The Non-Consumer Advocate

My husband, son and I drove down to Ashland, Oregon for our daughter’s college graduation. (Update: our oldest has transitioned to female and uses she/her pronouns.) We’re extremely proud of her accomplishments and so excited to cheer her on in person. There’s nothing frugal about putting someone through college, but our frugal choices made it possible to see her through college without student loans.

She’s taking two last classes this summer to complete her requirements, but they still let her walk in the graduation ceremony.

I took a stroll past the dorm room dumpsters, (as well as my daughter’s apartment dumpster) to peruse the merchandise.

I found:

– A boxed pre-lit artificial Christmas tree.
– A fancy thermal coffee maker.
– A crock pot.
– A pair of Nike sneakers.
– Notebooks, pens, files.
– Three snap-top glass containers.
– A Pokemon hoodie.
– A sealed pack of gum.
– Two skirts, two T-shirts, a dress shirt and a pair of jeans (Mostly in my size.)
– Sealed plastic plastic food containers.
– One shower shelf and one over-the-door hook thingamabob.

Ashland is home to the world famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, but their amazing theater productions don’t fit in our current budget. (Tickets run $44 – $110 apiece.) Instead we enjoyed one of the free Green Show performances that run daily from June through October.  Am I sad that we’re currently unable to afford such an luxury? No, I’m just happy to have the circumstance to sit outdoors and listen to a free musical concert.

We indulged in a few wonderful restaurant meals while in Ashland, but ate $1.50 Costco hot dogs while stopped for cheap gasoline in Roseburg, Oregon. I cannot stress strongly enough how extreme frugality allows for money to be available for the things that actually matter.

For those who may be visiting Ashland, I highly recommend the Morning Glory Café, which serves the most delicious brunches in southern Oregon. (Just writing about them makes my mouth water.) Needless to say, I consider them to be a worthwhile indulgence.

My son found $13.53 of coins outside a dorm on his campus, (click HERE to see the proof!) we were so stuffed from our Morning Glory brunch that we didn’t stop for food while driving back to Portland, I sold a thrifted lawn mower, a pair of gardening boots and a guitar case, I read a book I already owned (Ursula LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness) and then renewed my library books, our neighbor took care of our cats for free, (a reciprocal agreement) I used my AARP discount at the motel and I remembered to turn our hot water heater down while we were away.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky.

I drove to Costco to pick up a few things, including a tank of gasoline. My husband had let our minivan gas drain down to a dangerous level, and I gotta say that I was a bit nervous driving across town on an almost empty tank. I could have filled up at a gas station near the house, but since Costco’s gasoline is consistently priced 40¢-per-gallon less than regular stations, I saved $7.60 with this gamble. I did go into the store for coffee beans and frozen blueberries, but you know that I snagged enough food samples to count as lunch.

My son is home from school for the summer, and I have a tendency to spoil him rotten with restaurant meals and treats galore. (MY BABY!!) The two of us were readying for an afternoon out and about, so I made sure to fill our bellies with food from home before we headed out into the world. Sure, I bought him a $1.25 donut from the locally owned Helen Bernhard Bakery, but that was a much lower expenditure than an entire meal for two.

My husband, younger son and I will be driving down for our oldest’s college graduation this week. We’ll be splurging on nice restaurant meals and a decent motel, but that’s only because we scrimp in the unimportant areas so that money is available for the stuff that does matter. And without the burden of student loans, our graduate will hopefully be set up for a sound financial future.

I bought a semi-formal dress at Goodwill to wear to graduation, (as well as a memorial tribute to a family friend) my son painted an old pair of shoes for a new look, I sold a thrifted Bilibo baby toy through Craigslist, I’m in the beginning stages of planning a garage sale, I worked two days this week and foraged for food on a day that I didn’t bring a lunch and I enjoyed free food, booze and soccer tickets thanks to the Safeway Hometown Heroes award that my husband received. (Plus a $100 Safeway gift card!)

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I needed to pick up a few things for my husband’s work lunches, so I made pit stops at Trader Joe’s and The Grocery Outlet, which are conveniently located just a few blocks apart. I bought nothing more than bananas at Trader Joe’s, as they’re 19¢ apiece, (a likely loss leader) and then completed the rest of my marketing at the random-inventory-but-man-is-it-cheap Grocery Outlet. Among other things, I picked up 25¢ bags of sunflower seeds, as well as 33¢ turkey dogs and 25¢ peppers from the clearance shelf. I love red and orange peppers, but hesitate to buy them in bulk as they can be a bit of a luxury item. I didn’t hesitate to buy all of them, as they’re easily sliced and frozen for future use. I spent $43.50 between the two stores and brought home four bags of groceries.

I worked at the hospital on Monday and Tuesday and brought my lunch from home and drank the free so-so coffee. I had the opportunity to go home early on Tuesday, but chose instead to work on continuing education even though sitting at the computer for so many hours can cause time to slow to a glacial pace. Once I’m at work I always choose to stay. I’m there, I might as well get all my paid hours.

I used the free public transportation pass that I get from my employer to go downtown. My transportation needs rarely mesh well with taking the bus, so I’m always happy when I can use this benefit.

I sold two textbooks that I picked from a free pile, (or “freeple” as they’ve been cleverly titled by my niece) as well as a thrifted Jonathan Adler bookend, I finished a library book and just puttered around the house yesterday rather than going anywhere beyond the grocery store. Doing nothing is always the cheapest option.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

My son came home for the weekend to watch the Timbers vs. LA Galaxy soccer game. (He was excited to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic.) Instead of planning a meal out as we normally do, I assembled a huge pan of lasagna which I knew he’d been craving. There are even enough leftovers to send him back to school with a couple of microwavable servings.

The two of us went for a evening walk and happened upon a pile of leftover garage sale stuff. It didn’t look too promising, but I figured it was still worth my time to give it a thorough examination. There was a small box of books which contained a few current textbooks. As the parent of two college students, I’m hyper aware of how expensive textbooks can be, so you know that I scooped those bad boys up in the name of resale! I listed the books on eBay as soon as we got home and woke up to the notification that one had already sold! What I love most is that I’m putting these abandoned books into the hands of students who need them.

My husband agreed to be interviewed on camera for an in-house Nike video about women’s soccer. The interview took place in a British theme pub conveniently located in our neighborhood, so I went with him as we had plans afterwards. The producer was insistent that we order meals, which I was very happy about as A) I like free food, and B) the food was freaking amazing! I ordered a steak and ale pie, which came with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh mushy peas, while my husband enjoyed a big plate of fish and chips. It was seriously one of the best meals I’ve had in ages. Plus, you know . . . free!

I sold a vintage Jadeite pepper shaker through eBay, I went into two Goodwills without buying anything, (the real savings in life is in what you don’t buy) I took my son out for pie without ordering anything for myself, (while also using a Chinook Book coupon) we chose to watch a streaming movie at home instead of seeing the new Star Wars movie and I made a serviceable but ugly Frankenbox to mail out the pepper shaker.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I received a phone call from the Supercuts training center asking if I had time to come in for some free highlights. Luckily my day was easily shuffled, so I motored over to indulge in some low cost no cost pampering. I had the stylist put in some red and blond streaky bits that wouldn’t look too obvious while growing out, as I’m not planning on creating an entirely new budget category for beauty. I was told that this service would normally cost $60, which I know is much less than it would have cost in a private salon. I did tip $5.

I sold a vintage globe and mirror through Facebook Marketplace and NextDoor.com. I also picked up a guitar case and a toy to sell from the Goodwill nearest to Supercuts. I shared the details over at my Instagram account. The money will go into our anemic emergency fund.

I’ve recently been down a deep rabbit hole of YouTube videos about income inequality. It started with episodes of the British show Rich House, Poor House, but expanded to include How The Other Half Live, as well as a myriad of other news programs and documentaries about the struggle to survive while living on minimum wage earnings. Whoever the cyber-geeks are at YouTube who set up this particular algorithm for me, I say a sincere and honest thank you.

Also . . . Star Trek Rules, Star Wars drools!

I worked two days and brought my lunch both days, I drank the free so-so coffee, I finished a library book and started another one, I bought all the ingredients to make lasagnas, including cottage cheese, which I always mash up to substitute for pricey ricotta and I found a cute Orla Kiely toiletry kit at the Goodwill Outlet, so I gave away the one I already owned through my Buy Nothing Group. (I try to always get rid of stuff if I bring home new things.)

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I food shopped today, which involved going to three different grocery stores. As inefficient as this sounds, it’s not actually that bad. (19¢ bananas are worth an extra trip to Trader Joe’s, especially since it’s just a few blocks from the Grocery Outlet!) The last trip was to New Seasons, (like Whole Foods) because I wanted a few of their house made sausages. Add in that this store is a quick five minute walk from my house, (and offers free snacks) and my shopping was soon completed.

Buying food on a tight budget often requires multiple stops, which I admit can be a real pain in the tuchus. However, the extra work keeps us in the black and allows us to afford the things that really matter such as double college tuition and the myriad of related expenses.

I needed a new pair of sneakers, but I remembered that my son had bought a $5 pair at Goodwill that didn’t quite fit him. I tried them on and they fit me perfectly. Now not only do I have a “new” pair for myself, but it helped declutter my son’s room! I made a decision 11-1/2 years ago to stop buying new things. I can’t think of the last time I’ve needed to break this promise, as almost everything is available used or maybe didn’t need to be purchased in the first place. Over manufacture of consumer goods is a huge problem for our planet, so I think twice before mindlessly buying new stuff.

I sold a thrifted Starbucks mug through eBay, and although I haven’t sold anything else over the past couple of days, one particular item has received multiple inquires, so I expect it’ll sell soon. I’m scheduled to work a 12-hour shift at the hospital tomorrow, which’ll pay time-and-a-half.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I stopped into Costco with a plan to pick up salmon, but changed my mind after calling my husband and being reminded that he wasn’t actually going to be home for dinner. Instead of spending $15 or so on salmon, I sprung for a $4.99 roasted chicken which fed us for days (including a work lunch) and finally got demoted to soup. Of course, I also enjoyed my fair share of tasty free samples.

I sold a thrifted ukulele case and then listed a couple of items on Facebook Marketplace that I’d picked up at the Goodwill Outlet while hanging out with my mother. Neither will anchor a “Woman buys Picasso painting for $2 and sells it for $20 million” clickbait article, but it’s still nice that most of my hobbies earn money, so I’ll take it. The potential income will be especially welcome, as the Goodwill trip was on a day where I got called off from the hospital and missed out on hundreds on dollars of pay. (When there aren’t enough women in labor, we labor and delivery nurses get put “on call.” However, I am scheduled to work Memorial Day which is a time-and-a-half holiday, and should balance out my paycheck.)

The sun has been making almost daily appearances here in Portland, Oregon, which means that I’m starting to consistently use our backyard laundry line.

I do have a fully functional dryer, so I’m in a privileged position to choose how I do my laundry. Plus, I’m not burdened by any rules about what I can or cannot do in my own yard. Get ready for some clothesline selfies to start appearing in my Instagram account!

I continue to practice daily frugal habits and hacks such as picking up free temporary checks at my credit union, bringing my own work lunches in zero waste packaging, reading library books, whipping up frugal meals such as white bean rosemary soup featuring Dollar Tree beans and rosemary from my neighbor’s prolific bush, updating and tweaking our monthly budget, (my husband’s medical bills keep sneaking into our mailbox. Hello . . . that surgery was two months ago!) and accepting an invitation to enjoy a free casual Mexican dinner at my husband’s place of work. (Free food?! What? Where?!)

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

My youngest son came home for the weekend so we could celebrate his twentieth birthday as a family. (Can I get some kind of medal for ushering both my kids through their teen years?!) As always, we structured a Birthday Day of Adventures to put the emphasis on experiences instead of stuff.

Our main activity for the day was a Portland Timbers soccer game. My husband scored free tickets through his employer, which meant he could sell our regular Timber’s Army general seating tickets. We then popped by Pip’s Donuts for a free dozen mini-donuts and topped off our culinary indulgences at a nearby food cart pod where we each could indulge in our own personal favorite. (A gyro for my son, a bacon cheeseburger for my husband and a Korean Bibim box for me!)

The amount we received from selling our Timbers tickets more than paid for our meals, bringing the cost of our day to an even zero dollars!

Afterwards my son asked if we could stop by Music Millennium, but I said “no” as our budget didn’t allow for much extra. (Living on a limited budget means your kids get used to hearing the word “no.”) However, I remembered that I had a Goodwill gift card in my wallet, so I told my son we could stop by the main location to browse their music. Luckily, the CD selection at Goodwill is enormous, and my son chose five different artists, (Black Sabbath, Nirvana, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and one that eludes my memory) and my gift card covered the $9.95!

I finally sold a Waldorf play stand that I’d picked up at the Eugene Goodwill last month. I was starting to think it would never sell, but in the end I made a $30 profit. I have a policy to only buy things for resale that I’m happy to keep, but somehow broke my own rule in this case. The damned thing took up a lot of space, and was a constant reminder to not treat my living room as a furniture showroom. I was more than happy to see it drive off, and it was a good reminder to follow my own advice.

I drove my son back to college yesterday, and we enjoyed $1.50 Costco hotdogs after gassing up the Prius.

I stopped at the big Eugene Goodwill after dropping my son at his apartment. I browsed the store and found a few items to bring home:

– A 99¢ bakelite handled knife sharpener to keep.

– A groovy $2.99 vintage wastebasket which will replace the ugly plastic tub we’ve always used for kitchen recyclables.

– A $9.99 American Girl doll, which was grubby and had impressively tangled hair. (All grubbiness was reversed using a single alcohol prep pad.) I’ll try The Frugal Girl’s doll hair trick to ready it for resale.

– A 99¢ vintage Cape Cod souvenir tray for my step father who collects them.
– Two new-in-package ($2.99 and $4.99) windshield wipers that were miraculously the correct size for our minivan.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.