Five Frugal Things -- So Much Bird Poop!
1) I listed my recently acquired sumo wrestler mug on eBay for $30, which is actually a lot less than other sellers, so here's to hoping for a quick sale!
Click HERE to see the listing.
2) We had the kids to the house for our weekly "Family Dinner" which was extra enjoyable as our youngest brought their partner. We served a $35 Whole Foods* salmon, brussel sprouts and green beans "Family Meal." I also cooked a pot of rice to accompany the food.
I noticed that Safeway had their Ben & Jerry's ice cream on sale for $2.99/pint, so texted each person earlier in the day to ask their favorite flavor. This is how each dinner guest got their own bespoke frozen dessert with leftovers to bring home.
Obviously, this was a hit!
3) Portland hit 88 degrees yesterday, so I took advantage of the hot weather to scrub down our outdoor furniture and cushions. The humungous maple tree in our backyard is home to a multitude of birds, which unfortunately means our outdoor furniture is a ripe landing spot for their guano. The hot weather gave me the opportunity to saturate the cushions with a hope that they'd dry in a timely manner, (not a guarantee in mildew-merry Oregon!) so it really was a time to make hay while the sun shone!
So poopy!
There, better!
Mind you, the cushions are mostly mismatched due to their curb picked origins so the best they can hope to look is "clean." I did get an early enough start so the cushions were dry by the time dessert rolled around.
It would look super cute to have new cushions, but I take every rip and stain as an opportunity to up my refurbishing game!
Please enjoy my scrappy fence situation. It ain't pretty.
4) My youngest's partner has a Peacock subscription without commercials, (so fancy!) so they logged into their account so we could watch an episode of The Office after the mosquitos gathered in the backyard.
They said they were happy to share their account, which means I can start to enjoy Peacock content again, as their deluge of brain rotting commercials on our normal account (that comes free with our cell phone service) crosses the line. I rarely watch anything on Peacock for this reason.
5) I talked to a couple different neighbors about hosting a casual evening get together, where everyone simply brings a beverage and hangs out in my backyard. Everyone thought it was a good idea. No one wants the pressure of being hosted by Martha Stewart!
Of course, me being me . . . my adult beverage will be ice water in a thrifted Hydroflask. Perhaps with a lemon wedge if I'm feeling elite.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
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.
* Fuck you, Schmeff Schmezos!
* This blog post includes an eBay referral link.
Jumping not exactly into June. Discovered a new sight to list items on (Depop) I’ve already sold two items I had listed for weeks on other sites.
Gathered items to take to consignment store as I’ll be up that way tomorrow
Dropping a few items off at my dog rescue club annual garage sale.
Organized sort of my closet for a capsule wardrobe.
My chair outside is sooooo bird poopy! I have to wash it almost every day… ugh.
1. I made breakfast and lunch and will make dinner at the house.
2. Bought gas in University town for $3.33 and I was thrilled!
3. I have the windows up and the air off. Luckily it is only in the 80’s today.
4. I walked an hour while washing my clothes at the laundromat.
5. I plan to enjoy the sunset out my windows bc I pay taxes on this place!
I took a walk to the lake this morning. I found some sealed packets of soy sauce that someone had left behind.
I went by a little free library and picked up a book, The Perfect Paragon, by MC Beaton.
I brought up a manageable bag of my sister's clothes from the car. The big bags are way too heavy to move alone. I put some of the clothes in the hamper -- they aren't dirty, but need freshening. One sweater is soaking in the sink. I noticed a small snag, so I may not sell that one.
I made a childhood favorite for lunch -- cut-up hot dogs in a "barbecue sauce" of chili sauce and grape jelly, over rice.
I have been double-charged on one of the hotel rooms I stayed in. I called, and the person I spoke to said it has been corrected and it will show up on my Visa account soon. I'll be watching.
Custom ice cream for guests sounds very deluxe! Good luck with selling that cute mug.
At our previous house, we inherited a lot of outdoor chairs with sun-damaged cushions. I recovered them with slipcovers sewn from polyester shower curtains bought super cheap at a salvage store. It was a bit time consuming sewing giant rectangles, but they looked really nice when it was done.
--Found a Walgreens receipt in the parking lot and scanned it into Fetch.
--Rinsed out and dried a couple of ziploc bags. We don't use these a lot, but it's nice to reuse them as much as I can.
--Nabbed two good books (The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025, Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025) from a little free library while out on a walk.
--Made some truly awful (but edible) granola, and held my nose and ate it rather than toss it. Lesson learned: stick with oatmeal. Easier and harder to mess up.
--Rode my bicycle to get some produce at the store, and stuck to my list (with the exception on an on-sale Ollipop, as I was very thirsty and, well, it sounded great. It was great.)
I love the little tables next to each chaise lounge. So pretty!
1. I washed two large loads of laundry in cold water and hung them to dry outside on the umbrella clothesline.
2. I'm soaking all the hairbrushes and combs in cleaning vinegar. I usually soak them in ammonia but I ran out of it. Ammonia works really well for this task but I'm hoping the vinegar works as well.
3. I indulged myself with an afternoon of reading my library book When I Was a Child on the deck all afternoon because as Cindy says above: I pay taxes on this place. In my case I pay a mortgage too. I also miss sitting on my deck in the cold months so much every year, I try to enjoy it as much as I possibly can.
4. I made a big pitcher of lemon iced tea and enjoyed a glass of it while reading outside.
5. I have plans to go to a free "Elvis Concert" at the library tomorrow night. This Elvis impersonator reportedly gives an excellent show.