You know you’re a Non-Consumer when . . .
- You fix yourself a snack that includes the last of three different boxes of cereal.
- You get more excited about a free pile than the Nordstrom Half-Yearly sale.
- You know your branch’s library hours by heart.
- You think nothing of mending, even though your friends think it’s weird.
- You take pride in your awesome leftover containers.
- You get excited by pennies on the ground, and overly excited about quarters.
- Your home is furnished with other people’s discards, and it looks awesome.
- You gladly accept hand-me-downs from family, friends, co-workers, neighbors.
- You throw on a sweater instead on turning up the heat.
- You consider a canning jar to be the quintessential perfect object.
- You take pride in how old your clothing is.
- You home is peppered with clothing racks in the winter and you think your summer backyard clothesline looks cute.
- You get super excited to learn new frugality tricks.
- You think store bought wrapping paper is a waste of money.
- You eat out infrequently enough that it’s a wonderful treat when you do.
- You read Non-Consumer Advocate.
Okay, what did I miss?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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I like seeing how everyone is happily frugal and non-wasteful. I am not a “non-consumer” but I do think hard about all of my purchases. I have an addiction to “free stuff” which I am trying to overcome but it is so hard to leave perfectly useable items on the side of the road waiting for trash day. I am always driving by thinking, “I could use that for….” And, don’t worry, here in our neighborhood it is perfectly acceptable to pick up from the street – we all take our things out the day before trash day just so everyone can have a look. I do try to donate useable items to Boy Scout yard sales and the like so I don’t keep everything I see. But one day when I have more free time, I hope to start a business reclaiming these items and upcyling them into different but more useable things. It just kills me to know perfectly good materials are going to the landfill just because someone is suddenly tired of them.
I didn’t see this one- you rework leftovers into a “fancy” dinner and serve it to company. Also, I’ve really been wanting a new food processor since my $5 yard sale model broke last year. ( in the meantime, my kids have had fun helping me slice, dice and grate). I recently found a brand new 2 part set, new in the box, at Goodwill. Together, they cost $15 so I was a little reluctant. Until I Googled them and realized they retail for around $600. So, yes, I did buy them. I put them on Craigslist (a cheapskates’ eBay) on Friday and they were sold by 10 a.m. on Saturday. AND a friend told mw she had an extra FP in her shed that she would give me. Winning all around.
You know (at least I do) what is on sale what days at the thrift stores…senior day, half price Wednesdays, etc.
You know you are a Non-Consumer when…
–You have a large VHS collection that you still watch on your old, but still very functional, 32″ Sony Trinitron TV you bought over 15 years ago.
–You don’t have Internet at home (you use the library or free Wi-Fi spots for that).
–You don’t have cable or satellite TV.
–Your cell phone was a hot item in 2007, but you bought it used 3 years ago for $25 and it still works just fine.
–Your laptop is 7 years old and will keep using it for as long as possible.
–Your local library feels like a second home.
–You get excited about going to thrift stores and aren’t sad when you don’t buy anything because you got exercise and entertainment – for free!
–You spend time taking the wires out of an electric blanket you got as a gift that no longer works so you can keep using the blanket.
–Your family gets a kick out of how excited you are to get their thrift store gifts for Christmas.
You know you are a non-consumer when
you have an old 27 inch television and you have to hit it occasionally to see the picture and hear the sound at the same time, but its alright until it dies.
you shop at the thrift store but don’t buy until the half off sale because the regular prices seem too high.
You haven’t had cable for the last 17 years
Your cell phone cost less than $10 a month.
I believe I meet your definition of a “non-consumer”. So how come I feel like I spend sooooo much money buying soooo much stuff?
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