The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. My family met up at a cafe inside of a high end grocery store on Thanksgiving day. They had a serve yourself coffee station, but I was unsure about where to pay and an employee came up to me as I was apparently outwardly confused. He pointed out the VERY LONG grocery line as where to pay, to which my response was “oh, never mind.” He then insisted that I “just take the coffee” and to tell anyone that he said “it was okay.”

   Alrighty then . . . free coffee for Katy!

2. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday, as my husband worked on Thursday. I did the cooking, which meant that everything was homemade. I love the occasional shortcut as much as anyone else, but some things just taste better when you start at the beginning.

   • I made two pies from frozen Jack-o-lantern pumpkin puree. These were standard grocery store pumpkins, which yes — are actually edible. I just strain the defrosted puree so it’s not watery.
   • I made the pie crusts from scratch.
   • I made two pies and a crumble from the apples that fall onto the sidewalk from my neighbor’s tree. I just cut off the bruised and otherwise yucky bits.
   • I baked two loaves of overnight artisan bread and then cut them into cubes, which I then dried in the oven. This made an excellent stuffing.
   • I made cranberry sauce from scratch, although I understand that others prefer the canned variety. Luckily, none of my guests had this preference.
   • I made a double batch of The Frugal Girls’s cloverleaf rolls.
   • I pre-chopped a ton of onions, which I then froze to make the day easier. I also pre-chopped the celery.
   • I made turkey broth the day ahead, using the neck and giblets which meant I was able to make the gravy while the turkey was still in the oven.

   Everything was absolutely delicious, no complaints. Except from the hostess who was very tired by day’s end.

3. My neighbor across the street texted asking if I wanted an extra onion and some leftover celery, which her husband then brought over. He then mentioned that he was on his way to the grocery store for some last minute ingredients and asked if there was anything I needed, as “there’s no reason for both of us to go.” He picked up a couple random items for me and I thanked them with monetary compensation taped to a jar of freshly made red lentil soup.

   This was the day before Thanksgiving and this was an amazing kindness.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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1. My younger sister is spending a few days at the house and wanted to take a bath. My husband and I both shower, so we don’t actually own a drain plug. (They always get so disgustingly mildewy, so I end up tossing them after a couple of years.) However, my sister really craved the full bathtub experience, so we scavenged a plastic lid from the kitchen and a heavy rock from the backyard and McGuyvered a solution. Apparently it worked great, so who am I to argue with success?

   

2. I finally sold my son’s dining room table that had no place in his teensy studio apartment. I thrifted it for $30 and sold it for $175, which included delivery as I was a very motivated seller! We’d been storing it in my daughter’s childhood bedroom and unsurprisingly it took up half the square footage. My daughter’s room is once again ready for houseguests and for my daughter to chill out in when she visits the house.

   

3. I took a thrifted black cashmere sweater that A) no longer fit; and B) had a prominent hole and upcycled it into an infinity scarf. Cashmere’s knit doesn’t unravel when cut, which made this sweater the perfect organ donor. It was as simple as laying the sweater on the floor and cutting across the abdomen for a loop. I then stretched the knit into a cozy “scarf” that loops twice around the neck. Am I . . . a fashion influencer?

4. I started reading a library copy of The Echo of Old Books, by Barbara Davis. I’m only two chapters in, but I’m already hooked!

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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1. Kristen from The Frugal Girl texted to let me know that “creator passes” for FinCon 2025 were just $99 until midnight on Friday. This is superior to the standard amount of $599, so I snapped up that ticket faster than you can say “Katy wants to hobnob with other frugality/financial writers!” Add in that next year’s conference is right here in Portland, Oregon and this was a no brainer.

   I purchased a pricey ticket to attend FinCon 2020 in California, but received a refund for that ticket due to a certain worldwide pandemic.

   I’m excited to see Kristen in person again, as well as Sarah from Budget Girl; plus Joel and Matt from How To Money. Should be fun times!

2. We set the heat for 64° F during the day and 58º F at night. We can always turn it up if we’re cold, but we’re bad about remembering to turn it down when away from the house for extended periods. My husband and I both rock sweaters this time of year, as it makes more sense to heat ourselves instead of our drafty 110-year-old house. There are plenty of warm lap blankets to cozy up with and even heating pads if we’re in the mood for extra indulgence.

   Flannel sheets also play a main character role.

   We’re warm, the house isn’t.

3. My husband’s been working to sell some of the bulkier items from his late parents’ estate, such as their car and a large kiln. (Which both sold over the past week!) He’s putting The Big Effort into trying to sell their run down camper van, but it’s an uphill battle with flaky potential buyers. This’ll be a relief when it finally sells as it costs the estate $40/month for storage, plus it’s a heavy weight on my husband’s shoulders.

4. • Kristen will stay with me during the conference, which’ll save her a ton of money.
   • I did sell the pair of dining room chair for $40, which was satisfying since I paid just $3.98 for them.
   • I sold a needlepointed dog Christmas stocking on eBay* for $35 and used secondhand packaging to mail it out. HERE’S the blog post from when I thrifted it for $2.99.

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky!

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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1. I drove past a tasty looking “FREE STUFF” pile and screeched to a halt, as they’re rare this deep into rainy season.

   

   I brought home:

   • A neutral baseball cap as my Nebraska Cornhuskers one is too bright red for comfort these days.
   • A handmade ceramic butter bell.
   • A “Supreme” brand knit beanie.

   

2. My son and I were visiting a family member in the hospital and stopped at Goodwill on the way home as he’s hot to find things to resell. He didn’t buy anything, but I did pick up this vintage needlepoint Portuguese rooster for $7.99.

3. I listed the Supreme beanie and the rooster needlepoint piece on eBay* before going to bed. For $75 apiece.

4. I have someone supposedly coming by tomorrow to buy a pair of dining room chairs for $40 that I thrifted for $1.99 apiece. My son no longer has room for a dining room table, so these are straggler pieces.

   Edit: Sold the chairs!

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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Curb picked rug and dresser for my daughter’s old bedroom.

1. I hemmed my comfy thrifted flannel pajamas, which are likely designed for men as they have satisfyingly deep pockets. They’re now the perfect length and I don’t have to worry about tripping over the dragging hems. I refer to them as my “winter solstice” pajamas as they’re dark blue flannel with snowflakes, pine trees and polar bears. Nothing Christmas specific, just the deep dark middle of winter!

2. My husband was going to Safeway to pick up specific items for his work lunches, so I added a couple of digital coupon items to his list.

   • Five-pound bag of potatoes for 99¢.
   • Half gallons of Tillamook ice cream for $2.99.
   • Two-pound loaves of Tillamook cheese for $6.49.
   • $1.29/pound turkey. Somehow the 19+ pound turkey rang up for $11.57 total, which I don’t understand but am happy to accept.

   The freezer and fridge are going to be very full by the time we get past all these Thanksgiving season loss leaders.

3. My son and I went through his closet, as he wants to start a Depop account to sell some of the cool clothing he no longer wears. His apartment is ideal for photography as there’s amazing light and white walls, which’ll make this project so much easier for him. He’s super motivated to start earning money outside of his 9-5 job, which is fun to see.

   

   Buy Nothing dresser for my son’s old bedroom.

4. My younger sister came into town for an appointment and stayed the night at the house. My empty nest is lousy with fully outfitted spare bedrooms, which makes it easy to welcome house guests. All I needed to prepare was to throw on some fresh sheets and run the robot vacuum to freshen up the room.

   Our three spare bedrooms are always set up and ready to go thanks to the Buy Nothing group and various curb picked furniture items. This probably sounds very hodge-podge, but the rooms all look cohesive and well put together.

   • My son’s old bedroom has a bed frame and antique dresser from Buy Nothing.
   • My daughter’s old room has a rug and dresser from Chez Curb, plus a Buy Nothing bookcase.
   • Our final spare bedroom has a hide-a-bed couch from our next door neighbors who switched over to a pair of recliners.

   My adult kids live on their own and absconded with their childhood beds and dressers, which is why I had to refurnish their rooms.

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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“Old money blonde”

People often think that the key to living a dedicated frugal life is about the things you actively do to support that mission. Making your own cleaning supplies, doing your own home maintenance and such. However, a fair amount of frugality is about what you’re not doing. I began mulling over this concept after reading a reader comment writing that she was “Sticking to tea/coffee/water at home.”

It got me thinking about much of how I save money by about what I don’t do.

• I also just drink tea and water when at home. I don’t like sodas or juice and save coffee as an occasional treat. I abhor the feeling of being drunk or even mildly buzzed, so I also save money by never buying alcohol for myself.

• I don’t color my hair, which has darkened with age. My color used to be referred to as “dishwasher blonde,” but has recently been upgraded to “old money blonde,” which sounds like a joke but isn’t. To go to a salon for a professional color service would set me back $150 or more. My life would be 0.0% better with a prettier hair color. Click HERE for a photo of my old money hair in all her glory!

• I live a few blocks from a retail heavy street that’s become a Mecca for dessert businesses. Ice cream, pies, cookies, frozen custard, pastries — there’s probably a dozen or more speciality stores that often have lines outside the door. However . . . I’m a good cook and can make my own desserts and would prefer to spend $4 on a half-gallon of Tillamook ice cream to treat the family, rather than $7.25 for a single scoop. (I kid you not on that price!) I know this makes me sound miserly and decidedly no fun, but I’m A-OK with with this passive frugal choice. Probably healthier too to stay away from the “dessert district.”

• I keep my electronics and mechanical items until they can no longer to be repaired. I only bought my used iPhone 8 only because I dropped my iPhone 7 into a toilet. I’ve since had the battery replaced and have treated the kids’ to battery replacements when they’ve complained about battery power. We drive a 2005 minivan and keep it in good repair. By avoiding the “serial upgrade” mindset, we save money by just continuing to use our functioning items.

• I don’t follow fashion trends, (I know — shocker!) nor do I follow design trends or really any kind of trend. This way I avoid my things becoming outdated in appearance. By thrifting timeless items I can avoid having to replace perfectly good items.

This list could continue on and on, but I want to know what you do to passively stay on the frugal path! Please share your passive frugal “hacks” in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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1. I sold my son’s old microwave through Facebook Marketplace for $30, as his new apartment has a built-in version. He bought it for $50 on Marketplace earlier in the year, but kind of overpaid. Happy to get it out of the house and a $20 loss on a microwave is actually not too shabby. He’s currently in a “crap out of the house, money in” state of mind.

2. I got my free Supercuts training center haircut yesterday, which is simply one of my favorite frugal hacks! (I did tip $5, even though I’ve never seen anyone else do so in my years of receiving these services.) I then stopped into the nearby Costco and bought the exact items from my list and nothing else. (Cat litter, a rotisserie chicken, chicken bullion, cheese, coffee beans and olive oil.) I try not to browse when I shop, as it leads to impulse purchases.

   The samples were peaking sampling, so I enjoyed some orange chicken, taquitos, vegetable soup, toast with jam and butter chicken over rice. No $1.50 hotdogs or $2 pizzas slices were harmed in the making of this errand.

3. I left a bit early for my haircut, as their new location is just a couple blocks from the Goodwill on 82nd Avenue. I wasn’t able to look through the whole store, but I did grab a 50%-off Dunder Mifflin “Party Planning Committee” Christmas sweater for $4.99. (Seems like this should be the regular price, not the half-off price, but I digress . . . ) I listed it on eBay* last night and hope to make someone’s “The Office” Christmas party dreams come true.

4. I made the most delicious white bean soup, which served as both my lunch and dinner last night. My son then stopped by after work and enjoyed a couple bowls as well. I believe the key to this soup’s next level tastiness was the addition of some of the 99¢ sausage from my online grocery shopping experiment.

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky!

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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1. I repaired my Birkenstock suede clogs using the last of two tubes of super glue and a couple of clamps. My sister gifted me these shoes maybe ten years ago, as they were too big for her, but the suede disconnects from the sole every so often. However, it’s just a matter of gluing them back together to get another year or so of use. Somewhat annoying, but time is going to pass either way, I might as well use fifteen minutes of it to keep these handy clogs in circulation.

2. I signed up for a seven-day free subscription to the Hallmark channel through our Roku box, as I wanted to watch a specific movie. I then went into my account to “unclick” the auto-renewal. <– This is key to all those “free trials!”

   The goofy part is that the movie I’d wanted to see, (Confessions of a Christmas Letter, starring The Office’s Angela Kinsey) was actually streaming over on Peacock, which we get for free through Verizon. Oh well . . . At least Hallmark always has a handful of Chanukah movies, which I feel contractually obligated to watch.

3. I helped my son sell his $30 West Elm chair for $110. It’s easier for me to meet with potential buyers, so he lists just his things through my Marketplace account. He works a 9-5 job that doesn’t allow him to have his phone on him, (corporate espionage issues) so I’m happy to help. He sources his own inventory, takes his own photos and then lists by himself; I just do the communication if he’s at work and I meet with buyers at the house. Team effort, bay-bee!

   

4. I got sucked into Simplysarahhart’s Instagram food prep reels, as she uses something called Super Cubes, which are silicone molds that allow you to meal prep single servings in a cuboid form. (I guess they were on the Shark Tank TV show, but I’m always little behind the times.) I looked them up and holy crap are they overpriced! Think $70 for a set of four for what is essentially a reconfigured ice cube tray!

   

   However . . . my husband owns a pair of big silicone ice cube trays, (fork for scale!) so I used one to freeze some leftover pumpkin pancake batter. I then popped out the batter cubes, which are now stored in a ziploc freezer bag. I really like the concept of this product, but I’m not one to overspend. I guess I’ll start keeping an eye out at Goodwill and figure out how to use what I already have on hand.

5. I didn’t buy a vulgar gold plated apartment in the sky!

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

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

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