cos there were so many little shops in our town and we rarely went into the main town cos we had most of what we needed here and vans with a grocery shop inside so Mum's would queue up and give him their grocery list and it was all in draws. The baker used to come round with his big wicker square basket of cakes, bread and eggs and he used to flirt with my Mum. The milkman delivered actual whole milk with the cream on top but now it's all watered down.
@@FreeToBe_Me They ate fresh from the berries, nuts and seeds collected from the land as they went about their daily lives and meat from goanna's and kangaroo's or fish they caught. It would be great to go back to simplicity
Happy coincidence I found your video. I live in a small open plan house and the noise is always there. Over the past 6yrs I've gradually gotten rid of my counter top freezer, my oven broke but hob works, threw out my microwave after it had been on 2mins and a spider crawled out when I opened the door and now my under counter fridge has a small freezer section which is worryingly compacted so that is going in a few days. I like my air fryer and slow cooker. It's amazing what you can do without. Really appreciate this video. I'm tempted to get a small counter top mini fridge as I'm at that age in life lol.. Or none at all.. 🤔 Best wishes...
it’s entirely too hot here in Georgia to not have a fridge. Also there is no way with my health that I could go to the store daily or even weekly, plus the fact that buying smaller portions is very expensive
Thank you so much for this video! I have been without a fridge for about two years and I loved the silence! About a month ago I found a little one at a garage sale for $20 to have it just in case and because everybody I know thinks it is weird not having one. I think I will unplug it, the noise is just not worth it, I basically keep only frozen meals and fruit for smoothies inside it. One fun thing that happened without the fridge is that I accidentalky made really good coconut yogurt by forgetting the milk in cold water on the kitchen counter overnight ( I usually put it outside at night).
Thanks for taking the time to comment Eleonora - I love hearing about other people's experiences. I find that natural yoghurt keeps perfectly well for several weeks in our cool kitchen. Ketchup, mayonnaise is also fine. ❤
I can't stand a noisey fridge. My last apartment an older apartment size fridge no noise. New apartment with larger and brand new fridge noise and vibration. Open space concept also doesn’t help as heard in kitchen and livingroom area. I know electricity is not good for our health. Bed should be away from electrical plug-ins.
I'm getting there with noisy fridges! Had one in my house for years and bought a newer one and its noiser! Not sure whether it was the 2 fridges or my age-getting older. But I'm wanting to do away. A step at a time and doing more food preserves all the time
@@skylarsartnphotography3450 When I bought my swamp cooler I realized appliances have noise ratings, they were helpful. Also, will be looking into acoustic panels...Trying to learn to ferment foods, love the taste and so much better for our health... Interesting info about open concept!
Great video! I have lived without a fridge for years and dont miss it all! You learn to adapt and do things differently which makes you realise that these things aren't actually essential. This has saved me a ton of money too so would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking of going "fridge free"!
Yes! I too have been living without using a fridge for years. We didn't have fridges in the past and we managed fine. It depends on what kind of home you are living in, though.
@@I-cannot-make-it-prettier Not that here. I have no mortgage but I'm living on $785 and property is $400. Before you judge pause. Wealthy folks are in over their heads with debt and stand to lose it all. People cannot believe what's coming. "You will own nothing and be happy." You think that's joking? I'm looking at my debris wood with new eyes. Village no longer takes it to slash cost.
@@I-cannot-make-it-prettier Drying, canning, smoking meat. If I had a one bed apt or even studio that's where I'd put it. Size and glamor is nothing. Priorities are everything. People did all these things in former times coz they had to and having to is back.
So many people ruin the flavor of their produce by refrigerating things that never need it. Your local grocery store only refrigerates foods that need it and you can tell which is which by looking at where they have it in the store.
I didn't have a fridge for several months but I returned. Thinking about returning to this state. I'm mostly on a raw diet, so it's not me who needs a fridge at home. You inspired me again!
Interesting video, thank you, Ann. When you say you have a cool house, what temperature range are you talking about? What are the summer temperatures that change the way you manage your food supply? Having a cool, stable temperature would certainly make the concept easier. I'm in coastal New Zealand with a Mediterranean climate. My house is wooden, bare rafters (no ceiling) with a tin roof, and uninsulated. The temperatures indoors at any time of year can fluctuate by 13 degrees in 12 hours. I'm puzzled by your reference to ice and icecream being kept in a fridge. We keep icecream in the freezer (which may be a separate cupboard above or below the fridge compartment, or a completely separate unit), otherwise it goes soft and runny. Ice stays frozen when stored in freezers in New Zealand. I wonder if your reference to "fridge" was inclusive of freezer?
I'm appreciative of your video and also the way that you share ideas - suggestions and curiosity rather than my way or the highway. Our world would flourish with more of that. My husband and I have been living without a fridge for about 4 months, originally out of circumstance but now I like it and I know both taste and digestion are supported by having things either at room temperature or warm. Not all bacteria are bad and my hunch is that there may be a protective effect of having food out of the fridge in terms of pre and/or probiotic bacteria. We will see how the summer goes, it gets really hot and humid here. I'm looking forward to experiments with preservation.
I have a small chest fridge that I run off of my solar array which I own (been off grid for many years). I turn it off overnight since it holds the cold, and even in warm weather, it keeps everything chilled. In the winter, I just put everything in a cooler on the porch and fridge is off. You really don't need a big fridge for just one person, but I miss endless ice!
Very envious of those that can live without a fridge. Summer in the desert in Australia with 48 deg C days means even though I am vegetarian l still need the fridge.
There is a video somewhere with Bill Mollison, a permaculture expert, showing a house in Australia with a central area which is fridge temperature by using natural air flow. Not sure how this would compare in the desert area but there are plenty of hot countries with towers which work the same way.
Great video. I live in America where people feel they have to have a refrigerator. I unplugged mine 8 months ago and haven't regretted it. I waisted more food by having one. My dishwasher doesn't work anymore and I will not replace it. My dryer finally quit working and will not replace that either. My big family microwave also quit working. I replaced it with a much smaller one.These were all 20 yrs old and lasted a long time. But I decided not to have those items replaced. I am living a full and happy life without them.
Fantastic and thanks for sharing. I like to challenge the idea that we HAVE to have these things. It's fine to have them if you choose to do so, and we are all in different situations, but many of us don't need them, we've just been told we do. Have a lovely day.
Thank you for sharing this video. I could do without my fridge, but keep the basement freezer. It is new and efficient. Could use the unplugged fridge to house a cool box with ice for milk/cream/butter. Something to consider as the price of electricity rises. Plus the noise wakes me up at night. I would not miss it much....
Ha ha😂 I live in America and I don't have a fridge,what for? To spend more electric power? I conserve in cans, glass bottles, and buy what I need. Once a month, maybe you think is crazy. And maybe it is. But us think is very cool.😂
I live in West Africa. This year most days have reached 35°C. Many of my neighbours have fridges. The ones that don't shop every single day. I don't have time for that.
I lived several years with out a fridge. The house has a "pie cooler" on the north side that had a draw up off a cool creek. There was a transom window on the far, south side, and when it got warm, and you opened that window, it would draw that cool air up thru the cooler and into the kitchen keeping it mild even though it was on the south side
This was interesting. As I turned my new fridge / freezer on today I noticed the doors even tell you how long things keep for. Im all for a sniff and a look to see if it’s ok but Paul will throw anything past it’s date. It’s so strange how much emphasis is put on dates etc which encourages waste and throwing perfectly good food. Really sad when so many go without.
I think it's crazy Samantha, especially as you say because it leads to lots of unnecessary waste. So much of this stuff is common sense. Look at it, smell it, taste a tiny bit of it. If you're not happy - don't eat it. If you use things up regularly you don't end up with lots of bits and pieces of food 'going off'. When you don't have a fridge you only keep left over food for an extra day - rarely it goes into a third day. We have never in 11 years had any form of food poisoning. (Oh dear I'll probably get ill now!) 🤣
My grandpa told me that in his youth, when people didnt have a refrigerator, they would put a silver dollar into the jug of milk/cream and leave it in a shady spot inside. Silver is a natural and harmless way to kill bacteria, and it prevented it from spoiling in the heat. my family still uses it today to extend the shelf life of dairy even when it's in the fridge, but i would reccomend using a pure silver coin dated before 2012, as that was when they started coating the silver coins to prevent tarnishing
before i moved to my new apartment i noticed that i actually only use the fridge to store those cans of olives and cappers that get forgotten and forsaken until they are not longer edible. i don't eat meat and here, where my new apartment is, there is a fish shop with fresh fish next door. so when i moved in, i didn't take the fridge with me. five months in now and i don't really miss it. it is true that there is very little waste like this, and also i am getting more and more curious about fermented foods. i have been brewing water kefir and kombucha, and i have just realised, thanks to your video, that yoghurt doesn't need to be refrigerated, so i might even start making my own yoghurt
I have started cooking so there’s no leftovers, because my family was not eating the leftovers. Too much waste was accumulating every week! Now our fridge is almost empty! I can completely see how freeing no fridge could be! Thank you for sharing your tips!
@@simplerliving-annalgie thank you, but I came to it out of the necessity to manage 3 children while having adhd. No fridge could be very adhd friendly!
I unplugged my fridge the last two winters and stored my food in the unplugged fridge in the shed. Now I just moved and it's warmer so it's plugged in again. But I really want to unplug it.. because I feel like it would change my diet in a positive way and it saves on money and space and sometimes the buzzing, although I have a small fridge :) People always look at me weird when I say I unplugged it. Same when I said I didn't have a couch (for about a year). And still I want to do it :)
Thanks for your comment. I like the idea of unplugging the fridge but continuing to use it like a cupboard.😂 We did that in our campervan. It's good to do what we want to do regardless of others thinking it's weird.😅
Live your own life and you will have fewer regrets. ;-) I get that look when I tell people (I know) that I only shower once a week. You can wash up without a shower and our ancestors (depending on where they lived) often only bathed annually. I don't think I've ever heard my refrigerator NOT running. I'm constantly checking to see if a door is open.
We have no sofa, no bed (sleeping on an amber and mustard seed filled thin matress on the floor), no washing machine, no car...all by choice and health is better for those choices...now considering ditching the fridges! 😁 Happy days🎉
I lived in a little hut in the forest for almost a year without anything more than 5V electricity for my lights. Going back to living very off grid, I have a few things that I would do differently. A zeer pot is a real option, but also fresh food, and working with what you have when you have it. And buying locally helps.
This was quite eye-opening! You have inspired me to question even more things...I’ve noticed for a long while how restaurants never refrigerate their catsup/ketchup! Only 1 other person I know questioned that. So much healthier for you, as well. I’m very happy for you & your husband! I’d love to be able to do this, myself! Great job! Love from the US! Thank you, again! ♥️🙌🏼
When the huz and I got married and started putting together a home, we were so excited to get a nice big fridge and were convinced that it would be necessary for when we had kids. Something that I had come to notice is how much food went to waste. We felt compelled to fill up the fridge with food, even though we simply couldn't eat that much. Years and 2 kids later, we have a fridge less than half the size of our old one and a teeny little freezer beneath. Very very little goes to waste now. We walk or bike to our local shops to get smaller quantities of fresh food more often, so we're more aware of what's in the fridge and less likely to forget about something.
Thank you for commenting - it works fine if you're near enough to shops - we're lucky having a general store type shop 10 minutes walk away. I agree that fridges can lead to more waste sometimes. 🥰
Neat perspective but also while you don't have a fridge you are relying on the stores fridge so you can buy the small amounts of things every day that do require cold temps. So the dependence is still there, just a step further away.
Thanks for commenting. I take your point. The things I buy from the shop fridge are yoghurt, cheese and butter. It would be possible to live without these If necessary, but I enjoy them. 🥰 I suppose it's one less fridge manufactured and using electricity and there's something nice about walking to our local shop and seeing people. I realise from all the comments what different situations we all live in, both in terms of location and our families. I had a fridge when my children were young and freezers can be great for storing garden produce. I just think it's all gone a bit crazy in terms of the size and number of fridges and freezers we have these days. I might make an update video. Thanks again. 👍🥰
@@simplerliving-annalgie Have you looked into mesophilic yogurts? You can make these yourself at room temp and they would be better suited to room temp storage as the bacteria would only strengthen vs weaken like the thermophilic varieties sold at the store 😊
@@sheisofthewoods No, I haven't but it sounds like a great idea. I have a friend who was making a huge amount of natural yoghurt the other day - not sure if this is the same thing, but I'll look into it 'cos I love natural yoghurt and greek yoghurt. I've never experienced any problems with them up to now though. thanks.
I once had a fridge. But as a single person there wasn’t much in it. Then it stopped working. Big worry about landfill! Then spent about 10 years without a fridge - and living in central London, I was constantly going to the shops and throwing milk away. Now I just have a small fridge - and honestly for my life, it really helps - in the end, I think it does save time and money. I might switch it off over winter - but not in warmer times. Think that is the best solution for me!
My mum had a cold slab in the pantry to keep things cold.in summer a earthenware vessel filled with cold water had the milk bottles keeping cold, and a mesh doored cupboard called a meat safe to keep flies off.xxxxx🐝🐝🇬🇧🇬🇧🐝
Yes, it does not have to be complicated. There are many places where people don't have fridges and like you say some of our parents and certainly grandparents didn't have them.
I have not had a fridge since 2016, so around 8 years now. I live in a small wooden house, so there is no real cool space when it is hot in summer. But especially since I turned to be vegan, nearly everything I buy/eat keeps long enough before it is consumed. Only on some really hot summer days does it happen that the rest of the 1 l oat milk goes bad. But it does not happen often. And I also do as you mentioned, only open one jar of jam and finish it before opening another one. Honey keeps forever. I cook every two days, most meals are ok for at least 48 hours. In winter I keep many things cool in a box outside (well closed so that the racoon does not get to it), One of the results is that I only use 2 kWh per week = around 104 kWh per year. Saves a lot of money compared to the average 2400 kWh/person/year in Germany.
Hi! Just found you! You popped up in my suggestions. Loved your video and will admit to having binge watched a few more! I have subscribed and am looking forward to watching more. I’ve never quilted but always wanted to, but thought you needed a sewing machine! I’m Mo from Lincolnshire U.K. xx
Hi Mo, lovely to 'meet' you. Quilting/patchwork is so relaxing and easy. You can do it with a machine, but I enjoy doing it by hand. (Slow, but enjoyable 😊).
im prepping with that plan in mind. having come from CA where it is common to shut off the power over any little thing. my mother grew up as a farm woman in the depression. they canned their meats and veggies. and yes it would be a savings... and a consistency. as government plays games with us.
@@carollynt I lived there until 66.yrs. never in my life until the last few years did I see it turned off for "winds". and my last 10 years in CA I worked grocery stores. the level of food destruction and loss was a regular hit. every few months.
This seems almost impossible to do living in rural Florida in a manufactured home! It's sweltering without AC and the stores are a 20+ minute drive. This is fantastic, though! Great lifestyle choice ❤😊
We dont have electric or water on our property. The one and only solar panel quit working. No fridge here. Yes i know about the things you mentioned as not needing a fridge. I use powdered milk also. I buy a whole milk powder and it is awesome in taste. It can be done. We have two 55 gallon water barrels that a friend fills for us. We dont have a vehicle either.
You csn use a french butter crock to keep butter on the bench, if you use too much cold water the butter is hard like it came out of the fridge even on a warm day
What great timing! I'm about to venture out in my own van without a fridge very soon! (I love your channel story!) I've done so before, but with all the vanlifers who have nice refrigerators and even freezers on UA-cam, it seems more like a necessity than it really is. I'm constantly amazed at how terrified younger generations are with the very idea of eating or drinking anything - including factory canned goods - beyond it's "best by" date. This is just another invention to generate more sales from the unaware. You nailed it with the "look, smell, and taste test." With canned goods I would include any rust or expanded cans but basically your senses will tell you if it's gone bad. Fermented foods have traditionally been used to extend the shelf life of foods forever but if they aren't currently trending, young people largely are unaware of their existence at all. Sour cream and yogurt are both examples of deliberately soured milk products that nobody thinks twice about eating - unless it's "expired." I have eaten yogurt that was "expired" two years ago and it looked and tasted as if it were fresh. Root cellars were the norm not so long ago, and that was the long term food storage / refrigeration option, even though it wasn't as cold as a refrigerator.
I grew up without a fridge, but I think many houses aren’t suitable for doing so now. It was a tiny house, but it had a little pantry in the coolest place. We had a small meat safe in there too. There was no option for multiple shopping trips as we were rural. You can keep milk cool using a terracotta milk cooler.
One prepped channel suggests turning your refer off at night to save on the electric bill. That one has never had spoilage because of that. I want to try that this summer once i clean mine out thoroughly.😂
I live in France too and have just a few solar panels for lighting and recharging electronics. I have a 12v cool box but only turn it on when its really hot. If I want a cool drink I've usually got some bottles and cans sitting in a bucket of cold water in a cool spot. 😁
In India, we cannot do without a fridges, like temperature in summers is 47°C>, and in winters it's roughly 30°C. But we try, vegetables, like potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, onions, can stay out for a week. Rest all leafy needs refrigerator. We barely use freezer, only for ice cream or cold water, we get fresh beef, chicken and fish, that is finished in a day, if needed then stored in freezer for a day or 2. Rest everything is bought fresh and consumed same day.
In Russian villages many elders still live without fridges, to this day, and manage just fine. The way they can still manage it is : their own gardens/ chickens to eat fresh from, cold cellar to store fermented food for the off season, and fresh bakery/ small store of a walking distance, where you can buy things everyday if you needed to... In many many "developed" places those things are " luxury" at this point unfortunately ( personal gardens, well suited houses, and a food store down the road..)
Thanks for commenting. Isn't it interesting how modern life has made some of the basic things luxuries or difficult to access.really interesting comment. 👍
I live off grid and we do not use refrigeration. I feel that it is Just to risking, If for some reason you lose powor your freezer goes out, you will lose all that food. I'm just not willing to take that chance. So when I have excess meat, I slow smoke Ito preserve it and I've never had it. Go bad. And sometimes I will can't like I do my access vegetables from the garden.
Thanks for your comment. It can be expensive if the power goes off and I think most people know someone it has happened to - like you say that's more of a risk with freezers.🥰
@lisaball2760 It's very simple.I do everything the primitive way, I built a small smokehouse using blocks. Make sure it's tall eto where the heat to your food. But the smoke does and let the smoke cook. It also also, it's very important that you choose the proper wood. I personally I'd like to use oakwood because it is abundant, Also If I can find it I'd love using Citrus tree wood and Pecan tree wood. It also helps a lot if you salt the meat To pull the moisture out Of the meat. Ask for me as a prepper.I noticed that most preppers do not put enough salt back. You need to have a lot of salt put back For hard times.
I have a small fridge. Like a British style that fits under the counter. A lot of people don't understand it. I can't put in 3 or 4 months of food, but, I'm not going to be GETTING 3 or 4 months of food at a time, anyway.
Hi Sarah, hope it works for you - it will be interesting to give it a try - just switch the fridge off and see how it goes. You may find you only need it for a few weeks in the summer. I find here that there are about 6 weeks in the middle of summer each year where it crosses my mind that maybe I should have a fridge after all, but before I know it we're into cooler weather again. Enjoy the challenge and let me know how you get on.
We didn't have a fridge or electricity when we lived in a tent during the hottest summer in recorded history. We're vegetarian but don't even eat dairy or eggs. We kept fresh veg in a basket covered with a cotton cloth in the shade. We have one now, but don't really need it. Cold drinks and ice hurt my teeth so that's also not a consideration. We tend to eat from the garden and cook legumes and whole grains in quantities needed for specific meals.
Without me wanting to, I have lived without a fridge for over a week more than once (thank you Texas electrical grid). In the environment I live in, refrigeration is necessary to keep certain medications cool, as well as to keep other things that are normally shelf stable from spoiling quickly (like bread). There is no place to keep things cool 10 months out of the year like a root cellar where I live (we are too close to the water table). Medications are my biggest concern.
I don't have a frig, haven't had one for near a year. Like u i buy small quantities of milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese & use it up in a day or two. Dry cheese like parmesan lasts for a long time outside a frig. I have a garden & i also forage for plant food to here in NE Texas. Its been working out fine. And i can always go out to eat if i like for something different.
Hi, we haven’t had a fridge for 3 years after our, second hand, fridge freezer started leaking everywhere. We dragged it out of the house and when I looked at all the engineering on the back of it, I thought it was ridiculous and not necessary for us as we are vegan. So that was that and we have not missed it at all. So nice not to have fridge noise. We live close to shops so I can shop every day if I want to. Hummus keeps for several days, plant butter and cheese the same. We use powdered oat milk which is fab. Tofu is fine for a couple of days. We keep our veg in a ceramic crock pot. If we have leftovers, they are kept outside in the, usually, cool weather and eaten the next day after being heated up properly. I don’t keep leftover rice so I make sure not to cook too much. I accept that it is easier for us being vegan, but my grandparents didn’t have a fridge until they were 42 yrs old and they were ok. It’s good to question what consumer society tells us what we should have.
Interesting. We use our fridge and freezer. We consume what we purchase because we purchase only what we will consume. We lived in an underdeveloped country for a few years and had no steady electricity, so our fridge was not used. We shopped daily for our food at a local market. It's easy to adapt when you have an open mind and are flexible. It benefits humans to learn to live in abundance and also in scarcity since we never know when our circumstances may change. I think Covid was a good example...as are natural disasters around the world. Thank you for your vlog.
Hi, thanks for your great comment. I agree about the importance of adaptability - COVID showed us how quickly things can change even in a developed country.
Texas is almost impossible to live without a Fridge uggg.. its so hot but you can use Ghee for Butter and it can be done ... Love your video Thanks for sharing..
I live in a house in Abruzzo Italy built in the 1690's and it is so interesting how this house was strategically positioned to facilitate adriatic airflow to cool the house off at night with no air conditioning. These are genius energy free cooling methods that do not even get considered at all with modern building. That we have lost the art of orientation for air flow is such a shame.
@@BrittanyCocchino I would love to hear the details if you can, I need info for when I will make changes to the house. Thanks!🌸
Thanks for commenting and yes our house built in the 1600s I think his perfectly positioned to make the most of the direction of the sun and no windows on the north side - it gets cold here in winter. They knew what they were doing when they built these houses.👍🥰
We got so occupied with controlling the environment and making money that we made things more complicated than they need to be (and to be honest, a lot of it is just so people can make money)
Yes, that has got to be wonderful
Springhouse (can do it with small barrel of water underground) small pump with solar. Put clay jars down in the water.
It was the way that my grandparents lived back in the early sixties. They used kerosene lamps for lights at night and cooked on a wood stove. The house was always comfortable during the hot muggy summers because the doors and windows were left open at night while it was cool out. Granny worked hard to put up or to prepare foods for storage by ( canning ) everything they grew in the garden. They have us a wonderful time of it. We worked hard to de-weed, chop, carried well water, pulled weeds and picked abd shelled beans and we learned to love rural country life taking the best naps when it was hot and muggy. There was absolutely nothing missing in our lives. Today people look upon living like this as poverty but we were truly rich and content to be well fed and safe. I enjoy your content, subbed for more. 🍃💚
Thanks for your interesting comment - sounds amazing. X❤
Kerosene stinks.
I can't recall a stink as you say but definitely a signature scent as it is a petroleum by product. Be Well 🙏🏽✨
I agree. All these kids “living off grid” with their solar panels think they are roughing it.
We have solar panels but as it is not very reliable we still learn how to live without it
Been without a fridge or fridge freezer for about 18 months now. I found I was shopping to keep the fridge stocked but struggled to eat what I had bought. I shop for what I actually need now Rarely is anything wasted Food does taste much better.
Makes sense now that you said it.
Should be on a refrigerator magnet!😊 I agree though, my spouse grew up hungry and keeps the fridge stuffed. We tossed a regrettable amount of stuff to our chickens and compost pile. I prefer a rather empty one. I feel overwhelmed by large packages of meat especially.😮
Wonderful video! I've been thinking about getting rid of my fridge for years. My mother grew up without electricity or running water, and before she passed away I spent years interviewing her and her older brother about how they did things during their childhood. It's very liberating to realize that you don't really need all the things that you work so hard to buy and maintain and to find ways to live more simply, cheaply, and sustainably. After our power company raised rates by 49% this year, my husband and I started thinking harder than ever about how to reduce our electric bill. I finally convinced him that we should unplug our fridge for a month as an experiment, and we did it yesterday. So far, so good. We live in a fairly cold climate, so it seems silly to have a box inside our home that keeps things cool. We also eat a plant-based diet, so we don't have to worry about meat or dairy products, and we buy most of our perishable foods daily or harvest them from the garden right before we use them, so I'm confident that this is going to go well!
Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment.🥰 Hope it's still going ok without the fridge! I think it's good for us to question the things we do and decide for ourselves if we want to do things differently. 👍❤️
My fridge used to cost me about 15$ a month in electricity...
Very nice. I personally would keep a mini fridge on hand. Beer, and a few other items I may not want cold..Good luck
@@atlanticalillyI was thinking the same they could just have a little one that would only pull maybe 40 watts.
Another great solution to keeping perishable berries and even meat is drying. Indians did it just fine. There's videos demonstrating best way to cut raw meat into strips.
Nice video! I got rid of my fridge 18months ago. Living on a boat, with old batteries and I found I was spending way too much money running the engine to keep the batteries charged…. Just for the fridge!
Got new batteries and got rid of the fridge. Now I’m just doing little shopping and often. Eating fresh food and I’m loving it
Thanks for your comment. You sound very happy without your fridge! 👍🥰
Great video for campers and motor homers
Never had a fridge till the 1970's managed very well, went shopping every day,bought what I needed, but then that is how we all lived, we had a cold slab in the cupboard under the stairs made of marble, and kept food really cool and set the jellies and kept the milk cool, which was also kept in a jug placed in a bowl of cold water with a little net cover with weights on over the top of the jug to stop anything getting in the milk and allowing the air to enter this was during the summer time same with the butter, all food was bought fresh and eaten he same day, no tummy upsets then.
I love your top.....when I was a child (many many moons ago) people did not have fridges and had pantry's instead and no-one ever got food poisoning, etc my fridge/freezer was using up £15 a month.
The children need knowledge like this.
Back to basic. Self reliance. Less stress on enviroment
Dig down to permafrost. Old time cold storage kept ice blocks with straw year round. Old time basement cellars that were dug through foundation and had a door. America got cushy. Line a room like that to enhance its cold temps even better. Permafrost level stays 45-50° year round. People smoked meat. Cost of living steadily inflated keeping us busy busy getting fiat.
Our crawlspace holds those temperatures.
Where she lives there is no permafrost.
I live in the subtropics Australia. At the moment there is a prediction of snow flurries at a place called Stanthorpe which is a few hours drive from here. There will be people packing up their children to go there for a chance to see snow. It doesn't happen every year. I'll be thinking of you and your permafrost next summer with envy. 😊
We live in America and when we bought our 1930 home the first thing we did was get rid of the dishwasher and the huge ugy fridge… the place where the dish washer was we placed a dorm fridge. It’s quiet and small enough that most people don’t even see it.. as far as our washer like you I hate the noise etc.. we wash all our clothes in a washtub with a washboard and wringer.. it’s nice and quiet and just peaceful to wash our clothes…
Sounds lovely ❤. 😊
Yes, we Americans have to keep our eggs in the fridge due to pasteurization. But not as many things need to be in the fridge as we think. I also need a fridge because I make fresh vegetable chop for my birds and don’t want to have to make it every day.
@@CuteBirdAwarenessLeague we don’t keep our eggs in the fridge because we have farm fresh eggs and as long as the bloom is intact they are good..
@@glendabyford8074 I meant people who use the grocery store
@@glendabyford8074 I don't have a washer either, after moving my last one I decided to to without (they are not fun to move...) and go to the laundromat for big stuff. But I never did, it does not make sense to spend money that way: I use a five gallon bucket in the tub, after I shower I just put my clothes in the bucket and use my feet to agitate the clothes: it is great exercise and I get a foot soak/massage!
I forgot about dried milk!! very inspiring to live without a frig!
Grew up in Pa, amish country. No elec, minimal running water. Icebox in summer. Enjoyed yer content.
Me too! :)
can ya buy a ice box ???
@@phyllisalderson6247I’ve bought an antique one and can see where it would be fairly easy to make one. Amish might actually make them and provide them for sale.
I eat only shelf-stable meat, eggs & cook with ghee. I pressure can, smoke, dehydrate & salt meats to keep them fresh. I raise my own meat & eggs.
Thanks for your comment. Great you mention other ways of preserving food too.🥰
Aren't You the Lucky One!! Are we Gloating Here Much??
@gailcurl8663
Luck? Hell no. It's a lot of careful planning, sticking to that plan and hard work. I'm autistic, live alone on my homestead on the Texas prarie and have lived debt free for 20+ years.
Call me Lucky, if you want. Just don't do it mockingly, please.
@@gailcurl8663luck has nothing to do with it! It's called making that choice of where you want to be and what you want to be doing and then just persevering until you make it happen!
Same here. I'm still experimenting with different preservation methods but did my first ever canning yesterday and it went well :) Getting some slaked lime next pay so we can start water-glassing our eggs :)
When I retired, I bought a small house, and the smallest fridge I could find. I don't live within walking distance of the market, but I do have a well, and a hillside I could dig into. You've put some good ideas in my head - thanks!
I’ve lived off grid in the mountains and on an island in the Pacific. Didn’t need or miss refrigeration or freezing. We’ve been sold a story of what we need to be happy that isn’t actually factual. Thank you so much for this video!
Thank YOU for your comment. 🥰
When we lived off grid we had a pantry that was on and vented to the shaded side of the house. It kept everything fridge temperature,no problem.
I have been without a fridge for about 5 years now, and I live in the tropics with temperatures pushing 40 degrees most of the year.
Like you it was initially due to circumstance.. Old fridge died and no resources for a new one. By the time I was in a position to consider replacement I had become accustomed to not having one, and found many advantages.
As a single man it stops me storing and eating left overs or produce that is far less than fresh. I am in an urban environment so I simply buy by the day. Time consuming but the daily trip to market is a walk out and social contact which is enjoyed.
I used to think I couldn't drink water that wasn't cold, but have found at ambient temperature it relieves thirst better, and tastes fuller.
We get so stuck in doing things by "the norm' we often cannot see the benefits of a different way.
I haven’t had a fridge or freezer for two years and I agree that the noise is a good enough reason to not get one.
Also there are MANY foods that say they’re supposed to be refrigerated that absolutely don’t need refrigeration, as our host points out.
My nose tells me if something is still good to eat or not.
Life can be made much more enjoyable and simple by using what you have and using common sense.
Thank you for sharing this.
👏👏👏😇✝️😇👏👏👏
Thanks 👍🥰
I also don't have a fridge. Once you learn how much truly doesn't have to be refrigerated along with alternative ways of prolonging shelf life, it really makes life so much simpler and cost efficient. You also rethink your food choices. You wind up eating healthier.
Thanks for your comment Kathleen, lovely to hear from others that manage perfectly well without a fridge 👍
Hi I'm 20 and starting to live alone :) I don't have a fridge, could you please give me some tips 😊
Ive suggested people opt for a smaller fridge but people would rather complain about money and live stressed out lives… not that that one change would alleviate all stress… but as part of a bigger set of changes. I’m going off grid. Supposed to close on a place tommorrow. I’ve gone way past the need for ice and a fridge, in my mind… but, I’m about to face the reality!
I can't imagine not having a fridge at all, but I have decided that when mine goes, I'm going to replace it with a smaller, very basic model. Mine really has more space than needed. Like in the video, too many things get shoved to the back and eventually gets wasted.
Thanks for commenting. Little fridge idea sounds perfect.👍
@@simplerliving-annalgie
We are replacing our fridge with a smaller one. Not as small as the ones we had in our apartments in Germany.
My great grandmother only a hand pump at the kitchen sink. There was no other plumbing in the house. The outhouse was inside the chicken pen, due to the fear of snakes. Chickens and Guineas will kill and eat snakes.
Thanks for communicating Teresa. Great idea.❤
I had a little fridge for several years. I now have a large one and I fully empty it every week….but then we are a family of 8.
Thanks for commenting. Sounds like a smaller one will work great for you. 🥰
I lived without a refrigerator for 5 years, but I did have a small freezer. I'm still learning, but I learned alot just by scouring the grocery store aisles for shelf-stable items. 🛒🛍 Sacramento, California USA 🇺🇸
Thanks for your comment Annie, nice knowing where you're from too. 😊
Perfect topic. I downsized to small fridge, but realized I don't even need that.
Brill!👍
I too live without a fridge. The one little drawback is open cans of cat and dog food that go bad quickly. Have to use it all up in one day. But that is just a super hot weather problem, in the winter, the cans go out on the window sill, same for cheese. I love not having a fridge. Thank you for the encouragement!
Thank you for your encouragement too! (We only have hens - so not a problem there!)
I had the same problem until I found "Honest Kitchen" dehydrated cat food, My cats only like the chicken one. It's healthy food, human grade. It was also very helpful with my older cats with kidney disease, they loved it and the protein levels are not bad.
I lived in a beautiful little 84sq ft travel trailer for 10 years. I had a very tiny fridge, but no freezer. I live in a larger travel trailer now with a freezer but it’s empty. I got so use to not having a freezer that I just don’t use one anymore.
It's funny how we can get used to not having things that we grew up thinking were essential. Thanks for your comment.😊
Wise words !
😂 Thanks.
You are so right about jars in back of fridge. I do use a fridge. But I am cleaning it and tossing. And I am buying less food. I’m a woman who loves living alone. But I still cook like I am cooking for 4. So I’m going to figure recipes out etc. so no waste.
All sounds great 👍. Thanks for commenting. 🥰
Really interesting. I hate my fridge. Stuff pushed to the back; things piled on top of things…. At the moment there are no options as we have very limited space to use as an alternative but lots to think about. Thank you.
If you would keep the Fridge Organized and Clean, there wouldn't be any problems like you mentioned. Ain't Life Tuff!!
Love this. People seem surprised that I keep tomatoes & eggs out of the fridge. Also fruit. It all tastes so much better. Only problem with our small fridge is when the kids come at Xmas and have bags and bags of things to be chilled! A trug outside helped to keep the beers cool. We do use a freezer a lot. There being only two of us we often cook more than needed so that there’s a quick meal another time. We also freeze a lot of the summer fruit gluts to see us through the winter. I was beginning to worry about the energy consumption and so have learnt to bottle fruit. - but no fridge! That is something to think about.
Thanks for your comment. Yes good does taste so much better when it's not too cold I find. 👍🥰
We didn't have a fridge or freezer when I was a child and Mum kept the milk in a bucket of cold water and we had a brick larder with a large piece of marble slab and the butter, cheese and other items that needed to be kept cold used to be in lidded china containers on top of that and the slab was very cold. I have a brick larder now and when I get rid of my Mum's old broken down fridge freezer I'm going to buy a slab of marble, it will help keep the fruit and veg cold. Mum didn't buy a huge grocery shop for the six of us cos there were so many little shops in our town and we rarely went into the main town cos we had most of what we needed here and vans with a grocery shop inside so Mum's would queue up and give him their grocery list and it was all in draws. The baker used to come round with his big wicker square basket of cakes, bread and eggs and he used to flirt with my Mum. The milkman delivered actual whole milk with the cream on top but now it's all watered down.
I'm in Australia. Fantastic concept except our temperatures are going to go up to 40 in the summer
Hmmm that's a real challenge.🙄
What did the aborigines do?
@@FreeToBe_Me They ate fresh from the berries, nuts and seeds collected from the land as they went about their daily lives and meat from goanna's and kangaroo's or fish they caught. It would be great to go back to simplicity
You could plug it in the summer season for ice and preserving food, and unplug during Winter season and use it just as a food cabinet
Yes, very challenging. Thanks for commenting.🥰
Great video and greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪👍🏻👋
I ve learn a lot from the Sami native people here. They dry and smoke their Renmeat and keep it for years.
Wow, that's amazing. 👍🥰
I travel, camp and haven't had a fridge for years. I learned all kinds of ways to keep food.
Happy coincidence I found your video. I live in a small open plan house and the noise is always there. Over the past 6yrs I've gradually gotten rid of my counter top freezer, my oven broke but hob works, threw out my microwave after it had been on 2mins and a spider crawled out when I opened the door and now my under counter fridge has a small freezer section which is worryingly compacted so that is going in a few days. I like my air fryer and slow cooker. It's amazing what you can do without. Really appreciate this video. I'm tempted to get a small counter top mini fridge as I'm at that age in life lol.. Or none at all.. 🤔 Best wishes...
Camping. I would buy spring onions and plant them when I got home. They continued to grow and I picked them as I used them.
it’s entirely too hot here in Georgia to not have a fridge. Also there is no way with my health that I could go to the store daily or even weekly, plus the fact that buying smaller portions is very expensive
Thank you so much for this video! I have been without a fridge for about two years and I loved the silence! About a month ago I found a little one at a garage sale for $20 to have it just in case and because everybody I know thinks it is weird not having one. I think I will unplug it, the noise is just not worth it, I basically keep only frozen meals and fruit for smoothies inside it.
One fun thing that happened without the fridge is that I accidentalky made really good coconut yogurt by forgetting the milk in cold water on the kitchen counter overnight ( I usually put it outside at night).
Thanks for taking the time to comment Eleonora - I love hearing about other people's experiences. I find that natural yoghurt keeps perfectly well for several weeks in our cool kitchen. Ketchup, mayonnaise is also fine. ❤
@@simplerliving-annalgie as is mayo, as long as you don't dip a dirty utensil in it.
I can't stand a noisey fridge. My last apartment an older apartment size fridge no noise. New apartment with larger and brand new fridge noise and vibration. Open space concept also doesn’t help as heard in kitchen and livingroom area. I know electricity is not good for our health. Bed should be away from electrical plug-ins.
I'm getting there with noisy fridges! Had one in my house for years and bought a newer one and its noiser! Not sure whether it was the 2 fridges or my age-getting older. But I'm wanting to do away. A step at a time and doing more food preserves all the time
@@skylarsartnphotography3450 When I bought my swamp cooler I realized appliances have noise ratings, they were helpful. Also, will be looking into acoustic panels...Trying to learn to ferment foods, love the taste and so much better for our health... Interesting info about open concept!
Great video! I have lived without a fridge for years and dont miss it all! You learn to adapt and do things differently which makes you realise that these things aren't actually essential. This has saved me a ton of money too so would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking of going "fridge free"!
In Africa they have Zeer pots to keep produce cool. There is a video on YT showing them
Yes! I too have been living without using a fridge for years. We didn't have fridges in the past and we managed fine. It depends on what kind of home you are living in, though.
Thanks for commenting, yes our house is built of stone with thick walls and downstairs is quite naturally cool in summer. 😊
Kind isn't important. Everyone has difficulties coming. Big house big tax and utilities. Car payment. Mortgage. Thrift is important for all.
@@I-cannot-make-it-prettier Not that here. I have no mortgage but I'm living on $785 and property is $400. Before you judge pause. Wealthy folks are in over their heads with debt and stand to lose it all. People cannot believe what's coming. "You will own nothing and be happy." You think that's joking? I'm looking at my debris wood with new eyes. Village no longer takes it to slash cost.
@@I-cannot-make-it-prettier Drying, canning, smoking meat. If I had a one bed apt or even studio that's where I'd put it. Size and glamor is nothing. Priorities are everything. People did all these things in former times coz they had to and having to is back.
Thank you so much for your video.
You are so right about the flavor. Room temperature fruit is so much sweeter.
Thanks for your comment. 😊
So many people ruin the flavor of their produce by refrigerating things that never need it. Your local grocery store only refrigerates foods that need it and you can tell which is which by looking at where they have it in the store.
I've been thinking about this for awhile, wondering how to go about it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
thank you so much for the video! sending luv from Brazil! =)
Thank you. How great to know I've reached Brazil!
I didn't have a fridge for several months but I returned. Thinking about returning to this state. I'm mostly on a raw diet, so it's not me who needs a fridge at home. You inspired me again!
Thanks for your comment. 🥰
Interesting video, thank you, Ann. When you say you have a cool house, what temperature range are you talking about? What are the summer temperatures that change the way you manage your food supply?
Having a cool, stable temperature would certainly make the concept easier. I'm in coastal New Zealand with a Mediterranean climate. My house is wooden, bare rafters (no ceiling) with a tin roof, and uninsulated. The temperatures indoors at any time of year can fluctuate by 13 degrees in 12 hours.
I'm puzzled by your reference to ice and icecream being kept in a fridge. We keep icecream in the freezer (which may be a separate cupboard above or below the fridge compartment, or a completely separate unit), otherwise it goes soft and runny. Ice stays frozen when stored in freezers in New Zealand. I wonder if your reference to "fridge" was inclusive of freezer?
I'm appreciative of your video and also the way that you share ideas - suggestions and curiosity rather than my way or the highway. Our world would flourish with more of that. My husband and I have been living without a fridge for about 4 months, originally out of circumstance but now I like it and I know both taste and digestion are supported by having things either at room temperature or warm. Not all bacteria are bad and my hunch is that there may be a protective effect of having food out of the fridge in terms of pre and/or probiotic bacteria. We will see how the summer goes, it gets really hot and humid here. I'm looking forward to experiments with preservation.
Hi, thanks for your comment - most appreciated.🥰 Good luck with your 'lack of fridge' journey too.
I still use my (small) fridge but I switched off my freezer 18 months ago to save energy. It works well. I‘m canning and drying food.
I have a small chest fridge that I run off of my solar array which I own (been off grid for many years). I turn it off overnight since it holds the cold, and even in warm weather, it keeps everything chilled. In the winter, I just put everything in a cooler on the porch and fridge is off. You really don't need a big fridge for just one person, but I miss endless ice!
Thanks for commenting. So many people miss ice.😂
Very envious of those that can live without a fridge. Summer in the desert in Australia with 48 deg C days means even though I am vegetarian l still need the fridge.
Oh wow! That is hot on a different level! 🌞
There is a video somewhere with Bill Mollison, a permaculture expert, showing a house in Australia with a central area which is fridge temperature by using natural air flow. Not sure how this would compare in the desert area but there are plenty of hot countries with towers which work the same way.
Great video. I live in America where people feel they have to have a refrigerator. I unplugged mine 8 months ago and haven't regretted it. I waisted more food by having one. My dishwasher doesn't work anymore and I will not replace it. My dryer finally quit working and will not replace that either. My big family microwave also quit working. I replaced it with a much smaller one.These were all 20 yrs old and lasted a long time. But I decided not to have those items replaced. I am living a full and happy life without them.
Fantastic and thanks for sharing. I like to challenge the idea that we HAVE to have these things. It's fine to have them if you choose to do so, and we are all in different situations, but many of us don't need them, we've just been told we do. Have a lovely day.
We can put items in a bucket and keep those in the cistern. Works pretty well.
Thank you for sharing this video. I could do without my fridge, but keep the basement freezer. It is new and efficient. Could use the unplugged fridge to house a cool box with ice for milk/cream/butter. Something to consider as the price of electricity rises. Plus the noise wakes me up at night. I would not miss it much....
Thanks for commenting - some good ideas too.👍
Thanks for commenting Diane. Great idea. ❤
People in the Amazon and in Africa live without fridges.
Ha ha😂 I live in America and I don't have a fridge,what for? To spend more electric power?
I conserve in cans, glass bottles, and buy what I need.
Once a month, maybe you think is crazy. And maybe it is. But us think is very cool.😂
Wish I could, but in Arizona, I don't think it is possible.
@@jml238 maybe you can't, is to hot. Arizona is so beautiful, enjoy the beauty and please take care.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I live in South Africa. It gets very hot here in summer and we all have fridges and sometimes even air conditioners.
I live in West Africa. This year most days have reached 35°C. Many of my neighbours have fridges. The ones that don't shop every single day. I don't have time for that.
I lived several years with out a fridge. The house has a "pie cooler" on the north side that had a draw up off a cool creek. There was a transom window on the far, south side, and when it got warm, and you opened that window, it would draw that cool air up thru the cooler and into the kitchen keeping it mild even though it was on the south side
That sounds like a brilliant idea.👍🥰
This was interesting. As I turned my new fridge / freezer on today I noticed the doors even tell you how long things keep for. Im all for a sniff and a look to see if it’s ok but Paul will throw anything past it’s date. It’s so strange how much emphasis is put on dates etc which encourages waste and throwing perfectly good food. Really sad when so many go without.
I think it's crazy Samantha, especially as you say because it leads to lots of unnecessary waste. So much of this stuff is common sense. Look at it, smell it, taste a tiny bit of it. If you're not happy - don't eat it. If you use things up regularly you don't end up with lots of bits and pieces of food 'going off'. When you don't have a fridge you only keep left over food for an extra day - rarely it goes into a third day. We have never in 11 years had any form of food poisoning. (Oh dear I'll probably get ill now!) 🤣
My grandpa told me that in his youth, when people didnt have a refrigerator, they would put a silver dollar into the jug of milk/cream and leave it in a shady spot inside. Silver is a natural and harmless way to kill bacteria, and it prevented it from spoiling in the heat. my family still uses it today to extend the shelf life of dairy even when it's in the fridge, but i would reccomend using a pure silver coin dated before 2012, as that was when they started coating the silver coins to prevent tarnishing
90% silver coins stopped in 1965
before i moved to my new apartment i noticed that i actually only use the fridge to store those cans of olives and cappers that get forgotten and forsaken until they are not longer edible. i don't eat meat and here, where my new apartment is, there is a fish shop with fresh fish next door. so when i moved in, i didn't take the fridge with me. five months in now and i don't really miss it. it is true that there is very little waste like this, and also i am getting more and more curious about fermented foods. i have been brewing water kefir and kombucha, and i have just realised, thanks to your video, that yoghurt doesn't need to be refrigerated, so i might even start making my own yoghurt
Thanks for your interesting comments. 🥰👍
I have started cooking so there’s no leftovers, because my family was not eating the leftovers. Too much waste was accumulating every week! Now our fridge is almost empty! I can completely see how freeing no fridge could be! Thank you for sharing your tips!
Thank you - sounds like you're doing a great job.❤️
@@simplerliving-annalgie thank you, but I came to it out of the necessity to manage 3 children while having adhd. No fridge could be very adhd friendly!
I unplugged my fridge the last two winters and stored my food in the unplugged fridge in the shed. Now I just moved and it's warmer so it's plugged in again. But I really want to unplug it.. because I feel like it would change my diet in a positive way and it saves on money and space and sometimes the buzzing, although I have a small fridge :) People always look at me weird when I say I unplugged it. Same when I said I didn't have a couch (for about a year). And still I want to do it :)
Thanks for your comment. I like the idea of unplugging the fridge but continuing to use it like a cupboard.😂 We did that in our campervan. It's good to do what we want to do regardless of others thinking it's weird.😅
Live your own life and you will have fewer regrets. ;-) I get that look when I tell people (I know) that I only shower once a week. You can wash up without a shower and our ancestors (depending on where they lived) often only bathed annually. I don't think I've ever heard my refrigerator NOT running. I'm constantly checking to see if a door is open.
We have no sofa, no bed (sleeping on an amber and mustard seed filled thin matress on the floor), no washing machine, no car...all by choice and health is better for those choices...now considering ditching the fridges! 😁 Happy days🎉
We rent, hand laundry, fridge is mostly always empty, considering more options. Love your small art too!
Thank you.🥰
Im in Texas .power here, isn't dependable. Great Info. Thank u
I lived in a little hut in the forest for almost a year without anything more than 5V electricity for my lights. Going back to living very off grid, I have a few things that I would do differently. A zeer pot is a real option, but also fresh food, and working with what you have when you have it. And buying locally helps.
This was quite eye-opening! You have inspired me to question even more things...I’ve noticed for a long while how restaurants never refrigerate their catsup/ketchup! Only 1 other person I know questioned that. So much healthier for you, as well. I’m very happy for you & your husband! I’d love to be able to do this, myself! Great job! Love from the US! Thank you, again! ♥️🙌🏼
Thanks Nick for your lovely comment. I really like the idea of us questioning things - nothing major, just thinking for ourselves. Have a great day.🥰
@@simplerliving-annalgiethank you! And have a great evening. 🌜💫✨
When the huz and I got married and started putting together a home, we were so excited to get a nice big fridge and were convinced that it would be necessary for when we had kids. Something that I had come to notice is how much food went to waste. We felt compelled to fill up the fridge with food, even though we simply couldn't eat that much. Years and 2 kids later, we have a fridge less than half the size of our old one and a teeny little freezer beneath. Very very little goes to waste now. We walk or bike to our local shops to get smaller quantities of fresh food more often, so we're more aware of what's in the fridge and less likely to forget about something.
Thank you for commenting - it works fine if you're near enough to shops - we're lucky having a general store type shop 10 minutes walk away. I agree that fridges can lead to more waste sometimes. 🥰
Neat perspective but also while you don't have a fridge you are relying on the stores fridge so you can buy the small amounts of things every day that do require cold temps. So the dependence is still there, just a step further away.
Thanks for commenting. I take your point. The things I buy from the shop fridge are yoghurt, cheese and butter. It would be possible to live without these If necessary, but I enjoy them. 🥰 I suppose it's one less fridge manufactured and using electricity and there's something nice about walking to our local shop and seeing people. I realise from all the comments what different situations we all live in, both in terms of location and our families. I had a fridge when my children were young and freezers can be great for storing garden produce. I just think it's all gone a bit crazy in terms of the size and number of fridges and freezers we have these days. I might make an update video. Thanks again. 👍🥰
@@simplerliving-annalgie Have you looked into mesophilic yogurts? You can make these yourself at room temp and they would be better suited to room temp storage as the bacteria would only strengthen vs weaken like the thermophilic varieties sold at the store 😊
@@sheisofthewoods No, I haven't but it sounds like a great idea. I have a friend who was making a huge amount of natural yoghurt the other day - not sure if this is the same thing, but I'll look into it 'cos I love natural yoghurt and greek yoghurt. I've never experienced any problems with them up to now though. thanks.
I once had a fridge. But as a single person there wasn’t much in it. Then it stopped working. Big worry about landfill! Then spent about 10 years without a fridge - and living in central London, I was constantly going to the shops and throwing milk away.
Now I just have a small fridge - and honestly for my life, it really helps - in the end, I think it does save time and money.
I might switch it off over winter - but not in warmer times.
Think that is the best solution for me!
Sounds great 👍
I hated the noise, and it gave off a gas smell. You're right.compodting is great.
A lot of people don't like the noise of fridges. I think the modern ones are probably better. 🥰
My mum had a cold slab in the pantry to keep things cold.in summer a earthenware vessel filled with cold water had the milk bottles keeping cold, and a mesh doored cupboard called a meat safe to keep flies off.xxxxx🐝🐝🇬🇧🇬🇧🐝
Yes, it does not have to be complicated. There are many places where people don't have fridges and like you say some of our parents and certainly grandparents didn't have them.
My gran used a terracotta milk cooler for her milk, she didn't have a fridge and was able to manage quite well. 😊👍
I have not had a fridge since 2016, so around 8 years now. I live in a small wooden house, so there is no real cool space when it is hot in summer. But especially since I turned to be vegan, nearly everything I buy/eat keeps long enough before it is consumed. Only on some really hot summer days does it happen that the rest of the 1 l oat milk goes bad. But it does not happen often. And I also do as you mentioned, only open one jar of jam and finish it before opening another one. Honey keeps forever. I cook every two days, most meals are ok for at least 48 hours. In winter I keep many things cool in a box outside (well closed so that the racoon does not get to it), One of the results is that I only use 2 kWh per week = around 104 kWh per year. Saves a lot of money compared to the average 2400 kWh/person/year in Germany.
Wow, thanks for sharing,. Your place sounds great too. 🥰
In such a happy state chatting with us about this. Vegetarian helps.
Covering your butter or margarine with a wet cloth will keep it nice and cool even in the summer.
And this trick works for many things.
Great idea. Thanks.
Hi! Just found you! You popped up in my suggestions. Loved your video and will admit to having binge watched a few more! I have subscribed and am looking forward to watching more. I’ve never quilted but always wanted to, but thought you needed a sewing machine! I’m Mo from Lincolnshire U.K. xx
Hi Mo, lovely to 'meet' you. Quilting/patchwork is so relaxing and easy. You can do it with a machine, but I enjoy doing it by hand. (Slow, but enjoyable 😊).
Just think of all those beautiful historic quilts that were made by hand - no sewing machine!
im prepping with that plan in mind. having come from CA where it is common to shut off the power over any little thing.
my mother grew up as a farm woman in the depression. they canned their meats and veggies. and yes it would be a savings... and a consistency.
as government plays games with us.
@@carollynt I lived there until 66.yrs. never in my life until the last few years did I see it turned off for "winds". and my last 10 years in CA I worked grocery stores.
the level of food destruction and loss was a regular hit. every few months.
when i lived in a studio the fridge made so much noise. I unplugged it and had to carefully fight the mold that tried to form in the freezer.
This seems almost impossible to do living in rural Florida in a manufactured home! It's sweltering without AC and the stores are a 20+ minute drive.
This is fantastic, though! Great lifestyle choice ❤😊
Thanks for your comment, yes it works for us, but I know it's not for everyone. Have a nice day. 🥰
@@simplerliving-annalgie I wish I could be without these appliances! Maybe one day!
We dont have electric or water on our property. The one and only solar panel quit working. No fridge here. Yes i know about the things you mentioned as not needing a fridge. I use powdered milk also. I buy a whole milk powder and it is awesome in taste. It can be done. We have two 55 gallon water barrels that a friend fills for us. We dont have a vehicle either.
You csn use a french butter crock to keep butter on the bench, if you use too much cold water the butter is hard like it came out of the fridge even on a warm day
What great timing! I'm about to venture out in my own van without a fridge very soon! (I love your channel story!) I've done so before, but with all the vanlifers who have nice refrigerators and even freezers on UA-cam, it seems more like a necessity than it really is.
I'm constantly amazed at how terrified younger generations are with the very idea of eating or drinking anything - including factory canned goods - beyond it's "best by" date. This is just another invention to generate more sales from the unaware.
You nailed it with the "look, smell, and taste test." With canned goods I would include any rust or expanded cans but basically your senses will tell you if it's gone bad. Fermented foods have traditionally been used to extend the shelf life of foods forever but if they aren't currently trending, young people largely are unaware of their existence at all. Sour cream and yogurt are both examples of deliberately soured milk products that nobody thinks twice about eating - unless it's "expired." I have eaten yogurt that was "expired" two years ago and it looked and tasted as if it were fresh.
Root cellars were the norm not so long ago, and that was the long term food storage / refrigeration option, even though it wasn't as cold as a refrigerator.
Thanks for your great comment. There's so much useful information in here. Enjoy your travels!🌻☀️
Im a 5 year vanlifer. No fridge. I buy and eat differently from summer to winter. Winter I consider my whole car a fridge😂
Thanks for your really interesting comments. Good luck with your adventure.🥰
Sorry, just realised I've replied twice!😂
I got food poisoning from yogurt which was past expiry date. Never again.
I grew up without a fridge, but I think many houses aren’t suitable for doing so now. It was a tiny house, but it had a little pantry in the coolest place. We had a small meat safe in there too. There was no option for multiple shopping trips as we were rural. You can keep milk cool using a terracotta milk cooler.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I think these old thick walled stone houses work quite well at remaining relatively cool downstairs in summer. 👍🥰
One prepped channel suggests turning your refer off at night to save on the electric bill. That one has never had spoilage because of that. I want to try that this summer once i clean mine out thoroughly.😂
Thanks for your comment. Cleaning fridges seems to be another thing many people don't enjoy doing.
I live in France too and have just a few solar panels for lighting and recharging electronics. I have a 12v cool box but only turn it on when its really hot. If I want a cool drink I've usually got some bottles and cans sitting in a bucket of cold water in a cool spot. 😁
Sounds great, thank you for commenting.👍🥰
In India, we cannot do without a fridges, like temperature in summers is 47°C>, and in winters it's roughly 30°C.
But we try, vegetables, like potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, onions, can stay out for a week. Rest all leafy needs refrigerator. We barely use freezer, only for ice cream or cold water, we get fresh beef, chicken and fish, that is finished in a day, if needed then stored in freezer for a day or 2. Rest everything is bought fresh and consumed same day.
Thanks for your comment - sounds like you do amazingly well in such high temperatures. 🥰
Makes sense, specially the price of groceries,my fridge stays almost empty anyways
In Russian villages many elders still live without fridges, to this day, and manage just fine.
The way they can still manage it is : their own gardens/ chickens to eat fresh from, cold cellar to store fermented food for the off season, and fresh bakery/ small store of a walking distance, where you can buy things everyday if you needed to...
In many many "developed" places those things are " luxury" at this point unfortunately ( personal gardens, well suited houses, and a food store down the road..)
Thanks for commenting. Isn't it interesting how modern life has made some of the basic things luxuries or difficult to access.really interesting comment. 👍
I live off grid and we do not use refrigeration. I feel that it is Just to risking, If for some reason you lose powor your freezer goes out, you will lose all that food. I'm just not willing to take that chance. So when I have excess meat, I slow smoke Ito preserve it and I've never had it. Go bad. And sometimes I will can't like I do my access vegetables from the garden.
Thanks for your comment. It can be expensive if the power goes off and I think most people know someone it has happened to - like you say that's more of a risk with freezers.🥰
What is your method for slow smoking??
@lisaball2760 It's very simple.I do everything the primitive way, I built a small smokehouse using blocks. Make sure it's tall eto where the heat to your food. But the smoke does and let the smoke cook. It also also, it's very important that you choose the proper wood. I personally I'd like to use oakwood because it is abundant, Also If I can find it I'd love using Citrus tree wood and Pecan tree wood. It also helps a lot if you salt the meat To pull the moisture out Of the meat. Ask for me as a prepper.I noticed that most preppers do not put enough salt back. You need to have a lot of salt put back
For hard times.
I have a small fridge. Like a British style that fits under the counter. A lot of people don't understand it. I can't put in 3 or 4 months of food, but, I'm not going to be GETTING 3 or 4 months of food at a time, anyway.
Thanks for your comment. It seems to make sense.🥰
Thank you ❤
You're welcome 😊
sweet! love it!
Some farm people in Pa., had spring houses.
This has convinced me I don’t need a fridge.
Hi Sarah, hope it works for you - it will be interesting to give it a try - just switch the fridge off and see how it goes. You may find you only need it for a few weeks in the summer. I find here that there are about 6 weeks in the middle of summer each year where it crosses my mind that maybe I should have a fridge after all, but before I know it we're into cooler weather again. Enjoy the challenge and let me know how you get on.
We didn't have a fridge or electricity when we lived in a tent during the hottest summer in recorded history. We're vegetarian but don't even eat dairy or eggs. We kept fresh veg in a basket covered with a cotton cloth in the shade. We have one now, but don't really need it. Cold drinks and ice hurt my teeth so that's also not a consideration. We tend to eat from the garden and cook legumes and whole grains in quantities needed for specific meals.
You could get an old fashioned ice box too.
Without me wanting to, I have lived without a fridge for over a week more than once (thank you Texas electrical grid). In the environment I live in, refrigeration is necessary to keep certain medications cool, as well as to keep other things that are normally shelf stable from spoiling quickly (like bread). There is no place to keep things cool 10 months out of the year like a root cellar where I live (we are too close to the water table). Medications are my biggest concern.
Thanks for sharing. 😊
I don't have a frig, haven't had one for near a year. Like u i buy small quantities of milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese & use it up in a day or two. Dry cheese like parmesan lasts for a long time outside a frig. I have a garden & i also forage for plant food to here in NE Texas. Its been working out fine. And i can always go out to eat if i like for something different.
Thanks for commenting. Parmesan - that's a good idea.👍
Hi, we haven’t had a fridge for 3 years after our, second hand, fridge freezer started leaking everywhere. We dragged it out of the house and when I looked at all the engineering on the back of it, I thought it was ridiculous and not necessary for us as we are vegan. So that was that and we have not missed it at all. So nice not to have fridge noise. We live close to shops so I can shop every day if I want to. Hummus keeps for several days, plant butter and cheese the same. We use powdered oat milk which is fab. Tofu is fine for a couple of days. We keep our veg in a ceramic crock pot. If we have leftovers, they are kept outside in the, usually, cool weather and eaten the next day after being heated up properly. I don’t keep leftover rice so I make sure not to cook too much. I accept that it is easier for us being vegan, but my grandparents didn’t have a fridge until they were 42 yrs old and they were ok. It’s good to question what consumer society tells us what we should have.
Great comments - thanks.🥰
Interesting.
We use our fridge and freezer. We consume what we purchase because we purchase only what we will consume.
We lived in an underdeveloped country for a few years and had no steady electricity, so our fridge was not used. We shopped daily for our food at a local market.
It's easy to adapt when you have an open mind and are flexible.
It benefits humans to learn to live in abundance and also in scarcity since we never know when our circumstances may change. I think Covid was a good example...as are natural disasters around the world.
Thank you for your vlog.
Hi, thanks for your great comment. I agree about the importance of adaptability - COVID showed us how quickly things can change even in a developed country.
It's always an option for some occasions to use a cooler and ice.
Ive manage 2 and a half years now without a fridge and I've saved a lot in my ekectric bill,its also been psrt if my grid down technics 👍🤗🙏💖🇬🇧
Brilliant 👍🥰
@@simplerliving-annalgie 💖
Texas is almost impossible to live without a Fridge uggg.. its so hot but you can use Ghee for Butter and it can be done ... Love your video Thanks for sharing..
Thanks 🥰