Recently our microwave oven died. Now I am the sort of person who likes to fix things. Strangely, my first thought was 'get another one'. I knew that they are inexpensive - under £40.00 in fact, so I went out that very morning, and bought another one - for just less than £40.00.
The broken one is now sitting in my garage waiting for a visit to the dump (sorry, 'Recycling Centre'). 'Free-cycle it' I hear you cry - but, along with the several CRT television sets and piles of videos that I offered, no-one wants it. Despite my best efforts, am I being turned into a true 'consumer'? I hate that term - makes me think of The Prisoner "I am not a consumer, I am a free man!" maybe that's not true. I did make one big sacrifice this year. I got rid of my car and haven't replaced it. We are now a one car family. I can't say that I don't miss it. I did have it for ten years after all. Quite hard to just say goodbye to something that has been a daily part of your life for that long.
