100 More Reasons to be a Non-Consumer

by Katy on November 7, 2024 · 16 comments

In addition to this blog, I also run a companion Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, which is currently hovering around 79,000 members. New prospective members have to answer a simple question, which helps to weed out the ever present spammers. The answers are always interesting, so I’ve started saving them to share in blog posts. 

  1. I already follow Katy’s blog and love it!|

  2. I love your blog and want to be a part of a like minded community.

  3. I enjoy your blog posts so much.

  4. I read your blog and I’m interested in this frugal community.

  5. Looking for new ideas for reuse-reduce, especially with 80/20 time investment.

  6. I’ve been following the blog for awhile!

  7. I love the ideas and inspiration. I have been a blog reader for years.

  8. Frugal Living inspiration. Heading over from the blog.

  9. I want to avoid habits of consumerism/am against consumerism.

  10. I’m a long-time reader of your blog and am interested in additional content.

  11. Was a member a long time ago and read your blog all the time.

  12. Because I believe we need to consume much less as humans, and create a circular or regenerative system instead of consumer-based.

  13. Motivates me to be minimal and frugal.

  14. I enjoy reading Katy’s blog and learning new ways to be frugal.

  15. We try to live a frugal lifestyle and are always looking for new says to be more careful about contributing to the waste on this planet.

  16. I am interested in reviving my depression era parents frugal ways.

  17. I enjoy the blog and would like to find more good ideas and community.

  18. Interested in finding out different ways to make things last and use them up.

  19. I found you on the Frugal Girl blog and thus here I am.

  20. I am a conscious human. I want to learn and be with like minded individuals to not only help Myself but make sure the world is a better place because I don’t over indulge.

  21. Because I have started a sustainable lifestyle.

  22. Cuz I typed in say no to biosolids. This came up. 😂

  23. Love your blog for many years! Looking for more tips.

  24. Consumerism is coercion I’d like to be mindful of what I consume.

  25. I’ve loved the blog forever.:)

  26. Frugal ideals (meant to type “ideas” but this is true, too!)

  27. To feel like I’m not the only person that doesn’t need to buy more environmentally friendly things to save our planet. Example: buying every pretty reusable cup from Starbucks.

  28. I like Katy’s posts and blog.

  29. To learn more about how to leave less impact on the earth as well as cut down on consumption.

  30. To learn what is out there and to further educate myself & others on living a more simple life.

  31. I’ve followed Katy on social media for well over a decade around the same time as I found the frugal girl. Love the ideas in this group and just never rejoined after I got back on Facebook.

  32. I have many a bill to pay.

  33. I have been reading the non-consumer advocate blog for a few years now and I found out about this facebook group in yesterday’s post. I am very interested in this subject.

  34. Ideas.

  35. I follow the blog and five frugal things is my favorite! I love to get inspiration from what others are doing.

  36. Share ideas.

  37. Looking for tips on spending less.

  38. Been a loyal blog reader for years. Always love the thrifty tips!

  39. Recycling items.

  40. A friend recommended that I check it out.

  41. I need to get “with it” with my spending and I think this will help!

  42. I was invited by a member.

  43. I want to learn from other non-consumers.

  44. I’m trying to be less of a consumer and want to see like minded posts in my feed.

  45. I want to reduce my carbon footprint and have less ‘things’.

  46. Trying to rebuild my emergency fund after being unemployed for 8 months last year.

  47. I need to learn to stop buying useless stuff.

  48. To learn from others. Working on my debt free journey.

  49. I am not a robot, lol. I like humans and community, not corporations.

  50. I was a member a while ago and I don’t know what happened but I am not a member any more.

  51. I have been trying to be less wasteful lately, because everything is getting so expensive, plus it’s good for the environment.

  52. I’ve been following your blog for years! Thanks for all you do to keep us frugal-inspired.

  53. Encouragement to life a more frugal life.

  54. I want to become an under consumer after spending a week purging my house.

  55. I am trying to live a life free of the rampant consumerism that I feel is destroying the fabric of our society. Consequently, I am also into frugality and minimalism.

  56. I’ve just discovered and binged on your blog. Keeping up the commitment to non consumerism is a challenge!

  57. I enjoy the website and I’m looking for ways others are spending less and reusing more.

  58. I am inspired by the intention and would like to be a part of a community that values resourcefulness and mindful consumption.

  59. I believe a thrifty, less wasteful, and less consumer way of life.

  60. Tired of consumer lifestyle.

  61. Was here before and want to come back.

  62. To learn.

  63. Learning to be more peaceful, grounded, simple.

  64. Save money, buy less, use less.

  65. I am a minimalist.

  66. I’m enjoying a simple, non consumerist lifestyle.

  67. My favorite books are the tightwad gazettes. I was an early subscriber to Amy’s newsletters before the book. I’m hoping this Facebook page has a following of people with the same mindset and wisdom when it comes to finances and spending only when needed or truly evaluated.

  68. Get inspired to consume less.

  69. I am a senior with a low fixed income and a shopping desire.

  70. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do Or do without” was my mother’s mantra – we all chanted it together, at her memorial service!

  71. I try to limit the amount of stuff I own.

  72. I’m a fan of frugality and not-buying-new!

  73. I have always been frugal. Always learning.

  74. I want to save money.

  75. For tips on saving money.

  76. Interested in lessening my environmental impact.

  77. I heard about this group in a discussion elsewhere about good, updated content a la The Tightwad Gazette, Mr. Money Moustache, etc. I’m always interested in hearing another take on frugality.

  78. I would like to live without more.

  79. I’m really into extreme minimalism, looking for inspiration.

  80. Philosophy I agree with.

  81. Love the inspiration!

  82. To learn how to be less wasteful and spend less through reusing, repurposing or recycling.

  83. I would like to be more sustainable and save money.

  84. Curiosity.

  85. A friend I highly respect and her lifestyle, posted a quote from your group and I would like to learn more. I’m at a point in my life where I’m going back to where it began.

  86. I want to live more sustainably.

  87. I’m a kindred spirit!

  88. I am looking for all the help I can get when it comes to decluttering/cleaning.

  89. I’m trying to be less of a consumer. I’ve been following Katy’s blog for years. I can always use little reminders and ideas to use it up, etc.

  90. I like to avoid buying cheap breakable things and fix (or repurpose)where I can.

  91. Would rather reuse or recycle.

  92. Not contributing to the high consumerism/materialism life and being more mindful of what I have. less spending, less waste.

  93. I started reading your blog 2008(?) when I was starting to become aware of “important stuff”. Happy to see you here!

  94. I like the idea of non consumerism.

  95. I’ve been and over consumption person most of my life and have recently looked to changing that.

  96. I’m passionate about reducing my environmental impact, frugality, and keeping a manageable home.

  97. I love Katy’s blog and I thought I had joined this group already!

  98. To get support and gain knowledge from others.

  99. Save money and the environment.

  100. I’m exhausted by the gross overconsumption I see everywhere. I need to find a place where I’m surrounded by like minded people and hopefully learn from those who are farther in their non consumption journeys.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

MB in MN November 7, 2024 at 10:06 am

These are good. I second and third the themes of consciousness, consumerism, and consumption.

Katy, thank you for giving us this forum for connecting and sharing.

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Heidi Louise November 7, 2024 at 10:34 am

Imagine I wrote some profound quotation from some profound person about making frugality a good habit here…

I picked up the limit of Cheerios on sale and took them to the new “drop box” outside the local food bank, which is also in a new location. The manager saw me and I went inside for a tour of the new space. It helped me imagine even better the work they do. And in the future, I will prioritize fruit over vegetables when I can for buying canned goods for them, as they get less of fruit.

He showed me some ready-t0-make cake mixes: a woman donated thirty of them for her 30th birthday. Box of cake mix, can of frosting, single serve apple sauce (works for oil), and maybe one or two more things, like decorations for a birthday cake, in a disposable aluminum cake pan. How cool! (I think the food bank supplies eggs to everyone).

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MB in MN November 7, 2024 at 10:46 am

Heidi Louise, the cake mix donation is brilliant!

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Rose November 7, 2024 at 11:19 am

Our local library collects kid-themed party supplies in bags. So you could go and get the makings for a Frozen party, or dinosaur, or Bluey, etc. They include cake mix etc. Sometimes it’s really good to know so many people are so kind.

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Fru-gal Lisa November 7, 2024 at 4:51 pm

Heidi Louise, Thanks for letting us know that the food banks need/want more canned fruit. (I imagine if one does, they all do.) One of the TV stations in our area is sponsoring the largest food drive in our state this month, and they ask for canned goods. I will certainly purchase canned fruit!

Also thanks for sharing the lady’s birthday cake idea. What a wonderful way to celebrate!

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Mati November 7, 2024 at 9:48 pm

The birthday cake kits are a great idea! Love the idea of a decoration library, too.

Side note, always check with your local food banks to understand how they are supplied. Some can get shelf-stable foods for much less than we can, even on deep sale, so it’s better to give cash, or purchase specific items that aren’t available through their regular suppliers.

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Heidi Louise November 8, 2024 at 8:39 am

Yes, that makes sense. The manager pointed out some things that were bought or donated from the local supermarket, and which things were government surplus.

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Ruby November 7, 2024 at 11:31 am

I used to give pairs of items to the food bank back home: cereal and shelf-stable milk, peanut butter and jelly, coffee and jars of powdered creamer. The cake mix and icing gift is brilliant.

The church food pantry I give to now posts an online list for the surrounding neighborhoid of most needed items and it leans heavily toward high protein foods and canned fruit. I imagine members give more vegetables and starches.

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Heidi Louise November 8, 2024 at 8:40 am

Yes, the “high protein foods”, such as canned meat are especially important.

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Anon November 7, 2024 at 5:02 pm

One not mentioned on your list….an item that, sadly, just came up…is this:
We’ll ALL need to be more frugal (and careful) when the once and future president takes office again. Programs to help children, the needy, senior citizens and the working/middle class will likely be slashed. With a Republican majority in the Senate (and possibly also in the House of Representatives), there will be no one to stop him. Everything from Special Education to Social Security and from housing to health care may be affected.
Already, economists say his tariffs are going to raise prices of everyday items by 400%. Ouch!

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Katy November 8, 2024 at 1:32 pm

I wish I didn’t know this to be true.

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Selena November 8, 2024 at 5:13 pm

And also hurt our domestic producers who sell overseas. Once we tariff a country, they’ll tariff us back (or stop buying).

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Kara November 7, 2024 at 6:12 pm

I wanted to relocate a large bookcase to one of the bedrooms. The bookcase was bought when we lived in a much bigger house, but now our house is very small. The 7 foot tall bookcase wouldn’t fit around the tight corners into the bedroom. So my husband just finished cutting the top off, cutting 5 inches off and reattaching the top. Tomorrow I will paint the whole thing (it was already badly in need of paint) and now it will be short enough to go through the doorways standing up and will fit around the corner into that bedroom. Definitely a hassle but I’m pretty proud of us for using what we already have.

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Katy November 8, 2024 at 1:31 pm

I love that you’re figuring out how to make the bookshelf work instead of tossing and replacing.

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Lindsey November 7, 2024 at 7:00 pm

I love number 70, chanting the frugal slogan at the mother’s memorial service.

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A. Marie November 8, 2024 at 9:33 am

If I thought I could have gotten away with that at my mother’s funeral or graveside service, I would have; she certainly walked the walk on that one. Today’s her 1o3rd birthday, BTW–so, Momcat, here’s to you!

Reply

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