The Almighty Power of Coin-Girl

by Katy on December 26, 2009 · 4 comments

Here I sit, the day after Christmas waiting for the great relief of a job well done. And mostly, it’s there. I have been hosting my sister’s family of four, provided Compact friendly gifts for all, cooked and baked for holiday meals and have just finished buying the gifts for my in-law’s holiday gift exchange. I rented a free kid’s movie for the babysitting I will do tonight, (a boxing day party that British friends always throw. I am watching my niece and nephew so my almost-done-with-architecture-school brother-in-law and sister can attend. This party is riddled with architects.) and even snuck in a brisk walk on this bright and frigid afternoon.

I work the next couple days and have even offered to host my 14-year-old son’s friend for two days while his mom and dad help out an elderly parent.

But the best part is that I found three pennies on the ground in three separate places while out buying the really last minute presents for my in-laws.

That, more than anything else, gives me a semblance of feeling that I have some control over my life.

Coin-Girl is all powerful, and none should underestimate her mighty powers.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Illustration by Jessica Wolk-Stanley


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Merry Christmas Non-Consumers!

by Katy on December 25, 2009 · 2 comments

I hope everyone is having a wonderfully joyful Christmas and is enjoying all that the holiday has to offer.

And in the spirit of giving, I have a little something special for all my readers. This printable Christmas ornament was designed by the lovely and talented Jessica Wolk-Stanley of The Friendly Robot Studio. (No relation.)

Please feel free to forward this jolly holiday elf to your friends and family, near and far.

Merry Christmas!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Click on above image for a larger printable, (and oddly ornery) elf. ♥

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Coupon Queens, Are They For Real?

by Katy on December 24, 2009 · 34 comments

I have a love/hate relationship with coupons. Yes, I use them, but I’m not a slave to them either. I do make sure to the use the $10 off $50 coupon that runs once a month at my local Safeway, and I keep a sharp eye out for loss leaders.

But I’m far from being a coupon maven. I keep an small (Goodwill purchased) organizer in my purse and usually use at least a few coupons per grocery shopping trip. Nothing to the extent that Good Morning America would come knocking at my door.

The video below is not new, and I have watched it before. For some reason, it really bugs me. Is it because I’m envious of her discipline, or perhaps too cynical to believe that her style of shopping is realistic and sustainable?

I check in with a few couponing blogs, and have certainly been keyed into some terrific deals, but mostly they’re about buying weird items like Glade candles and medicine and toiletries that I have no need for. Even the writers admit that they do not need all the stuff they’re buying, and end up donating their excess.

Today I ran to the Fred Meyer grocery store near my house and did pick up a two-pound block of locally produced cheddar cheese for $3.99 and a pound of bulk sausage meat for $2. Both items coupled with coupons from the store circular, and will be used for a Christmas morning frittata. But I also bought canned black beans, (my pressure cooker went kaput, sob . . . ) corn tortillas and loads of other stuff. Although the beans were a loss leader coupon last week, I didn’t get a chance to stock up. Otherwise, nothing else was anything I ever see a coupon for, and believe me I’ve looked!

I do glance through coupons.com around once a week and tend to print out three or four coupons, usually for cereal. (They are an advertiser on The Non-Consumer Advocate, but rest assured there is never any paid content on the blog.)

Give this video a watch and let me know your response. I have such mixed feeling on the whole couponing culture, (and yes, it is a culture) which must be why I keep returning to the subject.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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A Mish-Mash of Mad Dash

by Katy on December 23, 2009 · 5 comments

Tony Wolk, circa 1937

I have written before about how my goal this year was to not hate Christmas. And I had been doing pretty well with this, but woke up today in a bit of a funk. I had worked the past few days and the house was a mess and as much as I have trying to not be pulling gifts together at the last minute, I still had a number of holes to plug.

So after my older son awoke at 2:00 P.M. and took his hour long shower, (Yes, he’s at that stage) we ventured out into the craziness that is December 22nd Christmas shopping.

And didn’t come home for five hours. This is what we did:

  • Stopped in at CD Game Exchange, where my son picked out a used game for his brother. I was looking for a used DVD of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which is my 11-year-old son’s current obsession. They didn’t have one, however I did find two pennies on the ground.
  • We then took a detour to the Ben and Jerry’s next door, where my son bought a pumpkin cheesecake flavored ice cream cone with a leftover library summer reading program voucher.
  • Walked over to Buffalo Exchange, where we sold a pair of hand-me-down Levi’s and bought a brand new pair of Vans for my younger son. I also found a pair of fingerless gloves with “Nightmare Before Christmas” characters on them. (Perfect for the stocking!) I found a penny on the ground here as well. Because we brought our own bag, we were given a 5¢ token to put in one of three charity bins. One was for free veterinary care for homeless people, one was for a gay rights youth group and I forget what the third one was. I let my son choose, and he picked the gay rights group.
  • My son and I then nipped into the credit union, where I deposited a check for my maid services, plus a $10 check I earned doing online surveys. We donated $10 to the food bank here.
  • I then pointed the car in the direction of the children’s consignment shop and bought a pair of pajama pants for my ten-year-old nephew. I am giving my family and my sister’s family pajamas to open up on Christmas Eve. I had been able to find Goodwill ones for all but the nephew, and was happy to find  a $3 pair, especially because I had $2.75 credit from clothes I brought in last Spring. I also bought a $24 Columbia Sportswear Winter coat for my 14-year-old. This is more than I would have preferred to pay, but I had been keeping an eye out and not found anything. My husband has been threatening to buy him a $70 coat, so this purchase was defensive.  His coat from last year was more like a tank top than anything else at this point.
  • We then headed over to the Broadway Goodwill where I bought nothing but a small something for my mother. I was looking for frames for particular gifts and what was there looked mightily picked through. This Goodwill is next to a mall, and traffic was nasty, which helped me feel very happy to not be part of that scene.
  • A quick stop over at my father and step-mother’s house was in order at this point, as we were in the neighborhood. Although no one was home, we partook of the indoor plumbin’ and I borrowed a photo of my father in 1937 that I wanted to scan. This particular photo is so adorable, that it melts my heart every time I see it.
  • At this point, my son and I were getting pretty hungry, so we splurged on a nice meal of yakisoba noodles at our favorite Hawaiian restaurant. Although I was happy to drink tap water, I told my son he could order a drink. I had thought he would order soda, but he chose lemon herb tea instead. Man, I love this kid.
  • Thus fortified, we braved the main Goodwill and found much to our liking. I bought two terrific frames, a $1 Starbucks teddy bear, (my younger son collects these, and I always have one peeking out from the top of his stocking) a cool Asian style shirt for my older son. Although it looked a bit worn, he won me over by being able to read the kanji on the sleeves. (He’s been in an intensive Japanese immersion program since kindergarten.) I also found a $1.99 copy of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Sure, it was a video instead of a DVD, but it really makes little difference.

We finally got home around 8:30 P.M., at which point we both collapsed. But you know what? I think I’m done with my Christmas shopping. I will make a quick stop at the Asian mega grocery store for yummy treats for the stockings, but that’s it.

And because I put everything in reusable gift bags, wrapping my presents is a snap.

And I think, unlike other December 22nd’s I am not hating Christmas. I actually think this Christmas will be better than any year, ever. Seriously. And I didn’t have to break The Compact.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Lost Your Subscription?

by Katy on December 22, 2009 · 4 comments

Since the move over to this new Non-Consumer Advocate, hundreds of readers have lost out on receiving daily updates in their e-mail boxes.

The Subscribe box on the right side of the content will feed the need for your daily dose of non-consumerism.

And as always, no spam, ever.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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This Year’s Tickle Me Elmo? Snuggie!

by Katy on December 21, 2009 · 11 comments

And in the realm of ridiculous, we have this year’s It gift — The Snuggie! Yes sirs and madams, it’s like a throw blanket and your backwards robe had a baby, and resulting love child is the Snuggie!

So what is it about this gimmicky blanket that has captured America’s heart? Is it the campy commercial that features an otherwise functional looking woman who is unable to free her arms from under a traditional blanket? Or is it simply that this blanket is pure genious, the very one thing your heretofore satisfying life has been missing?

Either way, my kids will each be receiving a Snuggie blanket for Christmas from their step-grandmother. Because I couldn’t think of one thing to tell her that they either one wanted or needed.

Don’t judge me. Sob.

Katy Wolk-Stanley, who is able to free her arms from under a blanket.

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

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Keeping up with the Gift Cards Again

by Katy on December 20, 2009 · 9 comments

gift cardsNY Times’ Ron Leiber is one of my favorite financial writers, and his Your Money column on gift cards once again hit the nail on the head. He writes that:

“This year, nearly $5 billion of the money that well-meaning givers have put onto gift cards will go unspent . . . In the industry, this is known as breakage, and here’s what it means: If you buy a gift card for a family member or friend, there’s a good chance you’ll give a little gift to the retailer or bank that issued it as well.

How does breakage happen? People lose their cards. Or they abandon them in a drawer and assume they’re expired when they’re unearthed years later. Fees can still eat away at some of them. And people may use $46 of a $50 card and then throw it out rather than make another trip back to the store.”

I have a specific spot in my wallet where I keep my gift cards, that way I know exactly where they are, plus they’re accessible for any spontaneous shopping. And in case you were thinking that I would be someone to whom a gift card would not be an appropriate gift, I say to you, “Goodwill gift card.”

So if you have a hodge-podge of gift cards cluttering up your life, gather them up into a specific place and then make sure they don’t go to waste. The angels weep when you let perfectly good store credit go to waste.

Click here to read a 2008 column I wrote about gift cards.

Will you be giving gift cards this holiday season? 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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The Imperfect Goal of Perfection

by Katy on December 19, 2009 · 18 comments

Jessica Wolk-Stanley, Friendly Robot Studio

The Monday of Christmas week is a special kind of day, i.e., the day when you realize that as much as you may think you’re on top of the details of holiday giving, decorating and entertaining,  you’re kidding yourself.

Big time.

I dumped all my Christmas gifts on the bed the other evening to get a bird’s eye view of everything I’ve bought so far. And despite a successful last minute shopping push on Friday, there were still a lot of holes to fill. Yes, I had enough Christmas gifts for my niece and nephew, but my nephew’s birthday is on December 23rd, necessitating extra presents. And yes, I have enough gifts for my 14-year-old daughter, but I also drew her name in the holiday gift exchange with my in-laws.

Is it ever enough? And really, who am I comparing myself to? Am I trying to be better than these people or trying to be as good as those? Is there anyone out there who models that standard of perfection in real life?

I follow a local blog called Frugal Living NW mostly because the authors are mightily clued into the tricks of frugal living in Portland. But a column from the other day jumped out at me. Unlike the bloggers whose homes are always clean, meals are always healthfully delicious and whose lives seem to smoothly flow without incident, this column showed actual true to life messiness:

“Why do I post all of this? Sometimes I read blogs written by other women and think, ‘How do they do all of this?’ (whatever ‘this’ happens to be). I see one thing that someone is doing well and assume that the rest of her life is just as ‘perfect.’

I’m here to tell you it’s not. All of us let laundry pile up until we run out of clean underwear. All of us have a bag of garbage in the kitchen, waiting to be taken out, in my case for two days. And even the most precious Christmas picture requires 134 attempts (I still haven’t sent them out).

We want Frugal Living NW to be an encouragement to each of you, not a source of guilt or frustration. If you don’t have time to do a deal, let it go. Spending time with your family, taking a nap and staying sane is more important than taking advantage of every saving opportunity.”

Thank you. I know I can’t possibly be the only person whose clean laundry waits to get put away until the baskets are needed for the next round of laundry. Whose living room is decorated and camera ready, but has a bedroom that resembles a post-hurricane docu-drama.

Whether we admit it or not, we all compare ourselves to others. And I am hardly immune. I admire in others what I know to be lacking in myself. A friend whose house is always immaculate, a fellow soccer Mom whose slim figure fills out her stylish jeans just so. But here’s the important part, when I actually get to know these people I see that they are flawed in ways that balance things out.

Nobody is perfect. Nobody. And in this week where we try and be all things to all people, we need to recognize that we can do our best and it’s still never enough. I will get enough gifts for everyone on my list, but my bedroom will still be a mess.

Because the goal of perfection is well . . . an imperfect goal.

Do the holidays leave you feeling frustrated because you’re unable to tick off every box on your to-do list? Or are you that rare individual who’s able to provide perfection for everyone, all the while filling in your designer jeans just so? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

And if you are that perfect person, please keep it to yourself. I hate you.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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The Non-Consumer Advocate Takes a “Chilly Challenge” on TV

by Katy on December 18, 2009 · 2 comments

Click here to watch the “Portland Family Takes Part in Chilly Challenge” interview I gave to Northwest News Channel 8 the other day.

Thank you very much to Teresa Yuan, who was a pleasure to work with and a neighbor to boot.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Top Ten Tips for Not Gaining Weight Over the Holidays — A Guest Post

by Katy on December 17, 2009 · 6 comments

Alison Wiley

The following is a guest post from Alison Wiley over at Diamond Cut Life. Alison is a fellow Portlander and writes about:

“Chiseling our consumption down to the core of happiness. I try to tread with a carbon footprint low enough to be truly sustainable in the face of global warming — and doing it with so much happiness, vitality and sociability that others want to do it, too.”

This is not a blog post I could have written as only a blind fool would want my advice on keeping weight down. However, I’m there for you when it comes to scone recipes. I particularly like her advice to not bake. Warm buttery baked goods are my downfall, and are certainly easier to not overeat when they’re not cooling on my counter!

Enjoy!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Top Ten Tips for Not Gaining Weight over the Holidays

Have I ever mentioned that I once worked as a weight-reduction counselor? Or that the summer I was 18 the Army rejected me because I weighed, embarrassingly, 158-1/2? I cringe at the memory, not because the military and I could ever have been a match made in heaven, but because my overeating was out of control. It made me feel ashamed, akin to my unhappy run-in with Haagen Dazs earlier this year. (I ‘m pleased to report no dust-ups with Dazs since then.)

The holidays are notorious for sending us into that crazy, out of control zone with our bodies. I say don’t be a victim of them, but rather, take responsibility for what you want. These tips on weight control and self-care are from both my personal and professional experience.

  1. Set specific, realistic goals. “I’ll get skinny between now and New Years” isn’t specific or realistic. “I’ll gain no weight this holiday season” would be more realistic. Some specific ways to achieve that could be, “I’ll limit desserts to one per day, and I’ll exercise for thirty minutes three times a week.”
  2. Ask a friend or coworker to support you on your eating and exercise goals. Choose the right friend or coworker, one with some practice at self-discipline, and who really wants your success. My friend Lonnie is very loving, but lenient in equal measure. “Oh, I would have eaten that whole tin of cookies, too,” I heard her say happily last Christmas to her friend in Overeaters Anonymous. Not the right friend for the job. You want the friend who will say, “Ah, next time why don’t you call me before you openthe cookie tin, and we can go for a walk together.”
  3. Focus on physical activity rather than food for holiday entertainment. Go ice skating, take walking trips to sing Christmas carols or view Christmas light displays (hopefully LED lights), go folk dancing (famously kind to people of all coordination levels). Dancing to 80’s songs was a surprise hit at my recent birthday party.
  4. Consider doing no baking this holiday season. You can love and honor your mother, grandmother and all feminine forebears before them without continuing to make the  pecan and potato chip cookie recipe they handed down to you. (You know, the one that leads to eating the whole tin.) Make ‘real food’ like sweet potatoes, hearty soups, veggie frittatas. If your ancestral holiday recipes are short on the wholesome factor, fall back on my curried tuna salad, healthy and easy to make, if not especially traditional. If your challenge is not your baking but everyone else’s, ask their help in not giving you baked treats this year.
  5. Put your TV watching on a diet. Quite possibly your TV is the guiltiest party in your home, and is the one needing the discipline.  Every minute it holds us sedentary under its grip is a minute we’re not moving around, using our bodies, using our minds, relating to other people, checking things off our merry lists. Again, be specific and realistic with your plan (a 25% reduction is more realistic than cold turkey). Perhaps your sneaky television needs an attractive hood over its head to remind it of its new place in your life.
  6. Use ritual to slow your eating down and increase your satisfaction. Chew carefully, tasting everything, appreciating the details of texture, freshness, aroma. Cultivate a sense of  ritual around meals, using good table manners, for example, even when you are alone. Pleasing choices like good background music, plates, glasses and napkins in your favorite color, or a flower in a vase can all give us satisfaction beyond that of calories.
  7. At holiday gatherings, focus on ‘real food’  instead of sweets.While overeating can happen with many kinds of food, it’s usually sweets that set off the worst binges. If the gathering is all about sweets, eat real food before you head over, and then position yourself at the other end of the room. Thor and I are making wild salmon sandwiches for our open house on December 13th, and folks who want to bring something to share have been asked to bring food other than sweets.
  8. Consider putting your car on a diet. Using public transit leads us to walk more, for example, and cars often take us to the wrong places, like fast food drive-throughs and purveyors of Hagen Dazs. I tell you, the culpability of technology in our weight problems is underestimated. Take the real culprits to task.
  9. Hide treats and snack foods, if they’re to have a place in your home at all. I do this with verve and creativity, and my husband, prone to late-night snacking, appreciates it. I find that some hidey-holes are better than others. The other day he emptied my laundry basket into the washing machine. “Honey, have the Pepperidge Farm crackers gotten dirty again so quickly?” he asked me.

10.  Say grace before each meal. My husband and I hold hands and settle into a silent, extended moment of thanks whenever we sit down to a meal together, including in restaurants and when we have guests over for meals. This slows us down and interrupts the chattering monkey-mind that tells us more (of anything) is better. Often, less is better, and saying grace can help set us straight on that. The food landing in our mouths is an enormous blessing. In my view, it’s the gift of a Creator who loves us beyond measure. Consider asking that Creator to help you practice good stewardship of your body and the life-giving stuff we call food.

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