Making Extra Money

by Katy on November 15, 2012 · 44 comments

You know that frugal tips and I go together better than monkeys and bananas, but you might not realize that I’m also an aficionado of making extra money. Whether it’s found money, (I came across a small pile of pennies outside the library just yesterday!) or odd side-gigs, I love, love, love me some money.

But wait, shouldn’t someone who calls herself The Non-Consumer Advocate be above the crass pursuit of the American dollar?

Nope.

The money I make from my job as a labor and delivery nurse goes towards retirement, household expenses and the rather dull daily expenditures of life. But the money I make from all my hinky money-hacks, that money goes towards fun stuff. Which is in and of itself an incentive to bring in extra money.

All those trips to Japan this year? They added up to over $8000 and were paid for unconventionally.

Cleaning my mother’s guest cottages between rentals, selling thrift store finds on Craisglist, participating in a reality TV segment that thankfully never aired, (cough, cough, Extreme Cheapskates) and paid writing gigs. That money added up.

Now that I’m all done shelling out the Yen, my goofy side-gigs are starting to pad my sons’ college funds, which have never been able to receive the attention they deserve. I’m selling thrifted stuff on Craigslist (I just sold a girl’s bicycle and some American Girl doll furniture) and continuing to clean houses, accepting paid writing assignments and considering unconventional methods. (Should I try to get work as an extra on one of the TV shows that shoot in Portland?)

I’ve set a personal goal of putting aside an extra $100 per week for my 11th grade son’s college account, and although I know I’ll mostly fall short, I’m enjoying the challenge.

What do you do to earn extra money? And do you spend (or save) the money differently than regularly earned money?

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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{ 44 comments }

Non-Consumer Photo Essay — Thrift Store Bras and Ryan Lochte

by Katy on November 13, 2012 · 11 comments

Looking through my photos, I came a across a few blog-worthy photos to share. Which included . . .

Homemade Halloween costumes.

Me with a backdrop of thrift store brassieres.

Stuff even I will not buy used.

The 1928 Olympic uniform that my husband’s grandfather wore when he ran the Steeplechase in Amsterdam.

And a certain groovy Olympian enjoying the company of a barely-legal girl who had just been eliminated from America’s Got Talent. Cause yeah, this is what was happening backstage at The Today Show.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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In Defense of Simple Pleasures

by Katy on November 13, 2012 · 53 comments

Sometimes I feel bad about how I don’t lead a gripping life. There are many days when I go nowhere except to drop the kids at school. I hunker down at home to write, craft, read, cook and putter. To say it’s unimpressive would be an understatement.

Shouldn’t I be out hiking, drinking with the girls, cycling country roads and checking in about town with my iPhone? (Oh wait, I don’t have an iPhone. Scratch that.) My friends on Facebook seem to be out and about all. The. Time.

What’s wrong with me?

If it’s wrong to be content sitting at home eating a big bowl of oatmeal and taking care of household tasks, then I don’t want to be right.

Walking to the store to buy fresh ingredients for a single meal instead of meal planning a two week schedule,  cuddling under a blanket to read the newest library book, rearranging my already-bought belongings for a new look, watching goofy TV with the kids, bundling up to attend a youth soccer game.

This is what I like to do.

Yes, it would be awesome to win a free family trip to Hawaii or Mexico. But even if I don’t, it turns out that I’m quite happy hanging out at home, impressing no one and patting myself on the back for both doing laundry and putting it away.

You may call it dull as dirt, but it suits me.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Don’t Like Your Frame? Paint it!

by Katy on November 12, 2012 · 10 comments

I know you’re probably getting bored with posts about painting household items, well too bad because I’m on a painting streak with no end in sight! So here goes another before-and-after treat from yours truly. 😉

I picked this frame up  a few months ago in my father’s schwanky neighborhood. It was leaned up against somebody’s garbage can, just waiting for me. Sure, the dull pastel drawing of pears was far from my cup of tea, but the large frame itself was nice and neutral. The mat showed a bit of water damage, but that didn’t bother me. However, I am not a fan of double mats, especially when they’re different colors.

So I took a can of white spray paint and gave the mat a new life. Now, both mats are the same color and the water damaged part is slightly less noticeable.

And the best part is that I can finally frame a drawing that my son drew of Henry and Mudge when he was a kindergartener. It is so sweet and joyful, and if you look carefully, there’s a pile of poop under the dog. Exactly like my son . . . sweet and joyful, with a devious sense of humor. (This is an example of extreme procrastination, as this son is now 17 years old. Ha!)

My second example of frame-paintin’-madness is a bit more timely, as I’ve only owned this thrift store Elizabeth Harris print for a few weeks. Remember the hideous 1980’s frame job?

  • Triple mat? Check.
  • Brass accents? Check.
  • Super shiny frame also with brass accent? Check.

Shudder.

Enter cans of black and white spray paint, and this stuck-in-the 1980’s frame is welcomed into the new millennium.

The updated frame now matches my other Elizabeth Harris poster, which as you may remember was framed from the bounty of yet another free-pile.

Having a next-to-nothing budget for decorating is never a limitation, but rather a creative challenge. And in my my opinion the result is almost always better.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Used Information, and it’s all New!

by Katy on November 11, 2012 · 13 comments

Like watching me on TV blathering on about buying used? Well then, you’re in luck!

Local news channel KGW 8 (NBC) recently ran a Simple Solutions story about me, so click and enjoy all the non-consumery goodness!

Note — I paid $0 not $80 for the TV, work part-time not full-time as a nurse; and of course, my name is Katy Wolk-Stanley. 😉

Otherwise, it’s all good!

Thank you to Cathy Marshall for the great story!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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{ 13 comments }

Grand Reveal — My Curbside Union Jack Table!

by Katy on November 9, 2012 · 37 comments

Can I please get a nice loud “Halleluyah?” Because I finally completed my makeover curbside table!

Remember? from HERE and HERE.

And my secret tabletop design  was . . .  a Union Jack! (Okay, it’s really more of an homage to the Union Jack, but why quibble about details?)

 Here’s a shot from above:

 And here’s how adorable the table looks with the sides down.  

I will later publish a post with all the nitty-gritty details, (hopefully with better pictures) but I love this table so much that I just had to share it in the here and now.

And by the way, I spent $3.65 on this entire project, which was the cost of a can of spray primer.

♥

And just for fun, the obligatory before picture:

So, what do you think?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Wanna Come Over and See My Etchings?

by Katy on November 8, 2012 · 17 comments

I want to introduce you to two new pieces of art that recently joined my household. First of all is Beulah, whose simple yet skilled floral painted flower presented itself by way of the main Goodwill right here in Portland, Oregon. At $7.99, she was a bargain too good to pass up. (Not to mention that my mother and I were shopping together, and she insisted on treating!) The painting is signed by a Ms. Beulah Lee, and the back says 1974.

She now lives in a centrally located corner of my dining room. I could not have asked for a more perfect painting for this tall narrow spot.

My second new piece of artwork is a signed and numbered original Elizabeth Harris print that perfectly pairs with the framed poster I already have. (The artist is a friend of the family, and the poster itself was a wedding gift.) Unfortunately, it’s framed by the ghost of 1980’s past, with multiple mats, brass accents and a super shiny red wood frame. (I am of the camp that believes that a frame should not overwhelm the art.) The print was priced at $40, but I pulled a 30% discount card from a container, which brought the price down to $32. (Thank you, William Temple House Thrift Store!)

Ignore the hideous frame and enjoy the beautiful print!

I placed the print in our entryway, where she will have the same sightline as her sister-wife.

And later today, I will take advantage of the rare Oregon sunshine to spray paint the hell out of this awful frame for a more neutral look.

I like having original art in my home, and see no reason why a limited budget would ever get in the way of my aesthetic leanings. From $1 paintings to a $18 Maxfield Parrish print, I get exactly what I want without breaking the bank.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Sir Mix-a-Lot Got Nothing on Me

by Katy on November 7, 2012 · 46 comments

My name is Katy Wolk-Stanley and I am a mixmaster. I mix the last drips of whipping cream into regular milk for baking, I mix two bottles of underwhelming shampoo and I smoosh the last gummy bits of soap onto the crisp new bar of soap. You might say I like to mix things up. I hate having multiple containers of small amount of product, whether they be liquid soap, mustard or hand lotion. It’s cluttery and gets in the way of  my spa-like home. (This is totally tongue in cheek, as my house currently resembles a Monday morning frat house, as I worked 24 hours over the past two days. Seriously, my house is naaasty.)

As much as I hate waste, (food or otherwise) sometimes it’s not worth making myself eat or slather myself with a decidedly subpar product, but oftentimes mixing stuff up can create an acceptable alternative. Not that I didn’t write a most excellent product, but rather an acceptable alternative.

Sometimes, acceptable really is good enough. Overly scented lotion can be mixed with its unscented cousin, too sweet and too spicy barbecue sauces can combine to create an I-guess-this-will-work dinner option; and the last of three different liquid soaps can all pour together into a single pump, even when the colors and opacity are all different. (True story, scandalous but true!) It’s frugal, it declutters and helps to avoid waste.

Just call me Lady Mix-a-Lot.

Are you a fan of playing mad scientist when it comes to using up the last drips of various household products? Please share your experiments in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 46 comments }

Thrift Store Banking for Targeted Savings

by Katy on November 5, 2012 · 12 comments

Do you have a hard time putting money aside? Would it help if your savings habits were tied to specific goals?

Well then, perhaps these thrift store banks can help!

Need the funds for a drunken girls night out?

Or maybe you’re happy just sitting alone at home with a bottle (or two) of wine?

Then again, you need to be saving for the long term goals such as retirement. Sexy old lady style.

Or even retire happy hobo style?

Whatever your savings style, just make sure to put aside your pennies, and maybe even a dollar or two.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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A Non-Consumer Sunday

by Katy on November 4, 2012 · 19 comments

Painting curbside find furniture, mixing my own colors from what we have in the basement, cutting the painter’s tape lengthwise to make it last twice as long. Wondering if any of my friends have a small amount of polyurethane that I can use.

Hanging laundry on indoor racks, raking my own leaves, eating up my leftovers and renewing a Craiglist ad for a thrifted bicycle I’m selling. Cups of tea.

Walking to the grocery store, carrying my own bags, work and school lunches prepared at home.

A Sunday.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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