The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption

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I was at my friend Kanishka’s place the other day, when I pulled out a Ziploc bag from my bag. Here’s a more or less faithful transcript of the conversation it triggered off –

Kanishka: Why are you carrying around sandwiches in a plastic bag?

Gaurav: Ah! Haven’t I told you that I’m off consumption for a year?

Kanishka: (chuckles) I bet you won’t be able to spend a month without consuming alcohol! But what is the connection between not consuming alcohol and carrying around sandwiches?

Gaurav: (smiles) Actually, I’m off consumption in the sense that I’m not buying anything for a year; well, anything that’s not a necessity anyways. Which means no eating out, no going out for movies or plays, no shopping, and no maidservant. So, whenever I go out, I carry some sandwiches with me, in case I get hungry.

Kanishka: (concerned) But why have you gone off consumption? Why didn’t you tell me you had financial problems?

Gaurav: (laughs) No, no, I’m not broke! It’s a year long experiment to understand why we choose to consume, or not. I’m even writing a book about it. It’s online; you should check it out sometime.

Kanishka: (confused) But, why would you go off consumption if you don’t have financial problems? Surely, at least part of it would be about saving money?

Gaurav: No, no, not at all. In fact, I’m spending money on a Google AdWords campaign to promote the book.

Kanishka: (even more confused) But still…

Gaurav: Actually, if I did have financial problems, I probably wouldn’t have been able to turn my frugality into a public performance. Only because I feel secure, in terms of both money and status, I can be confident enough to do it.

Kanishka: (distracted) Okay, what sandwiches are these? I’ll take one.

Gaurav: Ah! These are my favorite cheese-capsicum-banana sandwiches. Here, take one. (offers a sandwich)

Kanishka: (makes a face) How can you eat cheese-capsicum-banana sandwiches! (still distracted) Did you lose a lot of money in the stock market crash?

Gaurav: (sighs)