The Non-Consumer Advocate

Today I turn the tables and ask you, dear readers to share your favorite non-consumer hack. That clever little thing you do to:

• Save money

• Make something last longer

• Repurpose

• Repair

• Help your life run smoothly

• Etc.

Here, I’ll get you started. My favorite nonconsumery thing I do is to live with a less than ideal item until I can source a higher quality replacement for free or almost free. Call them “place holders,” but this mindset has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. Whether it was cheap-o plastic outdoor furniture or a dining room light fixture. I practice the art of patience and end up with solutions that might not have occurred to me had I shelled out the big bucks from the get go.

Now your turn, what non-consumer hacks are you most proud of?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. I stopped at Fred Meyer (Kroger) to grab salmon for an extended family dinner and naturally looped past the random produce clearance shelf. (What am I, a Rockefeller?!) Sadly the price has increased from $1 to $1.50 per bag, although that’s still a decent price. Today the shelf provided a yuuuge bag of string beans, as well as four heirloom tomatoes. Oddly, the string beans provided two single brussel sprouts, which I found pretty funny.

   

2. I also picked up two boxes of Fred Meyer brand powdered dishwasher detergent, as I worry they’ll discontinue this bargain item. The big box is just $5.99, yet holds enough for at least six months of daily dishwasher use. Unlike dishwasher pods, the powder allows me to decide how much product to use. I decant it into a cute canister and keep a tablespoon in it, which helps to not use too much. It’s hard to get ahead financially when all your money is tied up in dishwasher detergent.

3. My step mother gave me an extra basil plant, plus some apples and lemons. Thanks, Lindy!

4. Although I spent $46.45 on salmon, it fed seven people for dinner (including seconds) and provided enough leftovers to send home with my daughter; as well as a couple bonus servings for the fridge. The sticker shock was painful in the moment, but that’s actually not too shabby when you consider how much it would cost to treat seven people to a restaurant meal. Luckily it was somewhat balanced out by the bargain green beans.

5. I continue to buy almost everything my family needs through thrift stores, eBay or marketplace, thus bypassing idiotic vindictive tarriffs.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. My free garage sale rug has proven itself to be a keeper, so I hauled the old one out to the curb and stapled a “Free” sign onto it. I checked back a few hours later to find it gone. It’s the circle of life!

2. I fell prey to a pair of yellow jackets, so my sister took pity on me and pulled a dinner together from a variety of random bits and bobs. She titled it “Hearty Peasant Food” and I was more than happy to accept her silly meal. By the way we dined on cole slaw, cucumbers, hamburger buns and Tillamook cheddar cheese. It would’ve been easy to order a pizza, but I’m glad we didn’t.

3. We added another out of town guest to the house today, but did so without buying anything to ready the room. A lot of people look around their houses and imagine how it’s perceived by others, then use that  imagined criticism to fuel unnecessary purchases. Please don’t do this to yourself.

4. Our guest beds are set up with thrifted mismatched sheets, but rich with welcoming spirit.

5. I didn’t go on Amazon.com to browse for false “Prime Day” deals.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. My friend texted asking if I’d water her garden, as she’s in NYC and the person who’d agreed to do so backed out at the last minute. She doesn’t live too far away, so I let her know I was happy to lend a hand.

   I then offered to connect her with my sister, who works with the American Museum of Natural History. It turns out that it’s a full family trip and my sister was able to hook her up with eight free tickets, which’ll save her $328! As I’ve written before, I love saving money but I especially love when I can help other people save money!

2. My sister and I took a long evening walk through the neighborhood. There were lots of people hanging out at the local bars and restaurants, but we were happy to just get out of the house without spending any money.

3. We invited our mother over for an afternoon of Scrabble and snacks, which was great fun. We munched on crackers and cheese; hummus, pretzels and spicy pickles. All from the fridge and pantry, but still tasty.

4. I helped myself to a handful of raspberries from my friend’s garden when I went over to water her plants.

5. I continue to live my life without sending my money to that Schmeff Schmezos guy!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

{ 73 comments }

1. My father’s sweet dog Buddy passed away last week and everyone is understandably sad. I went ahead and printed a nice photo of the family with Buddy and placed it in a curb picked frame for him. The total cost was 39¢ for a Walgreen’s print.

2. I sprayed out and repaired my yard debris wheelie bin, which was both revolting and deeply satisfying. The lid was a repeat repair, but I’m happy to do the work if it keeps it in circulation and out of the landfill.

3. Tonight’s dinner was what we jokingly call “after school snack for dinner.” Think carrot sticks, hummus, crackers and cheese. We did add a salad a couple hours later, but a frugal affair either way.

4. My sister and I have been watching episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer through her Hulu account.

5. I have zero-point-zero plans to buy anything from Amazon during Prime Day, or really any other day. Morally bankrupt billionaires don’t deserve a penny from me.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

{ 50 comments }

1. My sister and I went on a post-supper neighborhood walk and happened upon a garage sale leftovers pile from that provided an empty Altoid tin and a sturdy plastic clothespin for me. My sister scored yarn, art supplies and a couple of books. We then came across two free ceramic flowerpots, one for each of us. My one has the same silhouette as one that already sits on my front porch, which is my kind of frugal serendipity!

   

2. I took that single Altoids tin and added it to my organizational system for tiny items. Keep in mind that I don’t buy Altoids, so these were all scavenged. I enjoy figuring out creative solutions that bypass corporate America, even when it’s just a small project.

   There, that’s better!

   

3. I made another batch of chive-y cream cheese to keep in the fridge and spread on Dollar Tree Monet crackers. Cheaper than Boursin and all I added was seasoned salt, chopped fresh chives and garlic powder!

4. I dropped People of The Book off at the library and picked up Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler. I love this author and am happy that she’s still writing. I had to wait a long time for this hold to come in and I’m excited to delve into it.

   On another note, I really appreciate that Portland’s libraries are open seven days a week.

5. I didn’t remove protections for my country’s most vulnerable citizens to benefit America’s most morally bankrupt businessmen.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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1. Remember when I planted sprouted grocery store garlic back in November? I’d read somewhere that you’re supposed to harvest garlic on 4th of July, so I pulled it up and was very excited to find that I had indeed grown garlic! This was a very passive effort and for that reason I’m calling this a success. I now have my massive harvest (Four! Heads of Garlic!) drying in the cool dark basement and will make sure to plant much more come fall.

   

   

2. My sister and I went to the Franz Bakery Outlet, as they sell their “Bargain Wall” bread for $1 apiece on the first Saturday of the month. I ended up with eleven loaves, as you get an extra loaf when you spend ten bucks. Plus I filled my punch card!

   

   My favorite find was the gluten-free hotdog buns, which normally sell for seven to eight dollars apiece. Good thing I have a freezer!

   Bonus photo of my entire haul:

   

3. The neighborhood pigeons who like to roost under my eaves are back, so I roped my sister and mother into accompanying me to Dollar Tree to buy helium mylar balloons. Why balloons? I fly them outside  our front and back windows, which gets in the way of where the pigeons like to hang out. It physically blocks them, plus it freaks them out a bit.

   I also bought panko bread crumbs, Monet wheat crackers and ginger snaps.

4. I curb picked these chairs back in April and had yet to refurbish them, so I set them out at the corner last night. They were gone by morning. I could’ve recovered the seats and painted the metal, but I either get right on a project or not at all. Perfect time to pass them along to someone else with fresh energy and creativity. Buh-bye!

5. I checked the library website to see if any fresh cultural passes had been posted, and lucked out on a free three-day pass to Rose City Comic Con! I’ve only once been to a comic convention, (mid-1980’s, and only because my father was speaking on a panel) but think this should be super fun! The normal cost is $99, so this is an especially good bargain. Thanks, Multnomah County Library!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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