The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. I took my vacuum cleaner apart to unclog the tubing, which was a messy but satisfying task. I’ve been troubleshooting the occasional issue with this vacuum since 2001, yet don’t use this normal maintenance as an excuse to replace it. An appliance is naturally going to need the occasional repair. This is both a financial and environmental issue, as the overmanufacture of consumer goods is detrimental to the health of our planet.

   The Story of Stuff points out how manufacturers profit from consumers perceiving older items as clunky and outdated, even when they still meet our needs.

   As Annie Leonard put it:

   “I’ve had the same fat white computer monitor on my desk for 5 years. My co-worker just got a new computer. She has a flat shiny sleek flat screen monitor. It matches her computer, it matches her phone, even her pen stand. [It looks cool.] She looks like she is driving in space ship central and I, I look like I have a washing machine on my desk.”

   So yeah, I’ll keep living with my vacuum cleaner, even if it’s neither sleek nor shiny.

2. I signed up for a free seven-day Britbox subscription on Roku so my husband and I could watch the eighth season of Shetland. I then took a photo of how to cancel the subscription and added the task to my calendar with an alert. No taking chances for me!

3. I’m reading a library copy of The Saints of Swallow Hill, by Donna Everhart, as well as listening to an audiobook of The Daydreams, by Laura Hankin through the library’s free Libby app.

4. • I went on eBay and bought a replacement copy of a book that a friend lent to me last summer, as I’d accidentally left it on an airplane. I’d totally let this transgression slip my mind until the memory suddenly snapped back to the front of my brain.
   • I delivered a basket to someone in my Buy Nothing group who was housebound with a sick kiddo.

5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I was in a bit of a post-holiday slump today, so I decided to be extra productive to see if I could at best distract myself; and at worst check some dull tasks from my to-do list. Here’s what I did:

   • I raked the last of the soggy leaves from the backyard. Mostly.
   • I dropped plastics recycling off at New Seasons Market.
   • I returned a board game to Goodwill.
   • I took our two winning scratch-it lottery tickets to 7-11 for a whopping $6. I then had a nice long chat with the owner, who’s an old friend.
   • I stopped into Safeway to pick up my pre-colonoscopy prescription and a dozen eggs.

2. We’ve been eating leftovers since Christmas and since the contents of our refrigerator resembles a tightly packed Tetris game, it’ll be a good long while until we need to do a proper grocery shop again. Eating what we’ve already bought is always the most frugal choice.

3. I took down all the Christmas decor on the 26th, mostly prompted by the kitten’s aggressive tree climbing. I didn’t want my precious garbage picked Christmas tree to suffer irreparable harm, so it’s safely back in storage until 2024. A year when Chanukah and Christmas both start on December 25th.

   A free tree must be protected at all costs, as I’m unlikely to come across another one.

4. • I registered all our losing scratch-it lottery tickets for a “second chance” on the Oregon lottery app. Please cross your fingers for us!
   • I listed a large basket and an antique throw pillow on my Buy Nothing group. Part of my never ending effort to rehome the “cool” things I bring home, but now just clutter the home.

5. I didn’t thrift any tiny Lear Jets.

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

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1. I ordered a gift for my mother that won’t come until after the holidays, so I painted a picture of the gift. Just like I did for my daughter’s Doc Martins a few years ago.

   

2. I have these Pottery Barn velvet and silk pillow shams that I absolutely love. They’re the perfect weight and softness, but I acutely dislike the orange-y coral color, so I ordered a packet of Rit dye.

   
   I’d hoped for more of a darker burgundy tone, but the dark pink accidentally matches my handmade Marimekko lampshade so I’ll take the win.

   

3. I thrifted this handmade Christmas stocking last year, as it was too spectacularly ugly to leave behind. I paid maybe a buck-ninety-nine.

   However I felt it was time to pass it along to someone new, so I put up a post in my Buy Nothing group saying “Offer: The world’s ugliest Xmas stocking. Perfect for a white elephant gift exchange or giving to your least favorite relative.”

   I quickly got a response from someone who needed something for a white  elephant gift exchange and she’s promised to let me know the response.

   

4. • I gave and received Christmas treats with multiple neighbors.
   • I borrowed my next door neighbor’s fondue pot, which is my annual tradition.
   • I’m either wrapping all our gifts in pillow cases or not wrapping them at all. I hate the waste and don’t like having to store wrapping paper.

5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

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.

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1. I got a letter in the mail informing me that my credit union had “not yet received payment on your account.” My credit card account! My husband and I rarely use this card, as we prefer a different card with perks. This card is set to automatically pay off every month, or so I thought! I clicked into the account and found $55.30 in late fees, so I drove down to the brick and mortar branch and met with an employee.

   The credit union employee guessed that there’d been a “hiccup” with the account and was able to reverse the late fees. We once again have the account set to automatically pay off every month.

2. The credit union is down the street from H Mart, so I nipped in to pick up various Japanese treats for the kids’ stockings. Batching errands for the win!

3. I’ve reached the point of Christmas shopping where I’m panic shopping looser with my budget. However, I still want to buy used as much as possible. I decided to get each of the kids a new set of sheets, so I went on eBay and bought each of them a “new” set from an independent seller. In original packaging and for the low-ish cost of $19 and $23.99, including shipping. I can cross it off my list without enriching a certain bloated billionaire whose name rhymes with Schmeff Schmezos.

   These sheet sets are both brand new, yet purchasing them doesn’t prompt a replacement set to be manufactured. I call that an environmental win.

4. Our minivan has been having issues with a phantom electrical draw that emptied the battery and had us stymied. My husband initially took it to Les Schwab, where we’d bought the battery four months ago, but they assured us that there was nothing wrong with it. My husband then researched how to check the alternator and was even convinced for a bit that we had a problem with one of the automatic side doors. We plunked down money for both a battery charger and a portable battery jumper.

   My husband finally brought it to the mechanic at work who tested everything and diagnosed it as . . .  a battery issue! Les Schwab finally confirmed and replaced it at no cost to us.

   My husband tried to pay the mechanic for his time, but he refused compensation. So instead I sent my husband into work today with a rather sizable tin of assorted Christmas cookies. Which probably cost $4 to make.

   I’m pretty irked about the time and expense spent trying to figure out what was wrong with the car when it was as simple as a faulty battery. I suppose I could raise a stink, but instead I’ll chalk it up to “shit happens” and move on.

5. I didn’t thrift any tiny Lear Jets.

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

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1. Now that Chanukah is over, it’s time to pull out my two bins of Christmas stuff, which means our enormous garbage picked artificial tree and the hodge podge of hand-me-downs and thrifted decor. Cheap and irresponsibly manufactured holiday products have somehow become a normalized component of the holiday season; and it’s downright depressing to witness the store to landfill waste stream.

   I just want you to know that it’s okay to decorate lightly with what you already have.

   Sometimes it’s best to just tape a red nose on your existing decor!

2. I took the last of a gallon of slightly sour milk and made a bit of ricotta cheese by simmering the milk and adding a splash of white vinegar. I then strained it through a dish towel to separate the whey from the milk solids. The whey can be saved for bread baking and the “ricotta” paired  with pasta. Easy and without food waste.

3. I made a big pot of chicken soup using just a single frozen leg quarter. Of course I also added onions, garlic, dried chives, carrots, potatoes, peas, herbs and spices. I love using my Instant Pot for soups and beans, as it’s as easy as pushing the buttons that says “soup” or “beans.” I know that Instant Pots are a trend that came and went at this point, but having a pressure cooker that doesn’t require babysitting is a game changer. Game changer!

4. • I sold a thrifted University of Portland diploma cover to someone in Guam. Thanks, eBay!
   • I carpooled to Trader Joe’s and the hardware store with my friend Lise. I hadn’t planned on shopping on a weekend so close to Christmas, but I couldn’t turn down the offer to combine an unpleasant task with socializing. Plus, I needed a fresh gallon of milk.
   • I held off on buying a couple items from my grocery list at Trader Joe’s as they were significantly more expensive than Winco. Example? $3.29 for a bag of onions, versus $1.29 at Winco.
   • I listened to Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died through the free Libby app.
   • My across the street neighbors let me set our yard debris can out with their pickup, so I raked their front yard as a thank you. We share garbage service with other neighbors, which means we our yard debris turn is only every other week.
   • I made a double batch of ginger snaps to give as gifts and immediately put them in the freezer so we wouldn’t be tempted to snack on them.
   • My next door neighbor accidentally bought two bags of rosemary crostini bread, so he gave them to us. I stuck a bag in the freezer and grilled and served the rest with the chicken soup. I gifted him a jar of homemade butternut squash soup as a thank you.
   • I went to watch my husband play hockey and found a quarter, two dimes and a penny outside the rink. That is my idea of a spectator sport!

5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

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.

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