Saying Goodbye to Guilt

by Katy on September 10, 2010 · 38 comments

I have a shocking confession to make. Sometimes I procrastinate the tasks in my life until they become an oppressive shadow that crushes down on me, mocking any semblance of togetherness that I may attempt. (I know, I know . . . I’m the only one who does this.) There’s no logical reason for this tendency, and frankly some of the tasks are not at all difficult, but it seems to be how I’m hard wired.

But over the past month, I have been tackling these pseudo-daunting tasks one by one. Not on any formal schedule, but as the time and inspiration presents itself.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

I took the time to answer the interview questions that the lovely Naomi Seldin of Simpler Living sent over on June 4th. I did this on August 17th. I wanted the answers to be perfect, which of course was a barrier to just doing it. In the end, I actually think I did a decent job.

I dealt with a bungled medical bill, as well as a soccer camp refund that was far from straightforward.

I finally mailed out a package of gifts to Michiko, the Japanese teaching assistant who lived with us in 2005. She had a baby in January of 2009 and another one this May. I had yet to send any baby gifts, and this made me feel like crap. I consider her to be a part of my family, so it was really weighing me down.

I had bought some board books for her in January, and every time I passed them, I would feel bad about myself. I also wanted to send some goodies for her, so I bought her a cute Oregon T-shirt and a handmade tote bag. Unfortunately, the shirt smelled like incense, (that’s what I get for shopping at a head shop) and hanging it on the laundry line didn’t abate the odor. A quick trip through the washing machine took care of the hippie stank, and everything was ready to mail.

But for a number of inane reasons, (I didn’t have any wrapping paper, I had to locate a not-already-used package) it still took me another month to just send it. But today, I finally wrapped every gift, wrote out a nice long letter and dropped it at the post office.

Huge relief. Waaay worth the $26 in postage just to make the guilt go away!

These two tasks may not seem that gargantuan, but they served as constant reminders that I was not on top of my life. I still have more items on my things that make me feel like crap list, which are:

  • Schedule, and then take the inpatient labor and delivery RN certification exam. Once I have passed this test, I get a $2.75 an hour raise. Forever. I cringe when I think of how much income I’ve missed out on over the past 15 years that I’ve been in my job, but I can’t let that deter me from just taking the damned test. I am a really good test taker, so as long as I study, I should be able to pass it.
  • Touch up the paint job on the exterior of my house. There are all these little spots that got missed when my husband painted a few years ago, and I told him I would finish it up. It would literally take a couple of hours to complete, and the house would look so much better. I consciously or unconsciously cringe every time I come into the house, so this would be fantastic to just be done with.
  • Answer the interview questions that Angela Barton from My Year Without Spending sent to me in May of 2009. Yup, almost a year and a half ago. She probably thinks I forgot about them, but sadly, I have an annoyingly good memory.
  • List a few items on eBay that are worth a fair amount of money. I bought a large glass vase full of hundreds of collectible antique marbles for $2.99 at Goodwill awhile back, and many of them sell for $15 apiece. I collect marbles, so I knew a bargain when I saw it. But they’re worth nothing if I never get them into the hands of serious collectors. I also have a $3 Goodwill Sasha Doll that should bring in a couple hundred dollars.
  • Continue the decluttering that I’ve been working on is a big one, although I actually feel pretty good about this. However, we’ll be hosting another Japanese teacher starting in October, so I have an actual deadline. I want to get rid of pretty much all of our extraneous crap before we open our home up again.

It saps my energy to ignore what needs to get done, and keeps me from moving forward with what I could be doing with my life. (Exercising, socializing, pursuing a book contract, etc.) I really feel that I would enjoy life so much more if these draining tasks went on their merry way.

Goodbye, things that make me feel like crap, I have no room for you anymore!

Do you let procrastination hold you back from living the life you want? Please share your 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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Too Cheap

by Katy on September 9, 2010 · 13 comments

My Non-Consumerism has evolved over the years. When I first began living the consciously frugal life in 1998, (after the birth of my second son) I was all about the cheap:

  • 28¢ boxes of macaroni and cheese from Winco.
  • Never turning down anything that was free.
  • Bombarding my kids with mountains of cheap stuffed animals and plastic mayhem.

Since joining The Compact, (buy nothing new) in 2007 my priorities have changed:

  • Inexpensive, but real food.
  • Donating load after load of excessive belongings to Goodwill, so that I could appreciate (and find) my household goods.
  • Helping my kids to understand that having too much stuff takes the pleasure away from having any stuff.
  • Sometimes paying extra to support the kind of businesses that make a community strong. (Small bookstores, never Amazon.)

And we are all so much happier.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Life, Overwhelming

by Katy on September 8, 2010 · 24 comments

Try as I might to live my life otherwise, my life can get overwhelming. Balancing parenthood, daughterhood, my job as a labor and delivery nurse, writing a daily blog and my own personal needs can get close to impossible. And as much as I think I’m on top of the details of my life, there’s always something to knock me off my high horse of competence.

School started yesterday for Portland students, but don’t think for a minute that just because my kids are now in 7th and 9th grade that parenting them is any easier than when they were in diapers. I want them to go off to school on time, well rested, fed and with all the various required paraphernalia.

Instead, both kids left at the very last minute, only one got a proper amount of sleep, both drank tea, but only one ate breakfast, (a stick of overly packaged string cheese after he decided that he didn’t really wanted Raisin Bran) and I now see that my 9th grader’s textbooks and the 7th grader’s pencils and spider (it’s for science) are sitting on the dining room table.

I just want to cry.

However, they both were dressed, teeth brushed, on time, caffeinated, (don’t judge) loved and with a packed school lunch.

I have to work tomorrow and Friday, and am feeling very overhwhelmed.

Here’s what I’m going to do.

  • Shower, (Aquatic think tank.)
  • Write a need to do/ want to do list.
  • Plug into a good audio book while I clean house. Seriously, my bathroom is F.U.N.K.Y.
  • Plan for tomorrow to be better.

Because there’s nothing I can do about the past, I can only change the future. And make sure there’s something in my day that’s just for me. Because otherwise, I might just have to take to bed.

Oy vey.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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What’s Your Wasteful Confession?

by Katy on September 7, 2010 · 26 comments

In honor of No Waste Week, I am going to take the opportunity to confess my frugal transgressions to The Non-Consumer Advocate community. And no, I don’t need to back more than a month to find an example. This occurrence happened in August. I could start making my excuses now, but perhaps I should start from the very beginning.

My 12-year-old son is a slave to fashion. I had thought that I would be spared the inconvenience of parenting kids who care about this kind of fluff since I only have boys. But sadly, this is not the case. He is particular about everything from his sneakers (Vans) to his jeans, (Levi’s skinny jeans.) Luckily, these brands are popular enough that they’re easy to find from local thrift stores.

Having said that, finding used sneakers in my son’s size is always a challenge. Add to that that I only buy used shoes that look new, and shoes are usually treated as precious objects at our house.

Usually.

You may recall that my family hosted a Japanese exchange student in early August, which meant I drove her around town so she could exercise her shopping muscles. We were all walking down N.W. 23rd Avenue, taking pictures and having fun when my younger son stepped into the largest and smelliest pile of dog poop imaginable to man.

Crap. Literally.

We walked back to the car, as there was a pair of Crocs in our swim bag, but the thought of leaving this poop smeared shoe in a hot car was more than I could bear. Our plans were not going to bring us home until late evening, so that shoe would be thoroughly cooked by the time the day ended.

So I put his shoes into a paper bag and threw them into a garbage can. Later, I realized that I could have put the bagged up shoes under the car. But that epiphany was too little, too late.

I cringe when I recall this afternoon, but I just couldn’t subject this sweet little Japanese girl to hot car poop fumes.

Do you have any wasteful confessions to share with The Non-Consumer Advocate community? Please confess your 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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It’s Zero Waste Week!

by Katy on September 6, 2010 · 6 comments

National Zero Waste Week
Today, September 6th marked day one of Zero Waste Week, which is put on by Mrs Green over at My Zero Waste.

The changes recommended are:

  • As long as you end up reducing your food waste in some way, you can choose anything you like. Here are some ideas:
  • Identify a particular food that gets thrown away every week and plan a great recipe to use it up
  • View your leftovers as ingredients
  • Say no to prepacked food and buy only the amount you need
  • Get your scales out for measuring rice and pasta rather than guessing and ending up with waste
  • Start a compost heap, wormery or bokashi bin.

My day has been dominated by getting things ready for tomorrow’s school year start, but so far my zero waste-ness has included:

  • Having my 7th grader glue new labels on last year’s folders instead of buying new ones.
  • Sauteed and then ate some arugula that got frozen while we were on vacation. (I think it was due to the refrigerator door not being opened for four days.) Keep in mind that the arugula came to my home via being left behind by one of my mother’s guest cottage tenants. So really . . . I should get double kudos for this act.
  • Pulled apart the different layers of a spent cat food bag to separate the paper from the plastic in order to recycle it.
  • Baked a double batch of chocolate chip bran muffins. I will freeze these to have for school lunches. (Zero packaging.)
  • Made a batch of egg salad for sandwiches. I included some refrigerator pickles, which are just cucumber spears that I threw into a jar of pickles to avoid them going bad.

I will be addressing issues related to Zero Waste throughout the week.

Oh, happy day!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Non-Consumer Mish-Mash

by Katy on September 6, 2010 · 5 comments

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

Geek Out at The Library

If the library were a person I might leave my husband for him or her. That’s how much I love the library. Not only do I get books, music, DVD’s, volunteer opportunities for my kids and live entertainment, but I have now checked out a Kill-A-Watt device.

What is a Kill-A-Watt?

A Kill-A-Watt precisely tells you how much electricity your electronic devices are drawing. Unsure whether it’s worth it to unplug all your phantom electronics? Curious if your constant running of a fan uses less electricity than an air conditioner? All you have to do is plug your electric devices into the handy-dandy Kill-A-Watt, and voilá, your questions are answered!

And for frugality geeks like me, it’s an awesome good time.

Thank you Multnomah County Library!

When Debt Reduction Takes a Backseat

Sierra Black wrote a column for Get Rich Slowly recently about how her extreme focus on debt reduction has well, become unfocused since her credit card debt has been eradicated. This column struck a nerve with me because summer is always an expensive time here at casa Wolk-Stanley. I tend to work less, so there’s less money coming in, and add to that the multiple soccer camps and this year’s Japanese tutoring and debt reduction took its own summer break.

But I’m not too worried. I’ll soon go back to my regular work schedule and the kids will be back in school. I’ll suddenly have scads of free time again and can get my debt reduction back on track.

After all, money matters do not rule my life. My family does.

Cable TV, a Non-Cautionary Tale

After 23 blissful cable-free years together, my husband arranged for cable TV this summer “for World Cup.” And of course, it lingered on through the post-soccer months of July and August. I could lay the blame elsewhere, but I was just as guilty with cable TV addiction as everyone else.

But August 31st came along, and I gathered up all the cable paraphernalia and drove over to the Comcast office to purge myself of the all day entertainment  that is cable TV.

At first, the woman wouldn’t let me cancel the cable since it was in my husband’s name and we have different last names. After I politely explained that actually was my husband’s wife, and even showed my checkbook to a manager, we moved forward. The clerk was busy clicking through many, many pages when she asked:

“Oops, you didn’t want to cancel your cable internet did you?”

I confirmed that the cable was all I was cancelling. To which she explained:

“As an apology for canceling your internet, I’m going to give you a six month special rate on your internet.”

Which will save us $72, and brings the price of a summer’s worth of cable TV (with HBO) for $28! All for the inconvenience of losing internet for two minutes. While I wasn’t even home.

Even I can’t complain about those numbers.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Vacation Memories

by Katy on September 4, 2010 · 11 comments

My family just got home from a three night/four day vacation that taught me a few lessons that I thought I would share:

  • The huge bowl of clam chowder at Mo’s is a great deal at $12.50. It will easily feed a family of four. The free soda refills are a treat for kids who hardly ever get soda.
  • Having to stop at a Dairy Queen and buy four Dilly Bars on the drive home in order to use the bathroom is not a good deal. Free soda refills should come with their own bathroom.
  • When your expensive hotel rooms smells weird, talk to the management. You might get $20 knocked off your bill.
  • I really enjoy looking at old farmland from the inside of the car. I especially like looking for old farm houses. They’re usually surrounded by enormous old trees, planted long ago as wind breaks.
  • The Subway restaurant in Roseburg, Oregon is right next to a Goodwill. My husband can be tricked into stopping there.
  • The Goodwill in Roseburg, Oregon is just as overpriced as the Portland locations.
  • There is nothing to lose by letting a 12-year-old be the “navigator” in a paddle boat. You just have to accept that you will go in circles and meander a bit.
  • Kids quickly get bored with Forest Ranger talks at Crater Lake.
  • Adults like Forest Ranger talks at Crater Lake.
  • It’s important to pay attention to a car battery that dies after just a few minutes of having the lights on while the car is off.
  • The Les Schwab Tire Center in Sandy, Oregon has wifi.
  • All the cookies brought on vacation will get eaten within two days of vacation.
  • Watermelon can go from Portland to Crater Lake to the beach and back home again without complaint.
  • The Sea Lion Caves consider children 13 and up to be adults.
  • The Sea Lion Caves had only three sea lions today. That’s $14.67 per sea lion.
  • It’s fun to replace all the lyrics in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band with the word “bing.”
  • Your older brother will eventually lose his cool if you replace all the lyrics in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band with the word “bing.”
  • When staying in a steeply sloped “A” frame cabin, it’s important to sit up slowly while in bed.
  • Chipmunks will beg to be fed, and will eat granola.
  • Chipmunks are so cute that you will gladly sacrifice a couple handfuls of granola.
  • 51¢ squished pennies are the perfect souvenir.
  • It’s good to be home, but it’s actually better to be in a cute “A” frame cabin without internet, phones or worries.
  • It’s still good to be home.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Vacation Tidbits

by Katy on September 3, 2010 · 6 comments

I am still on vacation, but am staying at a hotel with internet access, so I thought I’d check back in with y’all.

We stayed our first two nights in a rustic old “A” frame cabin on a lake that I kind of wish that I could move into. Sure, the shower was completely inaccessible when the bathroom door was open and there was no oven, but it was perfect nonetheless. The upper floor had two queen size beds, so the kids were able to chill out in their own space. And there was a downstairs bedroom for the grownups, so we could have our own space to chillax.

There were pedal boats to rent, (I negotiated a deal) and the location was beyond pristine.

I think we’ll go back next year.

We are now in an overpriced chain motel at the beach that I thought would be a end of vacation treat. (Of course, we’re all absolutely pining for the rustic cabin.) However, I was able to negotiate $20 off the price due to a funky smell that apparently only I am able to smell. Luckily, there’s a swimming pool and we’re only here until the morning. (After we fill up on their “hot breakfast.”)

Our plan is to slowly meander through the sites on our way home. At which point I’ll start blogging again.

See ya’ later!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 6 comments }

The Best Day Ever

by Katy on September 1, 2010 · 14 comments

I spent the day getting ready for a short vacation that my family is squeezing in before the school year ramps back up again. I reserved hotel rooms, put the newspaper on hold, cancelled the cable, washed clothing, cleaned house and then ran out to The Grocery Outlet to stock up on vacation style food.

Which included a six pack of Widmer Hefeweizen beer.

And then it happened.

I got carded.

And since I am precisely twice the legal drinking age, this is a random occurrence.

Thus making today the best. Day. Ever.

Did Gretchen Rubin get carded during her year of The Happiness Project? Because I think she definitely should have included this component. Definitely better than a clean and organized closet.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

P.S. I will be on vacation until this weekend, and will be taking a break from blogging. See ya’ later!

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Story of the $25 Garage Sale Bed Skirt

by Katy on August 31, 2010 · 17 comments

I went to a garage sale the other day and came across a cream colored bed skirt that was still pristine in the package. My husband and I switched over to a queen size bed last year, and frankly, the Hollywood frame is as dull as dirt. So I picked up the package, saw that it was unmarked and asked the owner the price.

“Oh, the bed skirt? I paid over $100 for that, so I’m looking to get $25 for it.”

Riiight . . . .

And indeed there was a $170 price tag on the packaging.

She then asked me how much I wanted to pay. I explained that I was thinking more along the lines of $5, so I would have to pass on the bed skirt.

At this point the woman’s friends started ribbing her for paying so much money for a bed skirt:

“How could you pay that much for a bed skirt? It’s not like it even touches your skin!”

But the woman defended her purchase:

“But it matched all my bedding!”

This woman paid waay too much for her purchase, so she thinks it should continue to be worth a lot.

Guess again, lady.

Perceived value and actual garage sale value are not the same thing. Just because she paid $100+ for the bedskirt doesn’t mean it’s worth any more than a $30 bedskirt once it hits the garage sale market.

I did pick up a pair of pillowcases for a cool buck from her garage sale mate. And they look perfect with our green sheets.

Do you have a hard time getting rid of items that you overpaid for? 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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