The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. My husband and I used a free library “Discovery Pass” to go to the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, which was small but mighty. Much of the museum focused on the experience of Oregonians who were interned in concentration camps during WWII, including attorney Minoru Yasui who fought the legality of the early curfews and later internment of Japanese American citizens.

   Our kids both attended a Japanese language immersion program from kindergarten through 12th grade, so we’re pretty knowledgable about the treatment of our Japanese Americans citizens during WWII, but the details from the museum filled in some knowledge gaps.

   I was especially moved by the above quote, which seems more relevant than ever.

   

2. We then drove up to Pittock Mansion to enjoy the view and eat a lil’ snacky picnic. Of course it rained, but that didn’t stop us, as we’re true Oregonians and ready for any and all precipitation events.

   

3. We then stopped at Trader Joe’s to grab work lunch supplies and toilet paper. (Their t.p. is made from 100% recycled paper, yet not too expensive.) I noted their fully stocked display of pastel mini totes that are making people lose their minds with consumer lust, yet didn’t see a single tote in anyone’s cart. Kind of proud that Portlanders have the critical thinking skills to steer clear of this viral trend.

   

   The overmanufacture of consumer goods is not going anywhere when shoppers flock to buy unnecessary and shoddily made items just because they’ve gone “viral.”

4. • My husband and I started watching the third season of White Lotus through my parents’ HBO account. No spoilers, please!
   • I picked up four canning jars from someone in my Buy Nothing group.
   • I renewed my Restoration Hardware chairs listing on Facebook Marketplace. No inquiries yet, but I’m patient.

5. I didn’t manipulate the financial markets to enrich my cronies.

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.

{ 44 comments }

1. I invited my neighbor over for tea and a cozy catch up, which scratched my itch for socializing. I happen to have made pumpkin bread the night before, which we enjoyed while sipping our tea. Having a social life doesn’t have to be expensive.

   By the way, the pumpkin puree was from last year’s uncut Halloween pumpkins that I mooched off the neighbors.

2. I did a big Winco grocery trip to stock up on standard ingredients, produce and bulk food items. I rarely shop for specific meals and instead just keep the kitchen supplied with food that can be combined into a variety of different meals. The total price was $77.41, which included four pre-tariff boxes of Tetley tea and an extra parmesan for my parents.

   I picked up three abandoned receipts in the parking lot to scan into the Fetch app, as I’m unhinged that way.

3. My husband fixed a roof leak around a vent pipe, where the silicone had completely disintegrated. I was nervous about him going up on our steep roof, but he survived and the total cost of the repair was $14.48 for supplies. Luckily it was over our unfinished attic, so there was no damage to the interior of the house. I have no idea how much it would’ve cost to hire out this repair, but I’m guess it would’ve been a hell of a lot more than $14.48!

4. My husband reinstalled a large trim piece that he removed from our car in January when installing an aftermarket backup camera. I was worried that the plastic piece would get broken or lose pieces if we didn’t get it back into place. As you can see, we’re both in T.C.B. (takin’ care of bidness’) mode! Again, DIY for the win!

5. I didn’t pass a bill to suppress voter rights, including millions of married American women who took their husband’s last name.

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.

{ 51 comments }

I’ve been seeing an interesting trend on social media where people ask “What’s your most unhinged hack” related to whatever their speciality is. I read through one Thread that specifically asked:

“Please tell me your most unhinged money saving hacks. I’m not talking about save 5% of your paycheck or make coffee at home. Give me the most unhinged, feral things you’ve done to save money?”

There were over 3,500 responses ranging from illegal to actually useful suggestions. Either way an enjoyable rabbit hole, because you know I’m always on the hunt for new money saving ideas!

Now it’s your turn — what is your unhinged/feral things you’ve done to save money? Please share your stories in the comments section below!

To follow her lead, I’ll go first:

There’s almost nothing something that I consider “too cheap,” whether it’s eating at home before going to a restaurant, garbage picking or secretly gathering wild blackberries in the back of a retail establishment. No shame to my game!

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.

{ 170 comments }

1. I was able to use my $1 gluten-free bread to make a big plate of French toast for my daughter. Yummy, yummy, frugal, yummy!

2. There’s an artist that my father likes, so I found a book about him through the library’s website. I checked the book out today and brought it over to him. Frugal “gift.”

3. I’ve been on a T.C.B. (“taking care of business”) kick lately and am working my way down the list of annoying but Important-with-a-capital-I tasks. Friday was taking the minivan through DEQ for testing and registration and today was taking that same car to the autobody shop for a damage estimate.

   A month ago I backed into a tree branch that was leaning too low into the street, but I was able to contact the owner and they should pay for the damage. This task has been weighing on me, as it was easy to procrastinate. The estimate has now been sent and I should be able to get my crunched “tailgate spoiler” replaced before it becomes something I meant to deal with.

   Takin’ care of bidness!

4. The library had a bowl of hard candies out, so I grabbed a lemon variety after a brief conversation with librarian about which one was best. It became my after-dinner treat and it only slightly tasted like lemon Pledge.

5. I may have lost $115,000 from my retirement account, (I wish I was kidding) but at least I got a free piece of candy.

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.

{ 65 comments }

1. My husband installed the curb picked light fixture in the dining room, which required two trips to the hardware store and longer than you’d expect to configure. This was due to removing one of the vertical column pieces, but also because it didn’t exactly come with instructions. In the end we spent a little less than $20 on new parts and we’re both really happy with the results. A satisfying room upgrade for less than the price of a couple dozen eggs.

   

2. My husband and kiddo had a 5:30 P.M. soccer game last night and I wanted to make sure there’d be a warm meal when we returned. Why? Because rain — it always seems to rain on soccer days! I went ahead and filled the crock pot with bits from last week’s Costco rotisserie chicken and added carrots, potatoes, herbs, spices and a big spoon of Better Than Bullion. We came home to perfectly cooked soup, to which I added homemade dumplings.

   Cheap, easy and delicious, my favorite combination!

   

3. I stood in the rain, but was perfectly warm in my thrifted Land’s End raincoat, under my thrifted Elizabeth Taylor umbrella. I’m guessing I spent maybe $3 since they’re both from the Goodwill bins.

4. I ran into Trader Joe’s on the way back from soccer and bought bananas, just bananas. That store is 95% impulse items, so I gave myself a pat on the back!

5. Happy that secondhand items aren’t subject to inane tariffs.

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.

{ 81 comments }

1. I used the $40 from selling last month’s thrifted chair to buy gasoline as it saves around 35¢ per gallon when you pay in cash. I included the ten dollar bill that I found under my car in January, as I later learned a family member had put it there for me to find. Sadly, fifty bucks still didn’t fill my gas tank.

2. I indeed went to the Franz Bakery Outlet on Saturday and ended up picking up eleven loaves of bread for a schweet ten bucks! (You get a free loaf when you spend $10.) I also scored another “punch” on my frequent buyer’s card. This may seem like an excessive amount of bread, but more than half of those loaves were gluten-free, which are ridiculously expensive. (Think $9.36 per loaf!) My freezer is now fully and truly stocked and I’ll share the gluten-free loaves with my daughter who’s on a tight budget.

3. Portland experienced two full days of lovely warm weather, which inspired me to switch off the furnace and throw open the windows. I love, love, love the period between heating and cooling the house, it’s such a gift!

   

4. • I started reading a new library book that’s neither good enough to recommend, nor bad enough to abandon. Hey, the price was right!
   • My neighbor’s ornamental plum tree lost a few flowering branches, so I gave her some paper yard debris bags that we’ve had sitting unused on our back yard. I then (with permission) helped myself to enough cuttings for two flower arrangements, one of which I brought to my daughter.

5. I’ve spent precisely $0.00 on golfing since I took office.

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.

{ 82 comments }

1. I listed my recently thrifted counter-height chairs on Facebook Marketplace for $300 and am willing to be patient to find the right buyer. The exact chairs are no longer on the Restoration Hardware website, but the armless version is still available starting at $575 each, that is if you pay for a $200 membership. Otherwise they’re $770.

   Click HERE to see my listing.

   

2. My husband and I went to Costco yesterday and although our grand total was unpleasantly high, I did pick up a $4.99 rotisserie chicken, eat four samples and enjoyed a $1.50 hotdog. I can’t really complain about the grand total, as we stocked up on standard single ingredient staples such as eggs, coffee beans, frozen whole berries, frozen chicken breasts and honey. The only “convenience” food we bought were the bags of granola that my husband likes. I know we can make it from scratch, but neither of us enjoy that task.

   I also found a dime and a penny near the self-checkout registers.

   

3. I made more homemade sweet chili sauce, as we ran through the last batch at an impressive speed. This recipe couldn’t be easier and tastes so much richer than the bottled stuff. Plus, it’s super cheap!

4. I gave away an annoying, yet thriving cactus leftover from my youngest’s pandemic-era plant phase. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve painfully grazed my hand across this damned plant.

   I love, love, love my Buy Nothing group!

5. I was too busy watching the last hour of Corey Booker’s filibuster to 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.

{ 67 comments }