52 Week 52 Letters Project — Week 23

by Katy on June 12, 2011 · 5 comments

Photo courtesy of The Frugal Girl.

Although I may seem to have dropped the ball on the 52 Weeks, 52 Letters Challenge, I’m actually doing pretty well. It is somehow the 23rd week of 2011, and I’ve sent out 17 letters so far, (which is 17 more than I had sent at this time last year.) I am not going to beat myself up just because I’m not at the requisite 23, but instead am going to keep plugging along.

This week I finished up a letter to Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens fame, and am just waiting for her street address in order to put it in the mailbox. Like a letter from a Jane Austen novel, my letter was not completed in a single setting. It was started a few weeks ago and then finished up over a number of different days. I actually kind of like this format, as it gave me more to write about and provided an opportunity to showcase a wide variety of my poor handwriting styles. Truly, a plus.

Luckily, lovely handwriting is not a required skill in order to join in the letter writing challenge, otherwise most of us would be barred from participating. Just a willingness to put pen to paper to brighten someone’s mailbox. One letter at a time.

Are you taking part in the letter writing challenge? Has my lack of reminders affected your motivation? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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New Blog Logo!

by Katy on June 11, 2011 · 28 comments

I am very excited to debut the new banner/ blog logo today, which was designed by Patrick Mahoney, husband to the ever talented Trish Mahoney of Modern Thrifter. And not only is the new logo exactly what I had envisioned, but it didn’t cost a penny to get up and running. How is this? In exchange for the design, The Mahoney family vacationed in Lexi House, one of my mother’s guest cottages. In exchange for that, I twice cleaned the house for free. And to get the logo up and running on the blog, Kristen of The Frugal Girl worked out a bunch of glitchy kinks that were hovering in my blog code. In exchange for this, I sent her some Amazon gift card codes that I had earned doing Swagbucks searches. And Heather of Mile73 even took part in the shenanigans before throwing her hands up in disgust at the illogical weirdness that is the programming behind this blog. (For which she will receive beer and poutine when she next hits Portland.)

See? No money changed hands!

Despite the relative success of The Non-Consumer Advocate, it has not been a big money maker. I could definitely be savvier about monetizing the blog, but I haven’t wanted to do product reviews or promote unnecessary Stuff. Luckily, Blogher pays by impression instead of per click, which works well for my readership. (You guys are really good about not clicking on advertisements!)

So enjoy the new look, and thank you to the whole team that made it happen.

Mwah!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Our Points of Comparison

by Katy on June 8, 2011 · 10 comments

Like most people, I travel in varied circles. Family, co-workers, neighbors, friends, fellow bloggers and society at large. And with the exception of a few, I am vastly different from most. I spend more, I spend less. I possess more, I possess less. Heavier/lighter, older/younger, louder/quieter. It never ends.

It can be hard to be content with who we are, when we are constantly comparing ourselves to others.

But is this a bad thing? We can’t shut ourselves away from society in order to exist without comparison, and I’m certainly not suggesting that we do. It’s when we negatively view ourselves to others that it becomes a problem.

I find motivation to declutter when I hang out with Tammy Strobel, I want to laugh more when I talk to my friend Jennifer, to be more present with my kids when I hang out with my co-worker Sasha and I strive to up my writing game when I correspond with J.D. Roth. None of this comparison is because I view myself as inferior to others, but because I see how others are living their lives and it inspires me.

Sometimes, this inspiration can be hard to find. We are surrounded by people who criticize our life choices, goals and values. But it’s important to know that we have choices about how we live our lives. If you find that someone is consistently making you feel bad about yourself, it’s important to ask yourself why. Move that person into a peripheral role or decide to just let that criticism roll off your back.

We all live different lives, which is how it should be. How freaking boring would society be if we all followed the same route?

So please, continue to compare yourself to others, but only as a means to affirm how fantastic you are and can truly be.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Can You Be Smart Without a Smart Phone?

by Katy on June 7, 2011 · 50 comments

Addendum: My husband just informed me that he misunderstood the info from Verizon, and apparently I will be able to continue using my phone. It’s just that I will no longer be able to get online tech support for the phone. Which, of course, I never knew existed.

So, in the words of Emily Litella . . .  “Never Mind.”

Although my life is full of electronics, I have yet to make the leap to a smart phone. I do have a cell phone, but it doesn’t have a keyboard and it certainly doesn’t get internet. I would be perfectly happy to continue on with it for years to come. Unfortunately, our cell phone provider has informed us that my perfectly functional phone will no longer be functional after the end of the summer. (Really, they’re psychic?!) Sure, they’ll give me a new phone, but I neither want nor need a new phone. My husband has repeatedly pointed out that I could get a better phone for free more times than I care to mention, but I don’t see the point. I do not want to banish my electronics to questionably run recycling centers any more than I would want to get rid of my boxy TV in favor of a plasma screen.

Yes, the new version is cooler looking, but the old one is perfectly fine.

A smart phone would allow me to access the internet anywhere at any time. But really, I like that being away from home is a break from a plugged-in world. (Do you really want to read my tweets about how I’m waiting to pick my son up from martial arts class?) And I think there is nothing ruder than people who are constantly answering texts, updating their Facebook and giving the priority of their attention to those far away while ignoring those in front of them.

Do I need an electronic calendar system/to-do list/grocery lists/video games? I get a free small datebook every year from my mother’s Morgan Stanley guy, I write to-do lists on recycle paper, grocery lists on the backs of old envelopes, (perfect when using coupons) and if you ever catch me playing Angry Birds or other such nonsense, I want you to put a stake through my heart, Buffy style.

I’m sure that there will be no un-smart phones within a few years. But for right now, I prefer to stay with my kinda stupid phone.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Backyard — Before and After The Lawn

by Katy on June 6, 2011 · 22 comments

Long term Non-Consumer Advocate readers will recall the great backyard project of 2008. How my sister, Sara Wolk, built a stone retaining wall and brick patio, completely from scavenged stone and bricks. (We did have to buy cement, sand, gravel, tacos and beer.)

I have since been trying to grow a lawn in the deeply shady adjacent area with varying degrees of success. (We start out with a bang, but then fizzle out as our monstrous maple tree dumps its leaf tonnage in the fall.) But I am determined this year to keep my lawn alive, and even got it reseeded nice and early, which means we’ve only had to water it two or three times so far. And we’ve switched from a sun/shade mix to a pure shade mix. 

Backyard, without lawn.

 

Backyard, with a lawn. And moss.

And now, some completely gratuitous additional photos, as I am currently in deep and utter love with my backyard.

Mwah, I love you, backyard patio!

 

The moss on the bricks doesn't really bother me, as it adds a special texture and dimension to the patio.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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My Thrift Finds

by Katy on June 5, 2011 · 14 comments

I spent a few hours yesterday going to area Goodwills with my thirteen-year-old son. He is almost as big a fan of hitting the thrift shops as I am, and here’s what we bought:

A stair-step shelf that I call "spice bleachers." I already have one, which I *love* as it makes it so much easier to find what I want.

Here is my cupboard before the new "spice bleachers." Note that the (bulk purchased) spices on the lower left-hand side are already all nice and organized.

 

My cupboard after the addition of the new "spice bleachers." I found that I had multiples of a few spices and was able to consolidate.

I needed new muffin tins to replace blackened ones that required me to always use muffin liners. I am especially in love with the vintage smaller one. Isn't it cute with the darling bullseye detail?!

I also bought two interlocking DVD/video game crates which coordinate with a set we already have, yet is no longer sold; a Polish coffee mug that I love the style of, a small “Tiffin” food canister that I will use for my son’s school lunches, (Yay for no plastic!) a wide-mouth funnel for canning and two T-shirts, which were the half-off price.

I know very few of these purchases are particularly brag worthy. There were no fantastic decor items nor were there any $3 jars of marbles to sell for $500 on eBay. But the muffin tins, wide-mouth funnel and tiny Tiffin were all items I was specifically keeping an eye out for. The T-shirts were a necessity for me; (all of my T-shirts recently spontaneously combusted) and the DVD crates and spice bleachers will both serve to keep my home a little more organized. The mug is a birthday gift for my friend Sasha, who loves this style of Polish pottery.

In all, I spent around $15, which was not bad for how much I bought. I am being very deliberate about bringing extra Stuff into my home, but I feel like everything I bought was practical and will serve to enhance our lives.

Man, do I love thrift stores!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Five Little Things

by Katy on June 3, 2011 · 9 comments

My overcooked strawberry jam.

Here are five little things that have been filling my days:

  1. I am back on the ball with the 52 Weeks, 52 Letters Project. I sent a letter to my beloved aunt Anne in Florida, and decided to count a gift package I had mailed to Ashley of Small Measures.
  2. I bought a new pack of lettuce seeds to replace my old ones which had not germinated. Am now looking forward to picking my dinner instead of shopping for it.
  3. I’ve been thinking about the episode of Morgan Spurlock’s 30 Days, where he and his fiance try and live a month on minimum wage. You can watch it on YouTube or on your Netflix.
  4. I’ve been reading Modern Muse’s Plastics Purge blog posts. Julia Park Tracey is trying to spend a month seeing if it’s possible to eliminate plastics purchases. She’s on day three so far. It’s not easy.
  5. I canned strawberry jam last night. I used the recipe from Ashley English’s Canning and Preserving book. Unfortunately, I was highly distracted with family stuff at the time and overcooked it. Not gift-worthy, but still edible.

What have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Simple Prosperity — A Winner

by Katy on June 2, 2011 · 0 comments

Congratulations to Tonya, whose comment was randomly chosen to win my Goodwill copy of Dave Wann’s Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle. In all, there were 91 entries, all of which were fantastic and worthy of mention. Luckily, I use a random number generator to choose a winner, otherwise my task would be undoable.

Thank you to everyone who took time to share their thoughts and ideas. Without you guys, this blog would be nothing. Click HERE to read all of the comments, which were truly inspiring.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Tonya:

“The kids and I walked to the ice cream shop yesterday to meet friends, and then walked back home, with a pit stop at our local library. We got exercise, entertainment, and reading materials for the week, and it didn’t cost a lot! I think we’re going to more ‘walking our errands and outings’ this summer.”

Jennifer:

“I don’t use paper towels or disposable “Swiffer”s to clean anymore. I bought a reusable microfiber mop head and use old cut up t shirts for all other cleaning.”

Carolyn S:

“I’ve started buying in bulk– spices, beans, granola, etc. I can bring in my own container, have it weighed, and not use unnecessary packaging– plus it’s usually cheaper!”

Ellen:

“I try to always ask where the goods I buy come from – I always ask myself if a bargain I could make (like a shirt for 5€) would have a price for another person (like having to work under inhumane conditions). Sustainability includes everyone, not just my own benefits.”

Pamela:

“I’ve been working really hard to declutter our house. In the last month, we’ve donated or sold many, many bags and boxes of STUFF. I’m finally starting to feel like we’re making a difference and making positive changes that will help lead us to a simpler, more organized and happier life.”

Mary Kate:

“I hang laundry wet, outside when it is warm enough, inside when it is cold (which add mositure to the dry house during heating season).”

Leslie:

“We got chickens, day old chicks actually but they’ve grown to a nice flock of laying hens now. The freshed most flavorful eggs ever, lots of manure for the garden, free entertainment, plus they eat lots of table scraps which reduces waste and the bags from their grain are a sturdy woven plastic stuff that is great for making bags and things. Yesterday I cut 3 of the bags into strips and wove a new seat and back for a curb-rescued metal frame chair. Funny how thrifty/self-reliant projects tend to lead to more thrifty/self-reliant projects.”

Jesse:

“I’m living lightly (free basement, no car) so I can go back to school and start doing something I love. 10 years as IT/helpdesk/tech support has not been good to me and it was time for a change. By accepting the kindness of family I can cut my living expenses even lower than they already were and should be able to make it through 3 years of classes to come out the other side with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition.”

Heather M:

“Probably the most life-changing thing I’ve done is to start reading your blog and other personal finance blogs. By taking part in a community of like-minded thinkers, I got a level of emotional support and validation that I couldn’t find in my day-to-day world.”

Ben Cote:

“I started the 1-A-Week Project where I’m getting rid of at least one thing per week that I do not need/use/want anymore and encouraging others to do so as well.

I give it to someone who needs it, donate it, or sell it on ebay/craigslist.

its a nice simple program that allows me to do something each week to reduce clutter for the things that are most important in my life.”

Amy in Tacoma:

“I try to find things second-hand before I buy them new. I recently moved from the home of relatives to a new apartment, and furnished my entire home that way.”

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Let The Ball Drop

by Katy on June 1, 2011 · 31 comments

I suppose that there are people in the universe who can juggle multiple tasks, commitments and goals while giving each thing the attention it requires. I am not one of those people. I noticed this trait when my kids were little. I was able to either keep the house clean or provide an enriching day for the kids. Not both. So, if the house was clean, this meant that I pretty much parked the kids in front of the TV all day. And if the house was a horrific sty, it meant that my kids made forts, had friends over, played with blocks/play dough/Brio or stuffed animal zoo/stampede/school. You could quite literally come over to my house and know what kind of mother I had been that day.

Luckily, my teenage sons are over the couch cushions as projectiles phase of their lives, but I’m still a focus on one thing kind of person. Sure, I’m getting more skilled than I once was, and certainly nothing makes me feel more accomplished than when I have those proverbial multiple balls up in the air.

Dinner planned, blog written, attention paid to my social self, laundry on the line? Ahh . . . .

A perfect recent example would be when I was writing up my responses to Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project interview questions. I knew this interview would be read by thousands upon thousands of people, so I wanted to give it my full attention. And if memory serves correct, I holed up in my spare bedroom, unwashed, still in pajamas and away from the dirty dishes, unwashed clothes and general responsibilities of managing a household. I did not wait until my morning chores were completed, because I knew if I got started on them, then my day would suddenly have disappeared. It took me hours to write and edit that interview up, so in essence, I had to plunk the rest of my responsibilities in front of the TV to make it happen.

I will often let the unending “spinning your wheels” tasks (tidying up, mopping, dishes, etc.) sit idle while I focus on activities to move me ahead in the world. I would rather move forward than spin my wheels. I suppose part of this mindset are my deep seeded feminist ideals. I truly feel that societal pressure to present a perfect hair, outfit, makeup-ed, flat ab-ed self, and perfectly clean and decorated home to the world keeps women from focusing on more important matters.

So if you come over to my house and find that there is a haystack of shoes in my entryway and a menagerie of dust bunnies traipsing through my living room, you can be assured that I got something significant accomplished that day. Even if it was just attention paid to my social self. So stop giving yourself grief if you’re like me and unable to juggle perfect hearth and home while also sitting under a couch cushion fort.

I promise that you will not be on your deathbed and wish you’d spent more time mopping your kitchen.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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When Bad Freezers Happen to Good People

by Katy on May 31, 2011 · 17 comments

If you came to my house, I would proudly show you the organized beauty that defines my closets, the non-junkiness of my kitchen junk drawer as well as my hat and scarf organizational system. Heck, I’d even show you my underwear drawer! But the one place I would bar you from would be my kitchen freezer. Long a repository of bread ends, slimy banana halves and mystery whatnot, it has now officially reached the point of maximum mayhem. I have no idea what’s in there, and frankly I’m scared to find out.

Anyone in the mood for a little sub-zero spelunking?

Luckily, the task of eating through one’s freezer can be spread out over a couple of weeks, which is why I took the first step and prepared a big ol’ pot of chicken soup. I have started keeping a large plastic container in the freezer, to which I add dribs and drabs of food that would other wise go bad. (I got this idea from readers!) And this soup was entirely concocted from said dribs/drabs.

Chicken bones, carrots, chopped potatoes, rice and even some jicama.

A couple of hours later I had a hearty pot of soup, (to which I added dumplings) as well as some happy kids.

 

The finished product.

Next in line to get eaten up from the freezer are the three or four half-empty bags of corn tortillas, (I’m thinking enchiladas!) And when I mentioned to my husband that we were overly flush with bread crusts, he was quick to scream the word “meatballs!” which truly put me over the moon, as this dinner is one of only two meals that my husband can cook, (the other being teriyaki chicken.) Cause let me tell ya’, my favorite meal is always other people’s cooking. And if we create a little elbow room in the freezer by preparing said meal, I consider that to be better than a night on the town.

Yeah, I’m a cheap date. But you already knew that.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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