Getting down to ZERO

For general/other topics related to tea.


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Jul 27th, '13, 17:51
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Getting down to ZERO

by bambooforest » Jul 27th, '13, 17:51

Right now I'm trying to pretty much enjoy all my tea until I purchase any more tea.

I think we tea drinkers often tend to BUY BUY BUY, never finishing all we have, constantly having large reserves. Nothing wrong with this, but it's a practice I'd like to reduce.

In the future I want to be laser focused with every purchase I make, striving to fulfill maximum bliss, just buying a moderate portion at a time. For example, instead of buying tons of various teas from a vendor, reducing that number to just a few that my heart really desires at the time.

Has anyone ever got down to ZERO? That is, pretty much enjoying all your tea until you buy more tea to enjoy?

I dislike the phrase "getting through tea" because it suggests that consuming tea becomes a chore instead of an endeavor to create more bliss.

So who's gotten down to ZEROOOOOOOO

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Jul 27th, '13, 18:07
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by AdamMY » Jul 27th, '13, 18:07

While it certainly is a noble endeavor, there are reasons why people tend to build up some reserves.

1. If you get down to zero before you order more tea, you are forcing yourself to go several days if not weeks without any tea.

2. Variety, if you are the type of person that only drinks one type of tea, this is likely not an issue. But for us for lack of a word omni-teaists it is hard ( read near impossible) for find a single vendor that does many different types of tea better than average, and I am pretty sure there is not a single vendor that does all types of tea even average. So why not stagger orders slightly and replace gaoshan when they are running low, and Japanese teas when they are getting low, etc...

3. Sometimes you just buy a bad tea. I think (besides puerh people) this is the number one reason for building up excess tea stock. Even just 50 grams of bad tea can feel like a chore to drink, actually causing you to prolong the time until you order more tea if you wait to go to zero, because you will starting asking things like "Do I want to have some horrible tea,or do _______ instead?" The more you need to ask that question the more likely you will skip drinking tea.

In fact I did not place a tea order this month, and I likely will not next month either because my tea drinking is way down, but I have a lot of good teas that I want to drink, to reduce my stock, before I even think of ordering more.

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Jul 27th, '13, 19:10
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by bambooforest » Jul 27th, '13, 19:10

1. Agreed, which is why I qualified my statement with "pretty much" down to zero. In fact, within the context of this endeavor, I have a 150 gram can of competition dong ding that I plan on saving and opening for when I'll enjoy it most: Winter.

2. I still plan on purchasing tea from various vendors; I just probably won't ever have the same quantity I used to have on hand. For example, when purchasing Japanese green tea, instead of buying everything I'm curious about, I'll limit my purchases to what's making me the most curious at the time. Then in my next order I'll try some other ones. I believe both getting close to zero and never approaching zero both have some advantages and disadvantages. One must find what gives them more bliss. One reason I want to keep less tea around is because it's felt a little too cluttered for me.

3. I think it's inevitable that we all have to make tea "sacrifices" to find out what we like and what vendors have the best examples of what we like. You're right, this is a major reason that we tend to have lots of reserves on hand. It's perfectly legitimate. And even if it's not bad tea, sometimes you just get tired of the teas you've been drinking and then you want to buy more tea to take a break from the teas you've been drinking for a while. Or you see some opportunities to buy new and special teas and know that they may sell out and so you buy them and keep them on hand. This process repeats itself and before you know it you're standing knee deep in cha.

And sometimes I do feel like a certain tea is a "chore," but I dislike that so I try to focus on the positive of the tea.

It's all good though. Many paths that lead to tea bliss.

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Jul 27th, '13, 19:20
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by debunix » Jul 27th, '13, 19:20

Where it really makes a difference is in teas that lose freshness with time, and for those, getting down to the nubbins is the way to go. I've cut way back on my green tea purchases, and greener oolongs, but don't worry so much about stocking up on wuyi and other deeply roasted oolongs and puerhs.

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Jul 27th, '13, 19:57
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by Chip » Jul 27th, '13, 19:57

IMHO ...

I do not see how one can laser focus each and every purchase without either giving up on the adventure of trying new teas or just buying what has been pleasing in the past. I am not willing to give up on the adventure aspect of stepping out and trying new teas and vendors, nor am I willing to buy only based upon past experience which has not proven to be a reliable way to procure teas anyway as the "same tea" can present its own set of variables.

Some of my biggest disappointments have been in rebuying a tea that really pleased me only to have the rebuy turn out to be something quite different and not as good. Past experience does not guarantee future results/successes.

It seems to me personally that this laser focus places an incredible amount of pressure on the selection process based upon perhaps unrealistic set of expectations.

I am all for finishing whatever greens are on hand, but not so focused on absolutely finishing every tea prior to replentishing.

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Jul 27th, '13, 20:17
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by bambooforest » Jul 27th, '13, 20:17

"Laser focused" doesn't mean giving up on the adventure of trying new teas. It just means being careful with the teas you purchase. Like, for example, possibly doing a little research on the vendor and getting other people's opinions first. I think you're reading too much into what I said.

Further, you're probably already more careful than I am. I have been known to be too rash in my purchases so me getting a bit laser focused is just making the effort to think a little more than I have in the past before I purchase.

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Jul 27th, '13, 23:10
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by Poohblah » Jul 27th, '13, 23:10

It's happened to me on a few occasions when my tea budget runs dry or I don't find anything that whets my appetite for a while. Though the more variety of tea I try, the less likely it is for the second thing to happen, and it's certainly been a couple years since the last time that happened.

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Jul 28th, '13, 14:09
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by donaldosborne » Jul 28th, '13, 14:09

It's good have backup, I don't imagine situation when I have last leaf/last tea bag in my kitchen... This would be dramatic.

Aug 30th, '13, 10:11
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by theredbaron » Aug 30th, '13, 10:11

Before the internet, and internet based stores, there were many times i got down do zero. Good teas were often very difficult to get, and getting them involved a fair amount of traveling.
But visiting the tea stores in places like KL was arriving in paradise.

Now you can't really run out of tea anymore - a few clicks on the net, and you'll get good tea. Some teas are maybe still be almost impossible to get, like high grade Yancha, but there are tons of drinkable tea available.

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Aug 30th, '13, 11:16
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Re: Getting down to ZERO

by MEversbergII » Aug 30th, '13, 11:16

I'm in the process of zeroing out my stock. I'm moving this weekend and between all the different expenses and crappy roomates I've been pretty strapped. I could order some this weekend, but I think I'm only going to snag some more stock for work and focus on getting down near zero before I buy some more.

M.

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