Lockdown experience

I live in India. I belong to a middle class family with a decent take home pay. I work in IT hence I still have a job because I have the option to work from home.

Today is the 12th day of 21 day long lockdown across India. I tried few changes in my life during this period to adapt better with this and to ensure I reduce my consumption thereby reducing my need to hoard items off the shelf and ensure others also get the essential items. I made the following changes:

1. I skip lunch everyday: Since I don’t have to drive to office now a days, I wake up an hour later than my usual time. This ensures I have a late breakfast. By 3 pm if I feel hungry, I eat a fruit such as a banana, half a musk melon or an orange. I satiate my false hunger by consuming plenty of water. By 6:30 pm I have my dinner. This way I consume less food, thereby I buy less of fruits, vegetables and groceries, so that others also get to buy them. Bonus: I lost 1 Kg in last 10 days.
2. I take a bath once in two days: Clearly reduces the use of bathing soap, shampoo and washing powder. It also reduces consumption of electricity and water. I plan the days I have bath with the days I have to step out to buy essential items for the house, since it is safe and a good practice to take a bath and wash yourself thoroughly after coming from outside. Moreover, I have started liking the work from home arrangement because I can leisurely take bath in the afternoon without being in a rush to leave for office.
3. I have been wearing old clothes: Since I do not need to meet anyone outside my house, I have been wearing all old clothes to wear them out and save decent presentable clothes for wearing outside after the threat of the coronavirus is over. This should delay my purchasing new clothes for a long time.

In all the three points above, I also save some money. Since I don’t have to commute, I also save on petrol cost. In today’s uncertain times when most of the industries have come to a halt and production of essential items for the future is uncertain, it becomes essential to use what we have judiciously and reduce our expenses in today’s times of job uncertainty.