Non-Consumer Photo Essay -- Daily Non-Consumerism
It's rare that my days don't include a handful of non-consumer and frugal tricks, sometimes they're a wow moment, but most of the time they're so routine, they pass by unnoticed. So now that my blog is back and functional again, (hip-to-the-freaking-hooray!) I thought I'd try and record a few of them. Of course, it's through my Instagram account, so pardon any overly pseudo artsy-fartsy filtering.
Just the other day I decided the time had come to clean out the ol' mini-van. I find that sweeping it out is 97% as efficient as hauling out the vacuum cleaner, yet is somehow 167% less hassle.
However, I don't own a hand broom.
What I do have is a regular broom, which when the handle is unscrewed magically becomes a hand broom.
Ta da!
One less thing to own.
After repainting the windows over the front porch, I took a good look around the porch and indulged in a thorough cleaning and decluttering session. I then put the stuff which didn't make the cut onto the curb, and it was all snapped up within 24 hours:
But it's not just furnishings and household goods that appeal to Portland's curbside shoppers, as I also had a large bag of dense foam packaging that was staking a claim in my garage. I tried to bring it to the recycling center, but was informed that it didn't fit any one category.
So off to the curb it went:
It too became a distant memory by the time I remembered to check back on it.
I'm not the kind of blogger who styles and photographs her every meal, (you're welcome!) but I do occasionally decide to record a few. Just today I constructed what I'm going to call the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Constructed from:
- Loss leader sale Tilamook grilled cheese. ($4.99 per 2-lb loaf)
- Dave's Killer Bread, bought at the outlet store, which brings the price down from $5 per loaf to $2 per loaf.
- A perfectly ripe tomato, which was gifted to me from my next-door-neighbor.
- Grilled in my ancient cast iron skillet, and sizzled up in my homemade spreadable butter.
Behold the perfect last bite!
My husband volunteers teaching CPR, and always brings a carton of Starbucks to the classes. (Paid for by the non-profit that oversees the classes.) The leftover coffee then comes home, and becomes my go-to coffee for the week. I'm not a morning coffee person, but I do love a iced coffee in the afternoon when I start to drag. (Truthfully I'm a drag at all hours, but that's an entirely different blog post.)
Pour the coffee over ice, add a bit of milk and sugar and I'm in heaven. All in the name of food waste avoidance.
Non-consumerism, ever present and rarely a sacrifice.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
If I purchase a pound of really good coffee, I always save the leftovers for iced coffee. So refreshing in the afternoon!!!
And I love that my comment does clock before it posts. And that I don't get an error message. You're the best Katy!!!!
Now I'm craving iced coffee!
So glad to see the blog back up! I also use left over coffee for iced coffee. Can't let the liquid gold go to waste!
I sometimes freeze the leftover coffee for an addition to iced coffee!
The grilled cheese sandwich looks and sounds amazing.
We put things on the curb and use Freecycle a lot, it feels great to know your things have a new home.
I needed a new cover for my porch chaise. So I upcycled an unused piece of fabric, pinning it to the underside edges of the cushions and voila, a new cover at no cost!
And now I want grilled cheese.
I love grilled cheese with tomato....yum!
I cannot get over that price for a 2 lb brick of good cheese! I buy a 2 lb brick of Cabot extra sharp cheddar, which I slice very thinly (with a regular knife, no cheese slicer here), but it costs over $9 now, and never goes on sale, darn it.
Almost all the 2-kb bricks were on sale a few weeks ago for that price, so I filled the fridge!
Me too. So jealous. I *love* Tillamook cheese, which is not available where I live at all, let alone at such a great price.
I have to say that my favourite line in this whole post was "(Truthfully I’m a drag at all hours, but that’s an entirely different blog post.) " I can so relate to the drag ...part of being who I am. I could blame it on business, but that would be a stretch. Honestly, you seem to get so much done in a day/week. I'm impressed. Sometimes I think I should just hook and IV line of coffee up to me and call it good. 😄
Have a great week!
I have that same broom! LOL
I think it was form Costco.
I meant the taking off of the handle. My husband lost my little broom
My mouth actually watered a little bit a la homer simpson or a dog thinking about the sandwich.
I wonder who saves more money: me for not having a car or you for being able to stock on grocery sales, since I can't carry much on foot or bike.
So glad to see comments again!! I have a similar broom that the handle broke and handle was metal so I clean my van the same way..works well so now I just keep the broom under the seat to use regularly in the car..and yes I too had to make a grilled cheese sandwich!!
I love old-school grilled cheese sandwiches made that way too. Did you know that most of the current generation has never made them properly - they just make toast, put cheese between the slices, and melt it in the microwave. Sacrilege!
Hmmm.... maybe we'll have grilled cheese for dinner! That looks so darn good. 🙂
I am a little bit envious of how easily you can get rid of stuff! I have been trying to sell and now give away a pair of wing chairs for over 2 weeks! Yard sale, then Craigslist, then Front Porch Forum, then Freecycle. Nothing! I don't live on a traveled road so putting them out with a free sign wouldn't work. And I dont' want them to get wet. So now I will post them on Craigslist Free. Hey, anyone in northeast Vermont needs some chairs? 🙂
It's a perk of living right in the city instead of the suburbs!