I'm still in New York helping out my sister, which explains why my "frugal things" are all NYC based. 1) My adult nephew and I had an entire day to kill in the city, but needed to stay within a specific neighborhood. We'd already had coffee and free pastries at Paris Baguette, but we still...
I'm currently in New York City visiting with my sister, which turns out to be an extremely frugal way to travel/rationalize a vacation by reframing it as a "writer's retreat." Sure, I paid $241 for a round trip ticket, but I'll make sure to knock out some paid writing. But more importantly, I'll work on...
It's time for another Non-Consumer Advocate Photo Essay, as sometimes photos are better than words. I'm still in NYC visiting my sister, although of course I'm not buying any pointless and cluttersome souvenirs. For example, this statuette of the Empire State Building. (Although this particular item is from a Portland, Oregon Goodwill.) My sister, niece and I started...
Good morning from New York City! My mother and I are here until Friday to help my sister Jessica celebrate her 50th birthday. Yesterday was a travel day from Oregon, but I figure than any day of airline transit, however unpleasant is always going to be better than the experience Lewis and Clark or The Donner...
Just a quick reminder that the NYC Non-Consumer Advocate blog reader meetup is today at 6 P.M. at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park! I'm really looking forward to meeting you! Katy Wolk-Stanley "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"
Sorry to have left the blog dormant the past two days. I try not to let that happen too often, but daily life gets in the way and there's simply no way I'm going to sit down at the computer to blog when I see my sister working to put a meal on the table...
Life in New York City is nothing but glamor and celebrities. Or . . . helping my sister with her daily routine and squeezing in a few touristy moments. Like how she needed to take her elderly dog to the veterinarian's office, which just happened to be a few blocks from Central Park. We overheard...
My son and I are still in New York, and since my sister Jessica had an illustration job to finish yesterday, we took the subway into lower Manhattan. We decided to start off with a quick Staten Island Ferry voyage, which should have been fun. It's free, and super accessible to the subway. And since...
My younger son and I are currently in New York City for my nephew's Bar Mitzvah. And because I am who I am, (completely, utterly and unapologetically cheap) I am using garbage picked paint to paint the town red. (In this metaphor, my frugal activities are "the paint," and hanging out with my son is...
Although I really only needed to be in New York City two days last week, I figured it was a huge wasted opportunity to make my free trip so short, so I lengthened the trip to cover Tuesday until Sunday. Of course, The Today Show only paid for a single night in a hotel, but I...
Today's blog is inspired by Kristen over at The Frugal Girl, whose "Right Now I am" post broke through my writer's block. Right Now I am . . . Watching YouTube videos, includes ones from Bradley on a Budget, who claims that many people are "Willing to become broke to not look broke," which holds...
1. Unlike my countless trips to New York, my flight to Albuquerque was a mere 2-½ hours and didn't require packing a meal, or even a snack! 2. I wore a mask, both in the airport and on the plane. Nothing frugal about getting sick. 3. I packed a lightweight library book for entertainment and...
I don't set traditional new year's resolutions, as I've found that my personality turns them into something to rebel against. ("Eat healthy" morphs into "Screw you, predatory diet culture!") Instead I set yearly themes, which have run the gamut from "Patience and Fortitude," (the names of NYC's library lions!) to "Read and Write." Last year?...
1. I woke up way too early on Thanksgiving and ended up watching the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade with my sister, who actually lives in NYC. (We get Peacock streaming TV for free through our cell phone plan, so I share it with family members.) I've always considered the parade a cheesy event for other...
I signed up for a free week of ad-free Paramount+ through my Roku box and immediately programmed the subscription to not auto-renew! We'll spending the week watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but have no interest afterwards for this streaming service. My sister is visiting from NYC and we briefly hit a Goodwill this afternoon...
My husband just repainted our front porch, which means that everything that normally sits out front is currently residing in our back yard. Including this welcome mat, looking entirely worse for wear. Mind you, this was a curb find to begin with, although any wear is our own. You can see that it's molting a...
I stopped by Portland's newest library branch and was awestruck by not only the beauty of the design, but also all the resources available to patrons. Albina library now has multiple levels offering designated teen and kids' rooms, as well as reservable large and small "community rooms," free laptops to check out, 3D printers, community...
I darned a sock for my step father. I think of sock darning as a winter activity, as I rarely wear socks in the summer. Plus, you know . . . it's a wooly warm activity. I love darning socks, as it's so satisfying to keep something in circulation that most people would thoughtlessly throw...
My neighbor returned from her family's NYC trip, so I walked her mail and packages back to her house. She shared that her plan is to make us some kind of frozen dessert, which is A-okay in my book! I'm happy that her thank you gift is something consumable, rather than a "thing" that I...
I brought a carabiner to the beach the other day, which meant I didn't have to hold my thrifted Crocs while walking in the surf. I always think about how I should do this, but actually remembered to bring one along as I recently creating a carabiner storage tin. I've had these Crocs since they...
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...
My husband bought a replacement shower head for our bathroom, as the last one was spurting water in a illogical manner. We both love the new one, but it unfortunately doesn't work with the previous organizer caddy. I walked into Goodwill hoping to find a better solution and somehow found exactly what I needed! Priced...
My sister is coming from NYC for a two week visit, which draws attention to our guest bedrooms. She usually stays in my youngest's old room, but I'm saving it for her son who'll fly in halfway through her trip. I rebuilt my daughter's room from scratch a couple years ago, as she took all...
I made a batch of pickled red onion, which'll be a fun topping for various savory dishes such as tacos, salads, chili, etc. I spent 56¢ on the onion and used a cup of white vinegar, water, ⅙ cup of sugar, peppercorns, garlic powder and salt. The recipe recommended using a mandoline, but I have...
My niece and I took our laptops to Tabor Space, which describes itself as "A community gathering place." Located in an historic church, (note the stained glass windows) this non-religious space is the perfect example of a "Third Space," for when you need somewhere that's neither home, work nor shopping. (Other examples would be a...
Our passenger side headlight went out, so my handy-dandy husband bought replacement bulbs and installed them himself. I'm not sure how much money we saved, but I can be happy without the hard data. I was going stir crazy at home, so I invented an errand to donate a couple items to Goodwill. I didn't...
My sister just finished a weeklong visit from New York and gifted me a pair of hand-knit sock as an early birthday present. I have a couple other pairs from her, but the colors on these ones are extra perfect for me. Here's a photo of my father and I wearing pairs of her socks:...
I hosted an extended family dinner at the house, as a pair of third cousins were in from out of town. My mother and step father ordered pizzas, but I still shouldered the work to ready the house, do the dishes and generally manage the occasion. (Who's ready for dessert?") I put out appetizers and...
In addition to this blog, I also run a companion Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, which is currently hovering around 79,000 members. 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. Enjoy! I read...
I signed up for Portland General Electric's Peak Time Rebates program, where you "earn rebates on your bill by reducing your energy use during these peak times." I looked through the small print and it doesn't seem like there's a possibility of being charged extra, so it's a slam dunk win. Especially since we don't...
I continue to cook from scratch while visiting with my sister in NYC, even though her neighborhood has multiple tempting restaurants. Tonight was a taco/tostada buffet using pinto beans cooked in her Instant Pot and yesterday was okonomiyaki, inspired by a single cabbage that I found in the back of her refrigerator. Neither of us...
I went for a brief stroll around my sister's NYC neighborhood and came across a yard debris container filled with pruned scraps from someone's Limelight Hydrangea shrub. I helped myself to a few and brought them home for a delightful bouquet of flowers. I also found a quarter and a penny while out and...
We made "nacho bean dip" for dinner last night, which was a big hit with everyone. This involved cooking up black beans in her Instant Pot and then layering it with Trader Joe's soy chorizo, sautéed onions and peppers, Tillamook cheddar cheese (my hostess gift) and then baking it all together. We then topped it...
I recently rediscovered the British TV show Money For Nothing on Amazon Prime, which might've been produced specifically for me as their sole audience. The show's format is to take items being dumped into the "tip" and transform them into "bespoke and valuable pieces" for resale. The host then returns any profit to the original...
Today's blog post is a straight up brain dump (foot dump?) as my mind is scattered and I don't have it in me to focus my thoughts into a coherent frugality post. My Left Foot Let's start with my left foot, although not in a Daniel Day-Lewis way. I have a plantar fibroma, which took...
I sold a second pair of Adidas sneakers* from my evening of aprés-garage sale freebies. Not a fortune at $18, but still 100% profit since I got them for free. For those keeping track, this is what I've sold so far: • IKEA outdoor table -- $50 • Tempered glass coffee table -- $20 •...
My son ordered a pair of jeans through my eBay account, but they didn't fit right, so I offered to manage the return for him. He'll eat the $9 to ship them back, but he'll get the $25 purchase price back. I'm encouraging him to buy jeans in the future that he can actually try...
I continue to cook almost all our dinners from scratch while my adult nephew is visiting from NYC. (I did splurge on Olé Olé takeout burritos for the boys one night.) So far we've had Mexican chicken soup, chicken adobo, fried rice, green curry chicken with veggies, plus one night of leftovers. Tonight will be a...
My husband's friend gave him four last minute tickets to a Trail Blazers basketball game, which at this level start at $105 apiece. (Plus we got free parking!) Although our son was up for the spontaneous adventure, we did let one ticket go to waste as we weren't able to scrounge up a fourth person....
Christmas is finally in the rear view mirror, so I can now safely share my gifts without spoiling things for family members who read the blog. • I bought each of my kids a new pair of Doc Martins per their request. • I also bought them both new sets of sheets, which I ordered...
I'm finally testing negative for Covid and am slowing regaining my normal level of energy. Not a lot, but enough to run a couple errands and look at something besides the four walls of my house. It's not impressive, but it's certainly frugal. Here are my "tiny frugal things:" I got a free Doritos Locos...
My husband and I are finally back at home in Portland. And yes, we're positive for Covid again after completing our five day cycle of Paxlovid. We flew home, but only after consulting with the NYC public health doctor who told us it would be safe to fly as long as we wore masks throughout...