My True Love . . .
by Katy on December 13, 2024 · 35 comments
My friend Lise panic bought a bucket of black eyed peas at the beginning of the pandemic and has been slipping them to me ever since. I’ve worked my way through two (three?) jars since 2020 and yesterday was my day for a fresh batch. Luckily the two of us are constantly giving stuff to one another.
Just yesterday I caught Lise buying a brand new Christmas tin at Winco and I instructed her to “put it back,” as I had a trio of perfectly good tins gleaned from last summer’s after garage sale freebie fest. I then sent her this photo of my inventory and told her choose whichever one struck her fancy.
She picked the “wintery trees” tin, which fits as she’s soon to become a certified arborist. She recently reminded me how the two of us each grabbed things from a neighborhood free pile a few years back, only to swap our finds once we got them home. She was fresh off binging episodes of The Home Edit and coveted my lazy Susan and I wanted her square ceramic tray to corral my tea related clutter.
No surprise that I love spending as little as possible on consumer goods, but what I really love is helping other people keep their hard earned money! Add in providing a second hand alternative to a newly manufactured item and I’m in heaven!
The Christmas season and crass consumerism sadly go hand in hand, so it makes me extra happy when I can help someone not purchase a brand new item. Even if it’s just a single tin.
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.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
That white/cream platter could be Buffalo China. There will be a little symbol on the bottom. Often used in cafeterias and restaurants. They do not show scratches from silverware, like it does on Firsta. I own both. We use these platters for ripening tomatoes at my house. And if you find a Buffalo China mug, buy it. Coffee stays warm for a nice long time. Must be in the name, Buffalo! I got my first stack of plates of this brand when my kids were small. We didn’t break a one, neither did my Fiesta plates, which stayed safely in the cupboard.
OK, now I gotta tell my Buffalo China story. A friend of mine is a diner aficionado and an appreciator of diner china. (Back in the day, a china factory in my city–two cities east of Buffalo on the Thruway–made a pretty good bunch of it too.) My friend had just ordered breakfast in a diner one day, flipped up his coffee saucer as usual to check the brand name, saw that it was Buffalo China, and pointed this out to the waitress. The waitress frowned and said, “Wait a minute…they have buffalo in China?”
That reminds me of those “person on the street” segments where my head wants to blow off at how little people know.
Oh, that is so funny! Our everyday dishes are a set of Buffalo China “gray crest” restaurant ware I bought at the Salvation Army years ago. The plates are only 9 inches wide, which is a great size for both portion control and fitting in our shallow cabinets.
Had my chuckle and feel good story for the day with your story about the waitress, your friend and Buffalo China! Too funny!
I feel the same way about getting things into the hands of people who will enjoy using them.
Yesterday I posted a free pair of floor lamps and a loveseat on our neighborhood Facebook page. Almost immediately someone reached out to claim the loveseat and a few moments later another neighbor asked for the pair of lamps. The lamps have already been picked up and the loveseat is scheduled to be picked up tonight.
Three large items are out of my garage, sigh of relief, and hopefully making someone else happy in their new home.
You have definitely helped me keep more of my hard earned money by reading your posts. I’ve been following you for years now and my household has benefitted by it.
1. I saved over $12 on a large pump container of Aveeno bodywash at CVS by using Extracare and coupons. DH and I both have doctor’s orders to use Aveeno.
2. I found a dime in a parking lot.
3. I took DS out for lunch yesterday . He ordered a meatball sandwich which was brought out to him much later than my pizza. A few minutes later, a manager came over to us and told me she was taking the meatball sandwich off the bill for the inconvenience.
4. I put out my Christmas decorations and did not buy a single thing to add. I actually have had too many decorations in the past and have sold some at yard sales and donated some to my church’s thrift shop.
5. I went to a great holiday concert at the library last night. While there, I returned a book and picked up two more I had requested through the interlibrary loan system. Such a wonderful service.
Love a free pile!
1. Had to travel to the main office for my organization for our holiday party yesterday. They served us lunch and coffee and it was a lovely time at no cost to us. I get frustrated when holiday parties require all of us to contribute a (sometimes kind of high) amount of money for pizza and soda, so the fact that our organization springs for a nice lunch and afternoon was really lovely.
2. We had a white elephant gift exchange and we were all encouraged to bring something we had at home already. I regifted a silly gift from a few years back I’ve never used, and I received a mini blender that matches the one we had that died a few years ago. A true win/win!
3. Essentials are cheaper outside of NYC so I stocked up on protein shakes, some toiletries, and some baking supplies before driving home to reduce costs and avoid an Amazon order. Maybe an in-person Target run isn’t much better, but avoiding Amazon is my primary goal!
4. Sold a pair of heels I’d bought for my wedding that never worked out on Poshmark. Lower price than I’d bought them but I’m just happy to recoup at all and get them out of my house. I hope their next owner loves them, they are gorgeous but never fit me right!
5. My fantastic SIL is coming into town this weekend. I was tired in advance trying to think of great holiday activities for us. All I want to do is bake christmas cookies and watch movies…so I pitched that. She agreed. I am so excited for a low-key (low-spend) day.
In one of her Tightwad Gazette books, Amy Daczyczn (aka The Frugal Zealot) has an excellent essay about how consumerism got mixed into the Christmas celebrations. IIRC, the department stores wanted to boost sales so they started advertising campaigns that implied if you didn’t buy people lots of presents for the holidays, you didn’t really love them. (Sound familiar?)
My favorite (thrifted) Christmas cup says “Bah Humbug,” which is what I think about all the secular excess that goes into the season. Somehow Santa Claus has become the god of excess materialism, and we pretty much ignore the real reason for the season — the birth of Jesus Christ — in favor of Santa, Frosty, the Grinch, etc. etc. “Shop ’til you drop” has overshadowed the Silent Night. I think that is very sad.
I’m an atheist and I love Christmas and gift giving. Keep Christ out of Christmas is my motto.
Need I point out that many, many religions have holidays that occur around the winter equinox? Jesus Christ, if he existed, almost certainly was born in the spring, and early Christians just co-opted secular celebrations such as the Roman Saturnalia, which involved decorating, singing, gift giving and so on.
I have a pair of dark and wintery theme flannel pajamas, that I refer to as my “Winter Solstice” pajama pants.
@Rose – well said. Happy Holidays to you. I love Happy Holidays – works for everyone.
Katy & Selena:
My ex is Jewish and I’m an Episcopalian atheist. My kids were raised with secular Christmas even though I kept asking my ex about Hanukkah. He didn’t want to do anything so I bowed to his wishes.
Fast forward a few years and my son has become a devout Episcopalian, often being the crucifer and reading. He asks me to come along and I do a few times a year, both to support him and to feel in touch with my childhood and my mother, who was devout. He’s always annoyed that I don’t take communion but I tell him I don’t believe.
My daughter, who is a big snot, don’t know where she got that from, refers to her brother’s “Jesus cosplay.” Ouch.
I never could understand why my Jewish friends and relations, who claimed to be atheist, went to temple. One finally said, “It is a way of keeping in touch with my Jewish identity,” which made total sense to me. I guess I feel the same re Christianity. I like the teachings of Christ fine–I just don’t believe in his divinity.
Besides, to be honest, I find the idea of thousands of years of humans across the planet being way more interested in feasting and drinking and singing and giving gifts than religion pretty cheerful. Just happily co-opting other tradional holidays. We’re all the same, after all.
I agree with you Lisa. It all gets to be too much. The few gifts I’m buying for family are from an Independent book store and a candy store that makes their own candy. Christ isn’t much in Christmas for a lot of people but I can’t blame them for celebrating. Thanks to advertisers, everyone in its path gets swept up. It is a great time to get together with family and friends too. To each their own I guess, as the old saying goes.
I’m Jewish, not Christian, but we still have a tree and Santa would come to our house. My husband is agnostic and it’s more of a cultural holiday for us than anything else.
I worked with a girl who was Jewish and married to a Christian. They also had a Christmas tree and celebrated both Christmas and Hannukah. Her kids must have been thrilled because I know she did the present-every-night of Hannukah and Christmas morning presents too.
Yeah, we just did Christmas presents. Nine gift giving occasions is too much for me.
I love the feeling of avoiding waste! I’m super jazzed that a bunch of my expiring Hyatt awards are getting used by my Buy Nothing neighbors.
-I also filled out some surveys & made $30
-Defrosted leftovers for dinner
-Used up freezer items to avoid a grocery store run.
-DH brought home leftover fruit from a work catered event, so we had that with our dinner last night.
I’m sure I’ve saved a ton of money over the years by reading this blog. It’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite one.
I don’t have much to add to today. I stayed home yesterday in my pj’s. I read a library book. I scrubbed my bathroom floor and grout and did a little laundry. I made an inexpensive dinner of sh*t on a shingle and roasted green beans made in the toaster oven. I worked on a borrowed puzzle with my daughter for a bit and streamed some TV. I also blew the snow out of my driveway for the biggest frugal activity.
I got some homemade holiday cookies gifted to me in a Christmas tin a couple weeks ago. I washed up the tin and am excited to be able to regift some sort of treats in for someone this holiday season! It’s so great to be able to reuse these.
I too live la vida secondhand loca as fully as possible–and I’m delighted to say that I’ve gotten friends and neighbors in on the act. For example, the Bestest Neighbors and I routinely swap secondhand, regifted, etc. items all year round and at the holidays–and you might not believe some of the gift boxes we’ve been passing back and forth over the years. One Chico’s garment box in particular is about to collapse under the weight of its own graffiti.
In other news (since I haven’t posted in the last few days):
(1) I broke the bank at my risk-free Monte Carlo (i.e., the Coinstar machine at Wegmans) this morning: $1.46 in mixed US and Canadian change in the reject slot. Cha-ching!
(2) I was able to get to a Thrifty Shopper store on a Tuesday (senior discount day) for the first time in ages–and although a new coffeepot was the last thing I was expecting to find, I did find a mint-condition Cuisinart 12-cup coffeepot, exactly like my extremely old one, for under $10 after my senior discount. The *only* thing missing was the carafe lid, and I’ve got extras of those. Woo hoo!
(3) I also found a pair of small/tall Old Navy flannel pajamas with the tags still on for a friend who is tall, thin, and hard to fit. I think she’ll be delighted.
(4) Since I don’t have five today, I’ll close with this one: I have made year-end donations to a couple of environmental charities that are dear to my heart. As Margaret Renkl pointed out in a recent NYT column, this is one way we can act against despair at things that may be coming.
I have a Cuisinart coffee pot as well, which I thrifted when my late uncle pointed it out in a Goodwill maybe five years ago. He had the same one and wanted to make sure I took advantage of the low price. Thanks, Uncle Jimbo!
Nice score at the Coinstar! I think my biggest score was .37…but it’s okay…found money is always appreciated and goes directly into my Found Change Jar. I’m looking forward to December 31st, when I count it out.
Let the Found Change Challenge begin on the 31st!
I start with proof that there are good people: our neighbor’s boyfriend is worried about the oldies on our block since we had about 10 inches of snow last night and now the temperatures are dropping and will be about -9 by this afternoon. (When it gets too cold, no snow, so if temps suddenly go up in the winter it means snow.) So, he is going to use his plow and clean our driveways as soon as the snow stops this afternoon.
I, too, feel a little charge of pleasure when I can help someone else save money—especially if it is a new tip the person never thought of.
1. The grocery store produce guy was pulling things about to go out of date and he offered me this HUGE fruit tray and marked it down to $1 and wished me a merry Christmas!! I practically kissed him because those trays are expensive and I would never buy them. We now have fruit for many days, partly because I froze the pineapple chunks (which I love to eat semi frozen).
2. By passed the alluring holiday treats in the grocery store so I walked out with a gallon of milk and my dollar tray of produce.
3. Did a USPS mystery shop to mail my sister her Christmas gift for free.
4. Signed up for a mystery shop I did not want but thrilled my husband. We have to go to a bar/restaurant on Sunday to eat and track if their TVs are tuned to football. This place makes great Philly cheesesteaks!
5. Made the husband stop the car so I could trash pick a puzzle lying on top of someone’s garbage pile. It is a Christmas puzzle.
I love the mental image I now have of your husband dramatically screeching to a halt for a possibly soggy puzzle.
@Lindsey – you are in what I call “the circle”. People who watch out for other people (who are not grifters, deadbeats, et al) and don’t keep tabs on “favors” or helping each other out. Those in the circle know it may never be one for you, one for me, but we’re okay with it. Be happy you’re in a circle, there are not enough of them these days.
1. I ate both lunch and dinner last night at work (for free). And drank the free crappy coffee.
2. My colleague gave me free bottles of “craft” gin and Campari, leftover from an event. I happily accepted them.
3. I had pushed back my 3-hour commute so that I could do a grocery store mystery shop (can only be done during certain hours). Since this will mean that I’m on the road during dinner hours, I was able to schedule another mystery shop for dinner & get paid $20 in addition to paying for my food.
4. I’ll make a vat of mac & cheese to put in the freezer for Christmas Eve, using ingredients free from mystery shop (cheese & milk) and on sale (butter & pasta). Of course, frugal breadcrumbs from stale bread (free from mystery shop).
5. I didn’t use heat in the bedroom this week, just the heated mattress pad, which continues to be the best purchase made in 2024!
I stayed home today and cleaned house, which included litter box spa day for the kitties, a process that involves liberal use of the cat litter and potty pads purchased at Ollie’s Outlet.
Used our 20 year old Libman Freedom mop with washable toweling pads to mop the floors. The pads have been washed and are hanging up to dry.
Pooper-scooped the back yard with an old bread bag on my scooping hand and an empty cereal bag in the other for conveying poop to the trash.
Last night I refilled the hand soap and dish soap bottles with the big refill jugs. The dish soap bottle in the kitchen dates back to before Covid, but still works just fine.
And here I thought “spa day” was an entirely different thing! I have an old Trader Joe’s foaming hand soap bottle in the bathroom, which I refill with watered down liquid dish soap. Works great!
OK, Ruby, I’m going to try telling Betty that she’s having a “spa day” the next time I clean out the litter box (and she dashes down the basement stairs and gives me the fisheye). But I don’t think she’ll buy it. 😀
I figure the girls probably appreciate having their potties deep cleaned. 😀 They are both big cats with jumbo size boxes and I get my weight lifting workout for the day hauling around 20 pound bags of litter and carrying the dirty litter to the trash. I’m quite short and hefting the bags into the trash bin always is touch and go.
1.) transportation- My job used to cover my subway expenses but now I’m on my own. I had a friend come and visit me, and she gave me her subway card with the remaining balance when she left which had about $7 on it. I also qualified for Fair Fares, so I get subway rides half off.
2.) I continue to get lucky with finding pennies (& even dimes!) on the street.
3.) I have saved quite a bit on not going out to eat the last few days. (Usually I go at least once a day.)
4.) I digitized my wardrobe and am making sure to get use out of the items I already own. I have been renting clothes too but realized I have enough in my closet for even formal events to not have to do that next month.
5.) I didn’t participate in Black Friday or impulse buy anything.
I think we should all reveal our ‘found $’ for 2024. I’ll be optimistic and expect to find more by December 31. (Time will tell!)
Yes, I post an annual wrap up of the Found Change Challenge at the beginning of each year!
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/the-found-change-challenge-total-for-2023-was/