We might not be famous. Or rich. Or even particularly interesting. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to be in rehab, just like so many of those Hollywood (sorta) stars. Our rehab, however, involves a consumer detox. As in, no spending money on useless crap. As in, no buying anything that isn’t vital to our survival. If necessary, we can barter, beg or borrow for anything we need (which I already did – thank-you to those who answered my SOS for glue sticks for my children’s back-to-school arsenal). So far, I’ve gone 9 days without aspartame (I haven’t bought any Diet Pepsi) and ju jubes (nary a one has passed my lips) – both of which I rely on to get me through the lonely, nap-inducing days of a freelance writer. My husband has used up all the remaining money on his Starbucks gift card and has resorted to brewing his own. My five-year-old is taking matters into her own hands and has requested her own credit card. And I, noting that our wine cellar in suspiciously devoid of red, am seriously considering stomping my own grapes.
Why are we doing this? It’s one of those “seemed like a good idea at the time” notions that I frequently enthuse about. I get so disgusted with the mindless consumerism and despairing for the toll it’s taking on the planet. I pitched the idea to editors at Canadian Living magazine, who succumbed to my enthusiasm and have asked me to write about it for an upcoming issue.
So far, I’ve learned that even I, who take great pride in NOT buying whole heaps of Made in China stuff that I don’t need, purchase more than I realize. I’ve learned that there’s a HUGE difference between needing something and wanting something. But, with 20 days left in our detox, I’ve learned mostly that I don’t like white wine…even with nothing else in the house.