The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. We had our youngest over for dinner last night and I was able to pull together a comfort meal using what we had on hand. I’d already pulled a package of bratwurst from the freezer, (from this Winco trip) and my plan was to whip up mashed potatoes for a “bangers and mash” meal. Unfortunately we had fewer potatoes than I realized, so I chopped and sautéed half a cabbage to expand them into colcannon.

   I also had frozen hoagie rolls from the Franz outlet, ($1 “bargain wall” on the first Saturday of the month!) as well as a half bag of frozen peas to round things out.

   Make it do baby, make it do!

2. I still haven’t found my beloved thrifted Land’s End jacket, but I contacted the Seattle hotel where my husband and I stayed last May, thinking that’s possibly the last time I wore a coat. They directed me to a website called I Left My Stuff.com, which manages lost and founds for both hotels and businesses. I put in a request for my coat, which is likely a fruitless effort. However, I’ve got nothing to lose by expanding my net.

3. My daughter ordered a number of things for her Halloween costume, which arrived at the house. (Her apartment complex doesn’t have a safe spot for packages to sit all day while she’s at work.) I unboxed a couple of her items as I’ll be able to reuse the packaging for eBay sales. I’m always able to scrounge enough bubble mailers and such this way.

   What am I, a Rockefeller?

4. My husband and I are finally on the 15th and last season of ER, which we mooch watch through my mother’s HBO account. The characters we care about are all gone at this point, but I’m no quitter!

   

5. I replaced the rubber belt on my 24-year-old vacuum cleaner, using the last belt from a two-pack I bought a couple years ago. (I’m especially proud that I knew where the belt was stored.) This keeps a functional household item in circulation, instead of being an opportunity to get a fashionable vacuum cleaner.

   Aside — remember when I fixed up the “Union Jack” curbside table in 2012? It’s still in use.

Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. I had a a big package of bone-in chicken thighs on the verge of crossing over to the dark side. (From last week’s Winco trip.) My idea had been to marinate and bake the chicken, but I didn’t possess the mental energy to follow through with this plan. Instead I plopped them into my Instant Pot with water and made a yuuge pot of chicken noodle soup. Was it the best soup I’ve ever made? No, but it still hit the spot!

   Perfect to accompany our atmospheric river.

2. My extra-large heating pad stopped working, so I went onto eBay and found a “new” one for $21.31,* including shipping. Amazon sells them for $37 before shipping, so I feel financially savvy with this purchase. I love cozying up under a heating pad once chilly weather kicks in, as it allows me to heat myself, not the entire house!

   Plus I’m supporting an individual, not Schmeff Schmezos and his Amazon industrial complex!

3. I put together three groupings of vintage marbles for eBay. Listed each for $24, which isn’t an impressive number, but would still be a decent profit considering that I paid $10 for the full bag.

   Keep in mind that all profits are imaginary until they actually sell.

   

4. I used a black velour shirt as the photo background for my marble photos. Make it do, bay-bee!

5. My youngest treated me to a Taco Bell bean burrito and I requested extra hot sauces. Reader, the employee probably threw an extra thirty sauce packets into that bag! I added a half dozen or so to a batch of enchiladas and will continue enjoying them for a good long while. 

   Oddly, there were no napkins, although that’s an acceptable exchange.

Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

{ 37 comments }

In a world where there are 63.3 mugs per person, this PDX Sidewalk Joy mug exchange is a perfect way for people to scratch that “new mug” itch without prompting unnecessary manufacture or expense. 

Three of these mugs are from my mother’s house, where they sat waiting to be listed on her Buy Nothing group. Instead, they’re now available to one and all.

Portland may currently be in the news cycle for false accusations of being a war zone, but really, this is us in a nutshell. Whimsical, probably a bit scrappy and willing to share our excess.

I might need to do another round of decluttering to see if I also have extra mugs!

Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. I took fifteen minutes out of my day and got a free updated Covid-19 vaccine booster at CVS. I was given a $10-off-$20 coupon, but was in the mood to pay it forward, so I gave it to someone who was checking out.

2. I went over to my daughter’s apartment and helped her spruce it up, making it as cute as possible as she’s looking for a prospective new roommate. Didn’t cost us anything more than an hour or so of elbow grease.

3. I walked all our clamshell plastics recycling over to New Season’s Market. (Like Whole Foods, but pseudo-local/actually owned by a South Korean conglomerate.) A lot of people in my neighborhood pay for Ridwell, which is a $20/month recycling service, but I’ve figured out all the free recycling hacks for what the city doesn’t take with curbside pickup.  Like IKEA for light bulbs and Goodwill for electronics.

4. I didn’t buy a four-pack of lime & salt “Non-Alcoholic Spritz,” which was on sale for $22.99! Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a “non-alcoholic spritz” just code for flavored seltzer?! 

5. I made this viral Instagram recipe for parmesan baked potatoes, which was rather delicious. I recently picked up a 10-pound bag of potatoes for $3.68, so it was perfect timing.

Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

{ 63 comments }

1. I bought a packet of Trader Joe’s frozen puff pastry a couple weeks ago and then forgot about it. Until two nights ago, when I was able to quickly assemble a batch of fresh warm Danishes, using sale bought cream cheese and leftover cranberry sauce. 100% a hit, so I made a second batch for my husband and I to nosh on while watching the Mariner’s vs the Blue Jays baseball game. Perfection!

2. I didn’t scroll Amazon to scout falsely inflated Big Deal Days bargains, but did buy a knockoff replacement battery for my Eufy robot vacuum a couple days later. I end up buying something from Amazon maybe twice a year and this was one of those times. Hardly an impulse purchase.

3. I came home to an amazing smell, which turned out to be my husband cooking up this Instagram pasta recipe. We already had the ingredients on hand, (thanks to my recent Winco trip!) and it was the loveliest thing to come home to a flavorful warm meal. I’d never wish for my husband to be hit by a car, but it is kind of nice to have him at home.

   

4. I cannot for the life of me find my Land’s End fleece lined raincoat, (see above!) which I thrifted a few years ago at the Goodwill Outlet bins. It’s driving me crazy, as it’s the best coat I’ve ever owned and fits me perfectly. I’m not one to lose my belongings, which makes this extra frustrating. I’ll hold off on replacing the coat as long as I can, but damn . . . it’s a kick in the guts!

5. I didn’t ride in the Portland Emergency Naked Bike Ride, but I could’ve as I do hold hatred with using Federal troops against our own citizens and already own the correct outfit. 

Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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