1. I cooked a small batch of black beans in the Instant Pot, which I then mashed up with Dollar Tree panko crumbs, spice mix and an egg. I then smooshed that onto a corn tortilla and seared it face down in an oiled cast iron skillet. The addition of ketchup, mustard and pickle gave it a smash burger/taco vibe and it was delicious, cheap, healthy and easy — my favorite combination!

   Lettuce and tomato would’ve been perfect additions, but I used what I had on hand.

2. I’ve been in a reading rut, so I put a ton of physical books on hold at the library so I can break through. Hopefully one of these books can lift me or at least distract me from my malaise.

   Here are a few of the books I put on hold:*

   • Strange Sally Diamond, by Liz Nugent
   • Bunny, by Mona Awad
   • The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
   • The Favorites by Layne Fargo

3. I stopped to look over a free teak patio table that someone in my father’s neighborhood set out for free. It definitely had condition issues, but I simply don’t have the mental energy to take on project in the here and now, although I’m already starting to regret that decision. (It looks bad, but it really only needed a couple hours with an electric sander and some wood oil to bring it back to life.) We don’t have an outdoor table, so it would’ve been an excellent addition to our backyard.

   Maybe I need to see if it’s still on the curb.

4. I’m one week into my No Spend March economic boycott and have only shopped at Winco and HMart for necessities. I do plan on stopping by the Franz Bakery outlet tomorrow as they discount their bread to $1 per loaf on Saturdays. I’d like to have some gluten-free options in the freezer for when my daughter stops by and I used up what I had on hand the other day.

5. I didn’t blow up my multi-billion dollar spaceship.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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* Please note that I never EVER post Amazon referral links!

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1. We celebrated my stepfather’s 75th birthday at the house and I assembled a pan of rice and bean enchiladas using ingredients we already had on hand. I even had enough for a small pan for the freezer, which is a favor to my future self. I’m very much a “from scratch” cook, but there are a few items that I leave to the experts, specifically enchilada sauce. I try to keep cans of both red and green sauces in the pantry at all times and last night was a green enchilada kind of night. Easy, cheap, tasty.

   No recipe necessary, just rice, black beans, frozen corn kernels, three or four chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, shredded cheese, (I used white cheddar) and sautéed peppers on top. I added come of the enchilada sauce into the filling and poured the rest on top. (I never bother dipping the corn tortillas in the sauce as that’s too messy.) Cook at 350° until the sauce bubbles and remove the lid for the last ten minutes or so.

2. Someone littered a can from some weird alcoholic drink in front of our house, so I added it to our bag of returnables. I also picked up two pennies and two foreign coin at Winco.

   So yeah . . . I recently came into some money!

3. My husband had a dental appointment near my father’s house, so I tagged along to combine errands. I got a nice visit in with my father, without the added cost of driving across town. I even had him grab another free lip balm for me.

4. I sent a text to my neighbor across the street letting her know that she’s welcome to ask to borrow anything from tools to last minute dinner ingredients from us. Our side of the street already employs this give-and-take, but she’s unfortunately situated next to deeply unfriendly people. She’s the one who gives us her thick Safeway bags to use as bin liners, plus I arranged for her family to visit the American Museum of Natural History for free last year through my sister’s connections. I want her to have what we have.

   It’s important more than ever that we as Americans bond together, even if it’s just a cup of sugar at a time.

5. I continue to do my best to boycott shitty corporate companies. Specifically Amazon, Target, Safeway, Kroger, Hobby Lobby, WalMart and such. No Spend March!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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1. My youngest came over and cooked up a big pot of red lentil soup for this week’s work lunches, using ingredients we already had on hand. (Lentils, onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, broth and bulk-purchased spices) It may seem illogical to let other people use our ingredients to make their meals, (especially during No Spend March) but I’m more than happy to share with others. I’m really good at bargain shopping and want nothing more than to help other people stretch their dollars.

   Click HERE for my red lentil soup recipe.

   

2. The two of us walked a half mile or so to the library to pick up the books I’d put on hold. Three for them and one for me. I also grabbed a Sophie Kinsella book from a neighbor’s little free library.

   

3. I made a loaf of no-knead artisan bread supposedly for French onion soup, but it was gobbled up before I had the chance to slice up a single onion. Good thing it’s the easiest recipe and takes maybe two minutes to mix up!

   

    

4. I spent a couple scratchy hours pruning my backyard hydrangeas so they’ll be nice and full this coming summer. They’ve gotten leggy over the past couple years, so I cut them waay back. (Hopefully I didn’t screw up!) By the way, this photo is from a couple summers ago. This is what they currently look like:

   

5. I didn’t have to switch up any last minute skiing plans due to protestors.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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1. My husband had the day off yesterday and it was miraculously not raining, so we planned a walk along the Washington side of the Columbia River. Unfortunately we had a sluggish morning and realized that our timing couldn’t be worse, as we’d be hitting the Portland-to-Vancouver traffic during the beginning of rush hour, which would be a big mistake. Huge! Instead we pivoted and strolled through the Alameda neighborhood, which has gorgeous old houses, as well as postcard worthy views of Portland.

   Quality time with my husband without spending a penny. Priceless.

2. I treated my daughter to lunch to celebrate an accomplishment and she chose locally owned Pho Hung on S.E. Powell Blvd. Not only is this restaurant consistently delicious, but I saw on social media that they’d brought steaming bowls of pho to the striking nurses a few weeks back. (It’s like they knew how to earn my loyalty!) I chose a large bowl of their brisket pho and ate the vermicelli, some of the broth and most of the brisket. I then brought home the broth and added my own vermicelli noodles into the leftovers, which was enough to feed both my husband and myself.

   Three meals from one entrée, I call that a frugal win!

3. Today’s forecast is for a lovely 62°F/17°C and then tomorrow we’re supposed to see 64°F/18°C! I took this as an opportunity to turn off the furnace and open windows to welcome a breath of fresh air in the house. I know that this “false spring” is just a blip on the radar, but I’ll take it and enjoy a couple days without the cost of heating the house.

4. • I did my Winco grocery shopping today, as I won’t be spending any money tomorrow to participate in the Economic Boycott. I plan on continuing the boycott in some way beyond this single day, but am still processing how to make that happen.
   • I stopped by Goodwill to return last week’s droopy-crotch jeans and browsed the store without buying anything. I did take a moment to snap a “Best Mom Ever” photo to send to my kids.

5. I was a good human being. I did not try to overthrow the American government. Did not belittle and humiliate Federal workers. Did not needlessly create chaos. <– Thank you to “Zoe” for this quote.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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1. My husband and I share a single car, which is only possible because he rides an electric bike to and from work. (It also helps that I no longer have an 18 mile commute!) Our monovehicular status is an occasional issue, but mostly not. I’ve hired a Lyft three times over the past year, which is decidedly cheaper than owning, insuring and maintaining an extra vehicle.

   It saves us a tremendous amount of money, plus it gives me the occasional excuse to laze about hunker down at home. Today is one of those days, as my husband needed to get from Portland to Vancouver, Washington for baseball practice. We’ll probably get a second car at some point, but we’re good for now.

2. The backup key fob for our youngest’s Prius hadn’t worked for awhile, and the story was something about it being programmed incorrectly. I decided to do some troubleshooting and was able to get it to function by simply replacing the button battery. I did watch a two-and-a-half minute YouTube video to figure it out, but I’m still inordinately proud of myself. The best part was that I already had the battery on hand, so no money was spent.

3. I helped my 26-year-old file their taxes, which was free due to their income level. I didn’t actually do anything beyond serve as a sounding board, but it’s always good to have someone there to answer questions, even when you don’t have any.

4. My husband switched from deli meat sandwiches to grilled chicken over rice for his work lunches. This is cheaper, healthier and I imagine a more enjoyable meal. He works 12-hour shifts and needs to pack both lunch and dinner.

5. I didn’t have to write up five things I did this week to justify my employment, yet I still wrote this blog.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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