1. My youngest came over and cooked up a big pot of red lentil soup for this week’s work lunches, using ingredients we already had on hand. (Lentils, onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, broth and bulk-purchased spices) It may seem illogical to let other people use our ingredients to make their meals, (especially during No Spend March) but I’m more than happy to share with others. I’m really good at bargain shopping and want nothing more than to help other people stretch their dollars.

   Click HERE for my red lentil soup recipe.

   

2. The two of us walked a half mile or so to the library to pick up the books I’d put on hold. Three for them and one for me. I also grabbed a Sophie Kinsella book from a neighbor’s little free library.

   

3. I made a loaf of no-knead artisan bread supposedly for French onion soup, but it was gobbled up before I had the chance to slice up a single onion. Good thing it’s the easiest recipe and takes maybe two minutes to mix up!

   

    

4. I spent a couple scratchy hours pruning my backyard hydrangeas so they’ll be nice and full this coming summer. They’ve gotten leggy over the past couple years, so I cut them waay back. (Hopefully I didn’t screw up!) By the way, this photo is from a couple summers ago. This is what they currently look like:

   

5. I didn’t have to switch up any last minute skiing plans due to protestors.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. My husband had the day off yesterday and it was miraculously not raining, so we planned a walk along the Washington side of the Columbia River. Unfortunately we had a sluggish morning and realized that our timing couldn’t be worse, as we’d be hitting the Portland-to-Vancouver traffic during the beginning of rush hour, which would be a big mistake. Huge! Instead we pivoted and strolled through the Alameda neighborhood, which has gorgeous old houses, as well as postcard worthy views of Portland.

   Quality time with my husband without spending a penny. Priceless.

2. I treated my daughter to lunch to celebrate an accomplishment and she chose locally owned Pho Hung on S.E. Powell Blvd. Not only is this restaurant consistently delicious, but I saw on social media that they’d brought steaming bowls of pho to the striking nurses a few weeks back. (It’s like they knew how to earn my loyalty!) I chose a large bowl of their brisket pho and ate the vermicelli, some of the broth and most of the brisket. I then brought home the broth and added my own vermicelli noodles into the leftovers, which was enough to feed both my husband and myself.

   Three meals from one entrée, I call that a frugal win!

3. Today’s forecast is for a lovely 62°F/17°C and then tomorrow we’re supposed to see 64°F/18°C! I took this as an opportunity to turn off the furnace and open windows to welcome a breath of fresh air in the house. I know that this “false spring” is just a blip on the radar, but I’ll take it and enjoy a couple days without the cost of heating the house.

4. • I did my Winco grocery shopping today, as I won’t be spending any money tomorrow to participate in the Economic Boycott. I plan on continuing the boycott in some way beyond this single day, but am still processing how to make that happen.
   • I stopped by Goodwill to return last week’s droopy-crotch jeans and browsed the store without buying anything. I did take a moment to snap a “Best Mom Ever” photo to send to my kids.

5. I was a good human being. I did not try to overthrow the American government. Did not belittle and humiliate Federal workers. Did not needlessly create chaos. <– Thank you to “Zoe” for this quote.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. My husband and I share a single car, which is only possible because he rides an electric bike to and from work. (It also helps that I no longer have an 18 mile commute!) Our monovehicular status is an occasional issue, but mostly not. I’ve hired a Lyft three times over the past year, which is decidedly cheaper than owning, insuring and maintaining an extra vehicle.

   It saves us a tremendous amount of money, plus it gives me the occasional excuse to laze about hunker down at home. Today is one of those days, as my husband needed to get from Portland to Vancouver, Washington for baseball practice. We’ll probably get a second car at some point, but we’re good for now.

2. The backup key fob for our youngest’s Prius hadn’t worked for awhile, and the story was something about it being programmed incorrectly. I decided to do some troubleshooting and was able to get it to function by simply replacing the button battery. I did watch a two-and-a-half minute YouTube video to figure it out, but I’m still inordinately proud of myself. The best part was that I already had the battery on hand, so no money was spent.

3. I helped my 26-year-old file their taxes, which was free due to their income level. I didn’t actually do anything beyond serve as a sounding board, but it’s always good to have someone there to answer questions, even when you don’t have any.

4. My husband switched from deli meat sandwiches to grilled chicken over rice for his work lunches. This is cheaper, healthier and I imagine a more enjoyable meal. He works 12-hour shifts and needs to pack both lunch and dinner.

5. I didn’t have to write up five things I did this week to justify my employment, yet I still wrote this blog.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I bought a three-pack of quality used hand towels at Goodwill for $4.99. I probably could’ve spent the same amount (or less) on low quality brand new ones from Schmeff Schmezos, but my dollars are my power. When we thrift, we divert usable items from the landfill, we put a dent in the overmanufacture of consumer goods.

   Buy used whenever possible and think twice before you hand your money over to a billionaire!

2. I finally sold the last of my five CathrineHolm enamel bowls, which I’d thrifted for two bucks apiece. I got $6o for it and it was a dream to box up as it was both small and non-breakable. My eBay sales are few and far between lately as I haven’t been thrifting very much, which made this sale extra satisfying.

   I made a simple Instagram reel about thrifting the bowls, which went viral with over a millions views, which I’ve yet to repeat. Unfortunately, I wasn’t monetized at the time.

3. I wasn’t even slightly frugal while my sister visited from New York, but our dollars went to locally owned iconic Portland establishments.

   • ¿Porque No?
   • Elephant’s Deli
   • Horse Brass Pub
   • Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
   • The Heist food carts
   • Berty Lou’s Cafe

4. • I used secondhand supplies to mail out my eBay package.
   • My youngest mentioned wanting to read a certain author, so I put four of his books on hold at the library.
   • My husband and I continue to watch old ER episodes through my parents’ HBO account.
   • I bought a pair of  $9.99 jeans at Goodwill, only to bring them home and realize they fit oddly. (Hard pass on a droopy crotch!) I’ve stapled the receipt onto the price tag to make sure everything is in place for a successful return.

5. I don’t have to take a financial loss selling my Tesla, as I never would’ve bought one in the first place.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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My sister is winding up her visit to Portland and although most of our time is spent visiting with our parents, I’ve roped her into a few shenanigans. Just yesterday I made sure that our errands took us past my old Providence St. Vincent coworkers, where we screamed and chanted our support for them on the 42nd day of their nurse’s strike.

“One day longer, one day stronger!”

I do not miss working for the Sisters of Profit, a company that berates their nurses for claiming valid overtime due to understaffing, but spends millions of dollars to plaster their name on a sports stadium.

We also snuck into the county passport office, so I could drop off a thank you gift for the employee who went above and beyond to make sure my daughter’s passport application included every possible official document before the new administration took office. Her passport was quickly and efficiently processed and it was 100% because of this person’s attention to detail. I wanted them to know how deeply their efforts were appreciated.

I then convinced my sister to close an old credit union account from when she lived in Portland, for which she was rewarded with considerably more money than she realized was in the account. Happy sister!

She then treated us to dinner, where she paid for us to split a huge fish and chips platter. Free dinner for Katy!

I’ll be back to my normal routine starting tomorrow and although I’ll miss having my sister around, I have some neglected projects that require my attention.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I ordered 21 photo prints from the Walgreen’s near my house, but first did a cursory web search to hunt down a promo code. Two minutes and 50%-off later, I was able to bring my order down from $8.19 to $4.09. Walgreen’s photo department always has easy to find promo codes, so I encourage you to look for them if you’re having physical prints made.

   Extra enjoyable aspect of this transaction is that Walgreen’s is sticking with their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, so I feel good about supporting their company.

2. My sister and I were at the end of errands and seconds away from entering a cute restaurant, when I abruptly realized that I wasn’t in the mood to drop twenty bucks on a meal. We drove the fifteen minutes home and heated up some black bean chili that I’d stuck in the fridge. I set out a toppings buffet and we enjoyed the addition of crushed tortilla chips, Tillamook cheese, sour cream and windowsill scallions for a satisfying and frugal meal. Katy, you have food at home!

   The homemade chili was something I’d made for the specific purpose of having a grab-and-go meal in the fridge for my sister’s visit. It incorporated the last of some homemade marinara sauce, as well as a half jar of Trader Joe’s cheap pasta sauce as I was out of canned tomatoes. The beans were from the Winco bulk department and cooked in my Instant Pot. I’d also defrosted a small amount of cooked bulk sausage from the freezer to deepen the flavor. The total cost was probably around five bucks, but it filled my crock pot.

   Worry not about the chili tasting like marinara sauce, as I added enough herbs and spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, crushed red peppers, salt, parsley) to cover up that favor profile!

3. I brought a $9.99 tin of Trader Joe Jingle Jangle treats to a health care clinic that serves the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community to “obtain the compassionate and culturally effective health care that they need and deserve.” I’m a firm believer in direct donations to those in need and I’m guessing that these clinic employees were “in need” of a treat.

4. My neighbor set another Bonne Maman jam jar in her recycling bin, which I quickly brought home. I love, love, love (love) these jars to store my Winco bulk spices!

5. I’m not using my influence as a billionaire to take resources away from people living in poverty.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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