Your Regifting Stories

by Katy on January 15, 2010 · 8 comments

Congratulations to Namastemama, whose regifting story won her my copy of Regifting Revival: A Guide to Regifting Gifts Graciously. Although the winner was chosen using a random number generator, her story was still terrific, as we all receive gifts that are either not our style or don’t fit into the organization of our homes:

“I am a Sunday school teacher and get lots of gifts at Christmas. I can never use them all so just this week I took one of them and gave it as a hostess gift at a party. My hubby said that even if they didn’t like the contents they would love the thought.”

Here are but a few of the wonderful stories and ideas that you, the readers shared. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter this giveaway!

From NMPatricia:

Not sure this if this qualifies, but through the holidays, in the articles about regifting, I ran across a certificate to be included with presents with the permission to regift. I apologize for not knowing exactly what site I got it from so I can give credit where credit is due. The basket for the present came from Goodwill for $0.99. The gift I made. When the recipient called to thank me, she said she definitely would not regift, Yet! It was as if the certificate made the notion OK for someone who would never think it was OK to either do it or even talk about it. But it also seem to give her “permission” or opened the door to saying I could have the basket back if I wanted. Which I am thrilled so I can use it again. My first step into the world of regifting!

From Shannon:

This doesn’t exactly sound frugal but.. . My sister years ago go many pieces of Waterford Crystal on trips to Ireland. She re-gifted a beautiful small bowl to me years ago and it sits on my bookcase full of those souvenir smashed pennies. Years ago I decided I’d had enough of mugs with Virginia Beach printed on the side or those cedar boxes with Gatlinburg burned in the top. So, I told everybody who regularly brought me souvenirs that I only wanted those smashed pennies. They’re cheap, they’re fun to collect, and they take up very little space…especially when housed in a re-gifted Waterford Bowl. :)

Note from Katy: I ♥ smashed pennies, and feel they are the perfect souvenir. They’re cheap, require no manufacturing or packaging; and usually don’t even need any electricity to make, as the hand crank supplies all the necessary energy.

From AlwaysLearning:

I’ve had a dedicated regifting drawer full of things my 5 children, husband and myself either received and didn’t want, couldn’t use, or believe it or not, something my kids just wanted to put in the drawer for future regifting. We always had something to pull together (even last minute sometimes) and never had to purchase a gift for any of their friends. Try to imagine how many birthday parties your kids get invited to; or friends/teachers at school having a birthday. My drawer has shrunk a little since 4 of my children are grown adults now, but they learned from a young age to regift and now have regifting drawers of their own.

From Chase Nolan:

My family used to play a regifting game that lasted several Christmases. We would regift this very large, flat, and colorful lollypop as a gag gift to each other.

I must have taught my kids well, because none of us ever wanted to eat this giant sugar-on-a-stick. That is, until my youngest could no longer resist.

And lastly, one of my proudest regifting moments:

My childhood best friend (and ex-next door neighbor) was getting married and I was hosting a bridal shower for her. I wasn’t sure what to get her but did come up with a great idea. Her mother had put up a “Peace to all Who Enter Here” brass knocker on the door of her childhood home in the 1970’s, and I knew this was a special family artifact for her. Unfortunately, they had sold the house when we were in high school. I went and asked the new owners if I could have the knocker to give to my friend and they were happy to oblige. When this gift was opened my friend and her siblings, (who were also at the shower) were stunned and very moved by this gift.

Best gift I ever gave.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Note: This book was my personal property, and I received no compensation in payment for this column.

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The Non-Consumer Advocate Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraiser

by Katy on January 14, 2010 · 0 comments

I have set up a Haiti earthquake relief page through Mercy Corps, which is a long established and well respected relief organization.

And for those who rightly want to know that their contributions are actually going towards those in need:

“Over the last five years, we’ve allocated more than 89% of our resources directly to programs. America’s premier charity evaluator gives Mercy Corps four stars in organizational efficiency.”

Click HERE for The Non-Consumer Advocate’s fundraising page.

Mercy Corps is a 501(c)3 charity. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by U.S. law.

Thank you.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Ingredients of a Non-Disposable Lifestyle

by Katy on January 14, 2010 · 26 comments

Sometimes the information on living a green lifestyle is so confusing and overwhelming as to turn a person off from making any change to habits of disposable products.

Carry your own water bottle, but wait . . . does it have BPA? Bring your own leftover container when you eat out, but wait . . . was your meal locally grown and sustainably harvested? You’ve shopped at your locally owned food co-op, but did you remember to bring your own organic hemp bag?

Green living doesn’t have to be so complicated.

Like so much of a Non-Consumer lifestyle, the key is not about buying brand new green items, but making do from what you already have.

Here are a few solutions that have worked for me:

  • I keep a string bag in my purse, (uses hardly any room) and have a stash of reusable bags in both my cars. They are not pretty, and I certainly didn’t buy any of them. Instead I gathered up what I could find in the house and take advantage of freebies.
  • We hardly ever eat out, but when we do it’s usually the mini-van that drives us to the restaurant. I keep a large stacking stainless Tiffin food container in this car to use as a doggy bag. This particular container is too big for daily use, but works great for this purpose.
  • I never buy kleenex, instead we use handkerchiefs. I came across a number of hankies in some soccer equipment, as well as a stack of bandanas. I keep these in my purse, coat pockets and on my bedside table. When I had a cold last week, I also used some scrappy old cloth napkins that were no longer in regular rotation. I also use the clean bandanas as napkins when I eat out or am eating lunch at work.
  • I never buy paper towels. I took a couple of old ratty towels and tore them into squares, which I store in a drawstring bag in my kitchen broom closet. The only time I miss actual paper towels is for spreading oil on my cast iron pans. I do have a number of restaurant paper napkins that do the trick.
  • I try not to use the plastic silverwear at work, and have a cheap stainless steel spoon that rattles around at the bottom of my purse. When I need it I just give it a swipe.
  • I bought a stainless steel travel mug for $1 at a garage sale last Summer, which I love. It’s dishwasher safe and I don’t have to be too paranoid about leaving it somewhere.
  • When I need a water bottle  I’ll often just use a glass ice tea bottle with a screw on lid or one of the questionable older Nalgene style bottles. I won’t let the kids use them, but I’m not so paranoid for myself.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

It’s important to not let the large number of green living products overwhelm you to the point of inaction. What you need to decrease your role in disposable products is most likely right under your nose.

Do you have tricks to bring down your use of disposible products? Please share your 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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How Walkable is Your Neighborhood?

by Katy on January 12, 2010 · 38 comments

The following is a reprint of a previously published column. Enjoy!

With all the attention on hybrid cars, cycling and public transportation these days, it’s easy to ignore the most obvious transportation option:

Walking.

It’s highly fuel efficient, (just add cookies) and is accessible to most everyone.

I just found a cool website called, Walkscore that will calculate a 0-100 score of how walkable your United States/Canada neighborhood is. (Sorry, foreign Non-Consumers.)

The website describes itself as such:

“Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle.”

Okay. I live in an enviably walkable neighborhood. I’m but a scant few blocks from a school, the library, a park, grocery stores, coffee shops, art supplies, a UPS store, a gym, restaurants, plus much, much more. Really, I could become a relative hermit without difficulty. I’m feeling confident and smug.

So I punch in my address and get a score of “80?” Jeepers — what does a girl have to do to get a higher score? Last time I checked, that’s a B-! Actually, it turns out that an “80” puts my house in a “very walkable” category. I can live with that.

Update: My “walkscore” is now 86, although I’m not sure what changed.

After I had inserted my info, a map popped up of my neighborhood with tiny icons for the different businesses, schools, parks, etc. Many were consumer rated, which was pretty interesting to read. There was a small amount of outdated info, but mostly it was up to date.

A friend tells me that real estate agents are starting to use this site to engage potential buyers. And that, fellow Non-Consumers is a positive. This means that the green lifestyle of alternative transportation is no longer considered weird.

Because we all need to be getting out of our cars and onto our own two feet.

What’s your score? Can you beat me?

Let me know in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Win a Copy of “Regifting Revival”

by Katy on January 12, 2010 · 29 comments

Note: This contest is closed. Congratulations to “Namastemama” whose regifting story was chosen randomly.

I have held a number of contents to win various items here on The Non-Consumer Advocate, because really, who doesn’t like the excitement of winning stuff?

I got to feel this thrill firsthand when I was the winner of the book Regifting Revival: A Guide to Reusing Gifts Graciously, by Jodi Newbern, (Synergy Books.) The contest was held on Naomi Seldin’s Simpler Living blog, and I shared a story of how I had regifted a wedding present for my father and step-mother’s wedding.

And now it’s time to regift this book to you, the readers.

To enter to win a copy of “Regifting Revival,” please share a regifting story in the comments section below. The winner will be chosen randomly. Please enter only once, the contest is only open to U.S. residents. Contest ends Thursday, January 14th at midnight.

Don’t have a good regifting story? Then make one up!

Good luck!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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What Makes Me Happy

by Katy on January 11, 2010 · 22 comments

I am in a good place in my life. Life is good. Most everything is going well, and I want to recognize and quantify this good fortune. I had written a column entitled, “What Makes Me Happy” in October of 2008, and I think it’s time to do a re-evaluation.

So here’s what makes me happy, 2010 style:

  1. I am happy for the health and welfare of my friends and family.
  2. I am happy that even though the birth numbers for January are way down, (which means I’m hardly working this month) we’ll do just fine financially.
  3. I am happy that I found a brand new looking free-for-the-taking artificial Christmas tree on the sidewalk yesterday and brought it home. This will save us $20-$30 every year.
  4. I am happy that my indoor laundry drying system seems to be working despite the damp weather.
  5. I am happy that I was able to rewire my great-grandparent’s alabaster lamps using the works from a dull lamp that I scored for free.
  6. I am happy that I was able to work my way through a huge stack of mending last week while indulging a cold. This included 11 socks that needed darning.
  7. I am happy that my 11-year-old son helped me to clean my mother’s rental cottages yesterday. And instead of immediately wanting to spend his earnings, (which is normal for him) he wanted me to put his share into savings.
  8. I am happy that the Oregon State Board of Nursing now has their license information online for my employer. In past years, I would have to drive the 18 miles to work to have them visually inspect my renewed license. This is huge.
  9. I am happy that my mother is getting a new washing machine, which means I get her old one, which is still loads newer than the $45 Craigslist special we currently use.
  10. I am happy that my local library is within walking distance of the house. When they closed for remodeling a decade ago, I learned how inconvenient it is to have to drive across town to return a book. ♥ them.
  11. I am happy that after almost 20 years of living in New York City, my sister now lives in Seattle, which means I get to see her every month or so, instead of once per year.
  12. I am deliriously happy that my sons are no longer preschool age. At ages 11 and 14, they are a joy to hang out with instead of exhausting. My husband remembers those times differently, but they are etched into my memory.
  13. I am happy to have the mental and physical capacity to live a creatively frugal life.
  14. I am happy to be married to a very loving man.
  15. I am happy to have a great best friend who doesn’t mind me mentioning her in the blog, (as long as she gets to choose her pseudonym.)
  16. I am happy to not be living in a part of the world that gets down to -40º F.
  17. I am happy to have made so many internet friends through writing this blog.
  18. I am happy that my husband is able to fix and maintain almost anything he lays his hands on.
  19. I am happy for clean drinking water.
  20. I am happy that Portland, Oregon has multiple really cool second run movie theaters.
  21. I am happy to have supportive and wonderful neighbors.
  22. I am happy to have accidently chosen a college major (Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing) that guaranteed me an engaging career with a living wage.
  23. I am happy that I went to the University of New Mexico, which set me back $1,050 per year instead of the $30,000 per year of private nursing colleges.
  24. I am happy to have a big, soft and comfortable armchair, (with matching ottoman) as a hand-me-down from my friend Sasha to hunker down in while watching TV.
  25. I am happy to recently have discovered the TV show “The Office.” That show is hilarious! And episodes only take 22 minutes to watch when they’re commercial free from the library.
  26. I am happy that my 14-year-old son is getting the opportunity for a class trip to Japan this Spring. I know he will have an awesome time.
  27. I am happy that my family is enthusiastic about my home cooking.
  28. I am also happy for the restaurant Jade Teahouse and Patisserie, which is the only place I want to splurge on. It is worth every penny.
  29. I am happy to live in the times of washing machines, refrigeration, dishwashers, indoor plumbing, automobiles and women’s rights. Let’s not romanticize the drudgery of past times.
  30. I am happy to have two loving and supporting parents, not to mention some terrific step-parents.
  31. I am happy to enter my house and enjoy the recently decluttered entryway.
  32. I am happy to have many fantastic and thoughtful readers.
  33. I am happy to live in a city that still has a daily newspaper.
  34. I am happy to live in a part of the country where a trip to the ocean or to a snowy mountain will only take an hour-and-a-half from my life. It means I don’t require pricey vacations to “get away from it all.”
  35. I am happy to have a snowy cabin that I get to use for free, and a friend’s three bedroom beach cabin that’s only $65 per night.
  36. I am happy have an outdated CD Walkman to listen to library audiobooks.
  37. I am happy with how many British audio books my library carries. There’s just something about someone reading a book out loud to me with an English accent.
  38. I am happy that someone once left a string bag at one of my mother’s rental cottages. It takes up almost no room in my purse and has kept me from taking a plastic bag at least 50 times.
  39. I am happy that people often leave their full size shampoos and conditioners at my mother’s rental cottages. I don’t think I’ve bought either in at least a year.
  40. I am happy that people use the Coinstar machine at my local Safeway and almost always leave extra change in the coin return. It is the highlight of my grocery shopping trips. (I found 74¢ last time!)
  41. I am happy that when bids for hiring a web designer proved too pricey, Kristen of The Frugal Girl walked, (and often carried) me through the process of self-hosting The Non-Consumer Advocate.
  42. I am happy to be able to put library books and media on hold at the library in the comfort of my pajamas while in bed. The internet really is so very cool!
  43. I am happy that when I was asked to do speaking engagements last Fall, I said yes instead of following my instinct, which would have been to run screaming in the opposite direction.
  44. I am happy for Amy Dacyczn, J.D. Roth, Trent Hamm, Natalie McNeal, Kristen of The Frugal Girl, Beth Terry, Erin Rooney Doland and all the other great writers and bloggers.
  45. I am happy that my mother gave me a copy of “The Tightwad Gazette” almost 12 years ago.
  46. I am happy for CFL light bulbs, low flow shower heads, faucet aerators and the sense to just turn things off when not in use.
  47. I am happy that instead of going to a regular high school, I got to go to a performing arts high school. Four years of tap dancing, one year of math!
  48. I am happy to work with an eclectic and skilled group of women. Let’s face it, good co-workers make all the difference in any job.
  49. I am happy to be able to use online bill pay for almost everything. To no longer have to worry about whether the electric, gas, insurance, etc. etc. got paid is a godsend.
  50. I am happy for the health and welfare of my friends and family.

Okay readers, it’s your turn now. What makes you happy?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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In Cheap We Trust

by Katy on January 9, 2010 · 15 comments

Although I’ve had Lauren Weber’s In Cheap we Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue from the library for a week or so, I only just cracked it open today. And in a world where it will often take a chapter or two to decide whether is book is right for me, this one had me at the dedication:

“For my father, a cheap and generous man.”

It may seem odd to review a book I’m only 12 pages into, but I am absolutely loving this book, which is a mixture of memoir and a serious look at America’s history of thrift.

Weber grew up with a father whose “cheapness” was legendary in her family. A man, whose advice to child living in a New England house where the thermostat was set at 50° was to “put on another sweater.” Not “put on a sweater,” but “another sweater.”  But the goal of Weber’s father’s extreme frugality was not to stockpile untouchable piles of riches, but  instead was to provide top notch educations for his children and made it possible for him to pay out of pocket for her grandmother’s assisted living facility.

The long understood notion that America is a country proudly based on a tradition of thrift is challenged:

“For one thing, I’m not fully convinced that ordinary Americans ever truly valued thrift in the first place. When I started researching the history of frugality, I assumed, as most Americans probably do, that we were once a thrifty nation but we had become lazy and spoiled over time, a condition abetted by a cabal of corporations and advertising firms. I began this book with a single question in my mind: What happened to thrift in America? But as I got deeper in the subject I came to realize that we consider old-fashioned thrift — some combination of resourcefulness, prudence, simplicity and aversion to debt — was more the result of circumstance than virtue. Thrift was determined by necessity in the early days of the republic. Goods were scarce and often prohibitively expensive for the average family, so stockings were darned, clothes were patched, fruits were preserved and stored.  People made do with what they had until the stuff fell apart or was used up. Very little went to waste when each cord of firewood or linen nightshirt was the product of one’s own labor.

But when industrialization and financial innovation brought Americans opportunities to make their lives easier and more comfortable — through new technologies like railroads and refrigerators, and the emergence of installment plans, mail-order shopping and credit cards — by and large they took advantage of them. Indeed the truest story of America is not, as we might like to believe, the story of political freedom — slavery and the Japanese internment of World War II, for instance put the lie to that — but the story of an ever rising standard of living.”

Well, you can see why this book has hooked me.

I will continue to read through this book and envision a number of blog posts about ideas put forth in it.

Weber writes of her “cheap” father with love and humor, and I can’t wait to delve even farther into this book. After all, she may have dedicated it to her Dad, but secretly I think she may have written it for me.

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 January 8, 2010 · 20 comments

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

I picked up pizza toppings at my local Papa Murphy’s this afternoon, (which is my trick for inexpensive pepperoni.)  Not only is it lots cheaper than the grocery store, but I can bring my own container for smugness inducing zero packaging.

The manager, who I always chat with, was excited to see me because she had seen my interview on the local news about the No Heat Challenge. She then proceeded to tell me how her family tries to keep the furnace off as long as possible as well.

I am amazed how many people saw this interview, which ran just the one time. Even my boss at work (who I normally have next to no contact with) sent me an e-mail with the title, “Brrrrr.”

But the best part is that everyone I talked to actually remembers what it was I was droning on about. Which I consider to be a success.

I have been fighting a cold all week, mostly doing pretty well, but finally succumbed to the horizontal comfort of my bed all day yesterday. Luckily, I’ve recently started watching “The Office” and had just checked out a library DVD set of the entire second season. This meant I was able to watch practically endless episodes while working my way through the mending pile.

And I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again:

“I love my library! I don’t know what I would do without it.”

And after darning 11 individual socks, I am finally caught up with all the mending.

I think I finally have concocted an indoor laundry drying system that can keep up with Oregon’s dark and rainy days and my family’s high laundry needs:

  1. A standard laundry line in an unfinished room at the back of the house. It’s dark, cold and cluttered and I hate going in there. But, it is perfect for sheets and tablecloths that need to stretch out and can wait a few days until I get back to them.
  2. An expandable wooden drying rack that works well for medium size garments such as T-shirts and pants.
  3. An Ikea brand “Frost” drying rack that is perfect for small items like dish towels, napkins, socks  and underwear. I bought this new while on my investigatory trip to Ikea the other day. I did however peel off the thick plastic shrink wrap and stuff it into their plastics recycling.

I will still have to use the electric dryer for towels, (we have no respectable back ups) and my husband’s work uniforms, (he doesn’t like how they come out when line dried) and any laundry that I fall behind on.

We somehow used 841 kWh last month, which set us back $100.20. Crap. Keep in mind that we have a natural gas stove, hot water heater and furnace, so this number is truly humbling. For reference, we used 444 kWh last June. Yes, the days are longer in Summer, but I believe the big difference to be usage of our electric clothes dryer. I’m able to line dry everything except my husband’s uniforms in the Summer.

The racks are set up in our spacious bedroom, which is actually very convenient for folding and putting away. Plus, it just makes my heart smile to see their cheeriness from across the room.

What can I say? I’m a cheap date.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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How to Buy Gifts for the Non-Consumer Advocate — A Primer

by Katy on January 8, 2010 · 32 comments

For years, even before I joined The Compact, (buy nothing new movement) my husband has been accused me of being a difficult person to buy presents for. I think nothing could be farther form the truth. Sure, I’m not your stereotypical wife who wants diamond jewelry and expensive meals, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all that hard to find me a gift. Sure, I returned everything he bought me for my 40th birthday, and instead bought a Goodwill salt and pepper set and took an antique mantel clock in to be refurbished. But my needs are truly simple.

My birthday was on Monday, and although we don’t exchange holiday gifts, we do indulge for birthdays. I don’t really care about the gifts I receive, and truth be told, I’d probably be willing to give it up.

But my husband came through big time for me this year! Big time.

My husband started the day asking me if I felt like it was time to open a present. He then handed me an envelope which contained a $120 gift certificate to the Clogs-N-More store, which is down the street from us. And before you start choking over the price of this gift, let me explain. I hardly ever buy new clothes or shoes for myself, but when I do, I buy high quality. As a nurse, I’ve worked my way through the rainbow of comfortable shoe options, and have arrived (and stayed) at Dansko. I have a great pair for work, and had recently even took them in to get new insoles. But my job is well . . . messy, (Labor and delivery = every possible bodily fluid to step in that can come from a woman.) and I never wear those work shoes outside the hospital. Ever.

I had a number of errands to run that day, but you can be sure that I prioritized a little shoe shopping. I made a beeline straight the to patent leather babies I’d been coveting for ages and brought them to the counter to pay. As a nurse, I get a 5% discount, but I noticed that they had a sign up about a Chinook Book coupon. And when asked, the clerk informed me that the coupon was for %15. That’s a significant difference, especially when you’re talking about $120 shoes. Reluctantly, I put the shoes on-hold and drove off on my other errands.

Luckily, one of my errands was lunch out with my step-mother Lindy, and she was happy to let me tear out the coupon I needed from her Chinook Book. Yesss!

Back across town with coupon in hand, I was able to not only buy the shoes, but had enough left over for a pair of Smart Wool socks. An indulgence I would normally scoff at. ($18 for a pair of socks? Puh-leez!)

I finally made it home in the late afternoon, at which point my husband asked me if I wanted another present. (What? Me again!) He brings down a huge gift bag and I pull out a nice big expandable wooden laundry rack. Score! I have an indoor laundry line, but it’s in a dark, cold and cluttery unfinished room that I actually hate to use. Ideally, I should be using it anyway, but I seem to be pretty good at avoiding it lately. I excitedly put a load of laundry into the wash, and set up the rack in our bedroom, which is not cold, dark and cluttery. Okay, maybe a little cluttery.

After dinner that evening, my husband had the kids bring me one last gift bag, which holds a box of PG Tips tea, a tube of McVitie’s digestive biscuits and a drawing of a Brown Betty teapot. (He had bought one that arrived in pieces, and had a new one on order from a local shop.) At this point, my husband has crossed the line into the land of too many gifts. And this is where I start to look bad, well . . . “difficult to buy presents for.”

I privately told him that although I appreciated these gifts, I already had a teapot that I really liked. I didn’t need another one. I then asked him if he liked coffee, and he answered “yes.” I asked if he liked to receive coffee theme gifts such as flavored coffees. His answer was an emphatic “no.” I gently explained that I like to drink tea, but I like Red Rose brand tea and am not wanting to drink anything else. The PG Tips were cute and all English-y, but were wasted on me.

So the replacement tea pot order was cancelled, the tea sits in the cupboard and the digestive biscuits? Let’s just say we made quick work of them. (Said the non-consumer, wiping crumbs off her lap.)

Do your loved ones complain that you are hard to buy 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.”

{ 32 comments }

A Non-Consumer Photo Essay

by Katy on January 7, 2010 · 17 comments

This morning, I bragged to my husband and friend that “I have all the symptoms of a cold, but I’m not actually sick!” Which of course cemented that I would be completely overrun by viruses within a few short hours.

Yeah, I’m not so smart.

I am now bleary eyes, murky brained and should not be allowed to compose sentences. Instead of a regular column, I instead am running a first ever Non-Consumer photo essay. It is in no particular order and with only a vague theme of non-consumerism. So sit back, relax and enjoy the photo stylings of yours truly.

Here I am in the peak of health. Note the $15 antique desk, $12 antique alabaster lamp with $3 Goodwill lampshade. You don't even have to ask where I bought the T-shirt and skirt, because you already know!

My dining room includes a mission style oak table rescued from my mother's garage. My husband fashioned a "make it do" leaf from plywood that we use when we have guests. (We use a tablecloth.) The chairs are from an old Carnegie library. I bought 11 of them for $75. The piano was free from Craigslist, the chandelier was $35 from eBay. Note the untrimmed built-in buffet. We will finish this project at some point, but I can be patient and wait until we can do it right. We "made do" with mis-matched chairs for years before finding these ones. Patience is key.

Food waste is a sad event at my house. This photo was to illustrate the first "Waste No Food Challenge" column. I have since moved over to clear glass Pyrex food storage. Easy to see what I have lurking in the fridge, plus no plastic related chemicals to worry about.

My friend Sasha and I foraged the neighborhood for edible water chestnuts. I learned that I don't actually like roasted chestnuts.

I have an extremely shady yard, so I steal an extra bit of gardening opportunity by planting lettuce and radishes in an old wheelbarrow.

My brick patio with retaining wall. My baby sister built this from scavenged bricks and stone. I explained that I wanted a patio that had "hippie ethics without a hippie aesthetic."

Most expensive Christmas present ever! "Free" cats from Craigslist have cost us around $700 so far with vet care, immunizations and spaying. Good thing they're cute and fuzzy.

This dresser was given to me for free by a co-worker before my second son was born. Eleven somewhat battered years later, I sold it for $20. Not a bad investment.

Even though I look a quart short, I have this photo up on my locker at work. "It's the Depression and I'm lucky to have a job." is good to keep in mind.

The last photo is my ugly, yet loved pressure cooker. I accidently boiled the water from it a few months back which blew the valve to the ceiling and bowed out the bottom of the pan. It was as ugly as sin, but man did it cook dried beans in a jiffy. *Sob*

I hope you have enjoyed this departure from the normal style of this blog. (I know, I know, my photos pale by comparison to The Frugal Girl.) I will try and string together a sentence or two tomorrow.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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