Zero Waste Updates

by Katy on November 6, 2013 · 48 comments

Zero Waste Katy

Zero Waste Week may have been seven months ago, but that doesn’t mean that it’s full steam ahead for wastefulness. Reducing my family’s waste is always part of our daily routine. Here are some recent examples:

  • My kids’ school lunches and the adults’ work lunches are always packed with zero waste in mind. Handmade cookies are wrapped in cloth napkins or bandanas, yogurt is scooped into a single serving container and sandwiches are put into fabric wraps or a Rubbermaid container. (The Costco-sized greek yogurts are bought in plastic. My husband did not like my experimentations with homemade yogurt.) Silverwear is got-it-for-free reusable stainless steel, which breaks no one’s heart if misplaced.
  • I do like to use spreadable butter or Earth’s Balance buttery spread for toast, but the packaging and exorbitant cost was bothering me. I found a recipe on Pinterest for spreadable butter that called for nothing more than room temperature butter, canola oil and water.  And now instead of buying $5 tubs of non-hydrogenated margarine, I now have a $1 zero waste (and healthier) solution.
  • I continue to buy my cat litter at Petco, where you can scoop-your-own for a zero waste solution.
  • I made eighteen quarts of applesauce using apples my husband brought home in a paper box. The jars are almost infinitely reusable, and the peels and cores went into the curbside compost.
  • I took my kids out for a rare restaurant meal at Jade Bistro last night. (The BEST restaurant in Portland!) I brought my own empty leftover container and wooden chopsticks from home. (The restaurant has those paper wrapped disposable chopsticks, which are responsible for the annual destruction of 3.8 million trees.) Although the kids did use paper napkins, I used a clean handkerchief from my purse. There’s only so much embarrassment I can inflict upon them.
  • My older son was complaining about how he didn’t really have a warm winter coat. We looked through a couple of Goodwills until I realized that what he wanted was a classic pea coat. And wouldn’t you know it that I had one stashed in the back on my bedroom closet. This quality Land’s End coat was handed down to me in 1987 after my mother’s friend died. I wore it for years, and even had the pockets re-sewn at one point. I have no idea how long my mother’s friend owned the coat, but it doesn’t matter, as its classic looks are as fashionable in 2013 as they were in 1980. Think abut how many trendy and poor quality coats would have been necessary to replace this single sturdy coat.
  • I continue to have the meat counter employees put my purchases in a compostable paper deli container. I wish they would let me use my own clean Pyrex container, but their health regulations prohibit this practice. I am content with this make it do solution.
  • I am replacing a broken zipper on my son’s thrifted school backpack. He’s had it for at least five years, and despite the broken zipper, it’s still going strong.
  • Today my husband refilled the supposedly non-refillable ink cartridges on our printer. He used You Tube and the printer’s own online information to figure out how to do this. He’s been doing this for years, as it’s easy and cheaper than replacing the cartridges. The supplies were from InkSupply.com.

Is my family perfect with our zero waste aspirations? Absolutely not! I have to keep a tight eye on our budget, so I do buy packaged food, often combining coupons with sales. Our family of four puts out a single paper grocery bag of garbage every other week, which is considerably less than the 4.3 pounds per person per day that the average American produces. Buying used, cooking from scratch and searching out the zero waste solutions in our community have made a huge difference in how much garbage we produce.

Are you working to find zero waste solutions for your home? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.

Want to learn more about how to incorporate zero waste solutions into your home? Then make sure to check out Beá Johnson’s Zero Waste Home website!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Link-O-Rama Mama — Income Inequality, Slow Fashion & Lessons From Grandma

by Katy on November 5, 2013 · 9 comments

It’s time again for Link-O-Rama Mama, where I lazily link to other people well written and thoroughly researched articles!

 

Income Inequality and The Pursuit of Un-Happiness

Though provoking short piece from Marketplace:

“First, many people (especially low- and middle-income earners) are likely to perceive the world to be unfair only if “the rich get richer.” It is possible, then, that people will perceive less fairness in the years with greater income disparity, and this perception in turn could lower those individuals’ overall happiness in such years.

Second, income disparity could disjoint and divide community members (Putnam, 2000), and as a result, it could make people trust others less (Ichida et al., 2009). To the extent that trust is positively associated with happiness (Inglehart, 1999), lowered general trust could explain why people are in general less happy in times of income inequality. ”

 

Things My Grandmother Taught Me

Wonderful essay from Cara at Sunnyside Sis about growing up next door to her grandmother:

“When we went over to her house to see her, we did not have the distractions my children have today when visiting with their Grandparents. We didn’t turn on the TV . We didn’t carry over our ipads, laptops, or choose from hundreds of shows to watch on-demand or stream movies through Netflix. We actually spent time together. We followed her around the house and did things with her. ”

 

Make Thrift Mend

A practical protest against Fast Fashion:

“From August 1, 2013- Augst 1, 2014 I’ve committed to a fast-fashion fast. As part of my journey to resist the fast-fashion industry– and it’s unethical labor and ecological practices– I will focus on making my own clothing, shopping for thrifted, vintage, and/ or used clothing, and learning the disappearing crafts of mending, darning, preserving and making garments. I will take this investigation one step further by aiming to buy used clothing that is made of natural materials (cotton, linen, wool, hemp, silk, etc) to reduce the petrochemicals in my closet. I will share my process on this website.”

 

Do you have links to share? Please put them in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Selling Non-Consumerism to Teenagers

by Katy on November 4, 2013 · 40 comments

Nike Elites

I find that there is a general misconception about teenagers and non-consumerism. “My daughter only wants to shop at the mall” and “My son thinks that used clothing is gross.” But I’m here to tell you that teenagers are smart, and they quickly learn that a set amount of money can either buy you a single item at the mall or a full bag of stuff from a thrift shop. (Maybe even with change leftover for an overly sweetened latté.)

Teenagers may be loath to admit it, but they get their attitudes from us. And if buying used is presented as a way to get a “yes” instead of a “maybe for Christmas” from their parents, then they quickly convert their views.

Example?

I recently coerced my fifteen-year-old son into a day of thrifting, and while he whined a bit at first, he quickly changed his tune when he scored two new looking pairs of Adidas MLS Match soccer shorts in the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake colors. Priced at $7, they were also the half-off color which brought them down to $3.50 apiece instead of the new price of $30. Add to that the brand new set of Pentel pens at $3.99 instead of $17.00 and it was almost enough to make him smile. (He was actually super excited about the Goodwill finds, just not so keen about having his picture taken.)

Our next stop was the main Goodwill where he found a new looking pair of Nike Elite running shoes in his size for $4.99. These shoes normally cost $110, so it didn’t surprise me when he complained about going home.

“Just one more Goodwill, mom! Pleeeeeeaaaase . . .”

Would I have bought him two pairs of $30 Adidas shorts, a $17 Pentel pen set and a $110 pair of Nikes? ($187 for all you math geeks.)

Hell, no!

But I was perfectly happy to shell out $16 for some much wanted and fully appreciated Goodwill goodies.

Because teenagers are smart about non-consumerism. Then again, so am I.

Have you found that the teenagers in your life resist your non-consumer ways, or are they quick to see the benefit? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Five Frugal Things — Free Chocolate, Cheap Groceries & A Soggy Scarf

by Katy on November 3, 2013 · 45 comments

It’s time again for Five Frugal Things!

  1. My sons’ morning soccer game was only a mile or so from the house. My husband, (the coach) needed to drive, as he had all the equipment, but I took my time showering, drinking tea, etc. and then walked the distance. Normally soccer games are waaay across town, and I almost drove the short distance out of habit. Because I made the choice to walk, I found a lovely rain soaked plaid wool scarf on the sidewalk of a busy street. I wrung it out, and will add it to our stash of winter wear after a good washing. Who knows, I might even end up giving it as a holiday gift.
  2. I did drive across town to help my mother finish getting one of her rental cottages ready for a new tenant. The last tenant left it an absolute sty, and I hadn’t been able to help as I was working at the hospital. I gave her an hour of my undivided attention which made a huge difference, as she’s awaiting knee replacement surgery and is unable to crouch on her hands and knees. (There was much ground-in food everywhere!) I did not charge my mother for this short use of my time, but I did bring home a half bag of leftover groceries, and she’ll include me in a restaurant lunch with the woman who did help her the day before.
  3. I stopped at Goodwill on my way home and brought home nothing. I did snap a few Instagram photographs to include in a future Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will post. I also popped into Grand Central Bakery, as my husband had made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and I was tasked with picking up a baguette for garlic bread. I checked their Twitter feed to see if it was a Tweet for Treats day and indeed it was! Sadly, they were all out of that day’s particular treat, but that meant I was able to choose something else. The mini pumpkin bundt cake was too adorable to leave behind, so I brought it home for the boys to split. And there were no complaints.
  4. I’ve picked up four free Lindt chocolate bars this week through printing out the $2-off-one coupons. I think the coupons.com one is depleted, but you can still like Lindt on Facebook to get two. Both Walgreens and Rite-Aid have the bars on sale this week, so make sure you take full advantage of this tasty offer! I will use the chocolate as holiday gifts, except for the one we had to taste test. You know, for safety reasons . . .
  5. I did a big deliberate Safeway grocery shopping trip, making sure to load their Just4U coupons onto my club card. I also used one of their $10-off-$50 coupons from the newspaper.

Here’s what I bought:

  • Two boxes of store brand Cheerios.
  • Two boxes of penne pasta.*
  • One can of clams.
  • One bag of tortilla chips.
  • One gallon of fat-free milk.
  • One half-gallon of whole milk.
  • Two containers of frozen apple juice.
  • One bag of whole wheat hamburger buns.
  • One two-pound loaf of Tillamook cheddar cheese.
  • Two packages of frozen Swai fish fillets.
  • One pomegranate.*
  • 2.69 pounds of bananas.
  • 4.99 pounds of oranges.
  • One head of kale.
  • One head of garlic.

Total price: $39.39/ 40% savings

*Manufacturer’s coupon used.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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{ 45 comments }

Piecing Together a Patchwork Income

by Katy on October 30, 2013 · 41 comments

Freshly cut hydrangeas for sale

Although I work as a labor and delivery nurse, my job is part-time and recently became extremely part time. Luckily, I have a lot of irons in the fire. I blog, I clean my mother’s guest cottages between tenants and I resell thrift shop finds. None of these side gigs alone are enough to make a huge difference in my income, but together they pack a wallop.

A reader recently referred to this many-irons-in-the-fire income stream as a “Patchwork Income,” which I absolutely loved. No single piece of fabric in a quilt makes a difference, but together, they create warmth, beauty and a functional piece of art.

Money is the same way.

A few dollars here and a few dollars there and before you know it, you somehow have enough money.

Yesterday was a perfect example of my patchwork income:

  • I fielded a few questions about a thrifted antique mirror I currently have up on Craigslist. I paid $14.99 for the mirror, and am asking $50. (I also recently sold a $50 thrifted chair for $150.)
  • I wrote my blog, which earns me approximately $350 per month.
  • I cleaned one of my mother’s guest cottages, and fished a dollar in coins from the inside of the washing machine.
  • I gathered all the returnable bottles and cans from my back porch, and was rewarded with $7.15 in cash. (I know the true savings is to not buy bottled drinks, but my husband likes locally brewed beer, and it’s been a long time since I last performed this task.)
  • I cut dozens of stems from our hedgerow of hydrangeas in the backyard. The last two Portland mornings have seen frost, and I know that the first truly hard frost will turn our lovely blooms into slime. I placed the flowers in front of the house with a sign reading “Freshly cut hydrangeas — $1 per stem or $5 for 7. Put money in the mailbox.” (Which is locked.) I only sold a single flower, so the sign now says to “Pay what you will.” Not sure if this will pan out, but I just hate to waste the flowers, and they’re so beautiful right now.

Of course the day was also chock full of frugality, such as:

  • Serving a dinner of homemade kale pesto over dried tortellini with a chopped piece of leftover chicken.
  • Stopping at Trader Joe’s and only buying what was on my list, (dried tortellini, milk, eggs, dishwasher detergent.)
  • Visiting the library.
  • Mixing up oatmeal cookie dough for lunches.
  • Mopping my kitchen using a garbage picked Swiffer with a reusable crocheted cover, (thanks to my crafty sister!)
  • Cleaning out the refrigerator to be fully aware of the contents, which helps to minimize food waste.
  • Hanging laundry on the clothesline.

Today I work my regular job, which makes up the largest part of my patchwork income. Not enough, but with all the other pieces, it adds up.

Warm and snuggly, under my patchwork income.

Do you or your family members have a patchwork income? Please share your ideas and stories in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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The Non-Consumer Advocate’s Holiday Gift Idea Forum

by Katy on October 29, 2013 · 102 comments

Gift Idea Forum

It’s easy to be careful when it comes to spending on ourselves, but that austerity can be difficult to maintain when the month of December rolls around. I’ve certainly been guilty of keeping my gift spending under control until December 23rd, when I suddenly panic and plug in the gift holes without a single thought for the financial consequences.

Please tell me I’m not the only one.

I officially only buy used, I do buy food gifts, experiential gifts and the occasional responsibly manufactured doo-dad. And that can add up.

I am only just now starting to think about this year’s holiday shopping. Although I do shop from thrift shops year round, birthdays sneak up and deplete my precious gift stash.

Birthdays are awful that way.

My best piece of advice to keep your holiday gifting expenses under control is to decrease the number of people with whom you exchange gifts. This conversation may be uncomfortable, but you may find that the idea to stop exchanging gifts is a welcome one. No one wants their house cluttered with useless crap, and everyone is keeping an eye on their spending.

Whether it’s used gifts, homemade gifts, experiential gifts or simply no gifts, I want to hear your ideas!

What are you giving this year, and what are you struggling with? What gifts have been hits, and conversely what gifts were duds?

Please share your ideas in the comments section below. Let’s get the ideas flowing, because I truly believe that you can have a Non-Consumer holiday season that’s still generous and meaningful.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Non-Consumer Mish-Mash — Truth in Advertising, Saltine Lamp & Free Chocolate!

by Katy on October 28, 2013 · 17 comments

Granola Bars

It’s time again for Non-Consumer Mish-Mash, where I write a little bit about this and a little bit about that.

Slogans That Really Make Sense

I love clarity in advertising, which is why I found this Huffington Post piece to be absolutely hilarious! It’s wonderful, and it’s all absolutely true! My favorite: “Pizza Hut: We have a salad bar for some reason.”

Which is your favorite?

Goodwill Oddities — They Never Cease

 Saltine Lamp

I know it seems like a shop a lot for someone who called herself “The Non-Consumer,” but I promise you that I’m really not actually bringing all those Questionable-will finds into my home.

Having said that, I had a hard time not bringing home this $4.99 Goodwill vintage lamp. I think I may have made a grievous error.

 

Free Lindt Chocolate

I may not be a crazy coupon lady, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t keep an eye out for the good ones. So when Frugal Living NW posted about free Lindt chocolate bars, I clicked that link faster than Usain Bolt, my husband’s grandfather who ran the steeplechase in the 1928 Olympics, Katy Wolk-Stanley on the hunt for free chocolate.

And best of all it’s for Walgreen’s and Rite-Aid, so it should work as a national deal. It’s not good until November 3rd, but you should print the coupon A.S.A.P., so chop-chop!

Click HERE for your free chocolate.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Today I Am — Zorro, Applesauce & Banksy

by Katy on October 25, 2013 · 27 comments

Zorro

Today I am . . .

Making applesauce, using the $15 box of Hood River apples from my husband, as well as a box of spotty, bruised, but generally okay apples from my sister.

Thinking about the concept of perceived value after reading about how some New Yorkers set up a booth and sold out of “Certified Inauthentic” Banksy art. This was after the artist Banksy made headlines by setting up his own booth to sell anonymous $60 paintings, when his paintings normally sell for $10,000. I buy a gift at Goodwill for $3, and feel worried I will be perceived as cheap. When in actuality, the gift would have sold for $50 in an antique store. The price of an item is random and haphazard, which is difficult to reconcile.

Missing the recent sunshine, and wondering at what point I should give up and take my laundry off the clothesline.

Laughing with my 18-year-old son, who went in for his senior portraits dressed as Zorro. We normally would not go the portrait studio route, but it’s required in order to get a picture in the yearbook. I was dreading this task, but the photographer loved the concept and had a lot of fun with the task. So far we haven’t ordered any expensive prints, but I was allowed to snap a couple of shots with my iPhone.

Thinking about how the person my son was when he was four years old is pretty much the exact same person he is at eighteen. Loving dress ups, insistent on full attention, enamored with Pokémon and a stickler for truth and fairness.

Proud of last night’s dinner, which consisted of Grand Central Bakery’s olive bread, (free from their Tweets for Treats program) and soup. The soup was made by pureeing the leftover carrots, potatoes and onions from Tuesday night’s pot roast. I then added some extra broth and whole milk and created something wonderful out of nothing.

Pleased to have brought my own glass jar to buy bulk cinnamon, and annoyed that I forgot to buy lemon juice.

Now your turn. What are you doing today?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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A Found Change Challenge Update – $31.48

by Katy on October 24, 2013 · 26 comments

The Found Change Challenge

Did you forget about The Found Change Challenge? Well I didn’t. And since yesterday found me sweeping my hand under my credit union’s coin counting machine, (for which I was richly rewarded with $2.05) it’s time for a challenge update.

My coin jar currently holds $31.48, which is not bad at all since I have yet to find any paper money in 2013.

I want to reiterate that to put all your financial focus on large amounts of money is a hugely wasted opportunity. You have daily choices to save (or make) small to medium amounts of money. This money was found penny by penny, nickel by nickel and dime by dime. And now? It’s dollars by dollars.

See how that happened?

Are you participating in the 2013 Found Change Challenge? Please share your thought sin the comments section below. And remember, it’s never too late to join in. So set a jar aside and watch how fast it starts to add up!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Five Frugal Things — Employee Discounts, Carpooling & The Frugal Girl’s Rolls

by Katy on October 23, 2013 · 52 comments

It’s time again for Five Frugal Things, small and random frugal hacks that are completely attainable to the average Joe Katy.

  1. I picked up two over the counter medications at a hospital based pharmacy that’s affiliated with my employer. My employee discount knocked approximately 35% off the bill, and it sure as hell beat the $250 co-pay the prescription plan was going to set me back, which was after the insurance picked up $400+! (Worry not, it’s for a non-lethal rash.)
  2. Yesterday we celebrated my mother’s 71st birthday by having people over to the house for dinner instead of going to a restaurant. I served pressure cooked pot roast with all the fixings. I made The Frugal Girl’s cloverleaf rolls and a carrot cake from scratch. We drank water with the meal, and I served tea with the cake. Wine was offered and refused. The meal (and company) was lovely, yet the entire meal for six people set me back maybe $25, which includes a massive amount of leftovers. (I easily could have spent much less on dinner if I’d chosen a different menu for the evening.) I spent $5 on her gifts, which were two thrifted framed antique cross-stitch samplers. There’s no reason to think that having a limited budget is a barrier to generosity and entertaining.
  3. My older son has his last varsity cross country meet today, but the location is almost twenty miles from the house. I’ve put a notice on the high school Facebook page as well as on my personal page asking if anyone wants to carpool. Having so many parents individually drive this distance is such a waste of gasoline and money. (I already plan to utilize this parent board when it comes time for a graduation cap and gown. To buy these items for a single use is beyond ridiculous!)
  4. The sun is out, which means yes, another load of laundry on the clothesline.
  5. I found a bright and shiny penny on the ground at Fred Meyer yesterday. Coin Girl is ever present!

Now your turn. What frugal thing have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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