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I made a pot of French onion soup, which was extra frugal as I made the bread from scratch, used white cheddar instead of gruyere and threw the above pat of leftover restaurant butter in with the onions. (Worry not, as I added much more butter than this lil’ guy!) I didn’t have any wine, but I added a glug of sweet rice vinegar and it was absolutely divine!
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I spent an hour or so taking everything off my narrow back porch, sweeping it off, reorganizing everything and then putting it all back together. This project was about the functionality of the space, not the aesthetics — although it certainly looked better afterwards. Not everything needs to look cute. You can make over a space using nothing more than cleanliness and organization.
P.S. The shelf was a curb find, as was the vintage green wastebasket. The bag holder was being thrown away by my husband’s employer and the yellow “Portland Recycles” bin came with our garbage service in the 1990s.
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I’ve been taking my daughter out every day to practice her driving, which has been a long time coming. She turned 18 at the beginning of her senior year of high school, so they wouldn’t let her take driver’s education as the program was funded for students “under 18 only.” She then went to college in a walkable town and somehow here we are. Anyway, it’s been a lot of fun and although I’d be willing to pay for driving lessons, this is working out really well so far. I’ve watched a couple of “How to teach someone to drive” YouTube videos, which have been helpful.
I’ll accept any and all advice on how you’ve successfully taught someone to drive.
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• My daughter overwatered and killed a house plant that I’d given her, so I brought the flowerpot back home. I’m already propagating a number of plants on the kitchen windowsill, so I’ll be able to fill it back up again with fresh plants. Unconditional love = infinite plant replacements.
• I started listing to Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Lathe of Heaven through the library’s free Libby app.
• I socialized with a friend yesterday by taking a walk through the neighborhood and socialized with our back yard neighbors by giving them a tour of the house. Strengthening relationships is always a good plan.
• I picked my stepfather up from the airport, which saved him the cost of a taxi.
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I hadn’t planned on buying a brand new car, so I don’t have to panic buy one before the tariffs kick in.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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I cooked a small batch of black beans in the Instant Pot, which I then mashed up with Dollar Tree panko crumbs, spice mix and an egg. I then smooshed that onto a corn tortilla and seared it face down in an oiled cast iron skillet. The addition of ketchup, mustard and pickle gave it a smash burger/taco vibe and it was delicious, cheap, healthy and easy — my favorite combination!
Lettuce and tomato would’ve been perfect additions, but I used what I had on hand.
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I’ve been in a reading rut, so I put a ton of physical books on hold at the library so I can break through. Hopefully one of these books can lift me or at least distract me from my malaise.
Here are a few of the books I put on hold:*
• Strange Sally Diamond, by Liz Nugent
• Bunny, by Mona Awad
• The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
• The Favorites by Layne Fargo
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I stopped to look over a free teak patio table that someone in my father’s neighborhood set out for free. It definitely had condition issues, but I simply don’t have the mental energy to take on project in the here and now, although I’m already starting to regret that decision. (It looks bad, but it really only needed a couple hours with an electric sander and some wood oil to bring it back to life.) We don’t have an outdoor table, so it would’ve been an excellent addition to our backyard.
Maybe I need to see if it’s still on the curb.
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I’m one week into my No Spend March economic boycott and have only shopped at Winco and HMart for necessities. I do plan on stopping by the Franz Bakery outlet tomorrow as they discount their bread to $1 per loaf on Saturdays. I’d like to have some gluten-free options in the freezer for when my daughter stops by and I used up what I had on hand the other day.
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I didn’t blow up my multi-billion dollar spaceship.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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* Please note that I never EVER post Amazon referral links!
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We celebrated my stepfather’s 75th birthday at the house and I assembled a pan of rice and bean enchiladas using ingredients we already had on hand. I even had enough for a small pan for the freezer, which is a favor to my future self. I’m very much a “from scratch” cook, but there are a few items that I leave to the experts, specifically enchilada sauce. I try to keep cans of both red and green sauces in the pantry at all times and last night was a green enchilada kind of night. Easy, cheap, tasty.
No recipe necessary, just rice, black beans, frozen corn kernels, three or four chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, shredded cheese, (I used white cheddar) and sautéed peppers on top. I added come of the enchilada sauce into the filling and poured the rest on top. (I never bother dipping the corn tortillas in the sauce as that’s too messy.) Cook at 350° until the sauce bubbles and remove the lid for the last ten minutes or so.
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Someone littered a can from some weird alcoholic drink in front of our house, so I added it to our bag of returnables. I also picked up two pennies and two foreign coin at Winco.
So yeah . . . I recently came into some money!
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My husband had a dental appointment near my father’s house, so I tagged along to combine errands. I got a nice visit in with my father, without the added cost of driving across town. I even had him grab another free lip balm for me.
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I sent a text to my neighbor across the street letting her know that she’s welcome to ask to borrow anything from tools to last minute dinner ingredients from us. Our side of the street already employs this give-and-take, but she’s unfortunately situated next to deeply unfriendly people. She’s the one who gives us her thick Safeway bags to use as bin liners, plus I arranged for her family to visit the American Museum of Natural History for free last year through my sister’s connections. I want her to have what we have.
It’s important more than ever that we as Americans bond together, even if it’s just a cup of sugar at a time.
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I continue to do my best to boycott shitty corporate companies. Specifically Amazon, Target, Safeway, Kroger, Hobby Lobby, WalMart and such. No Spend March!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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I finally reached the point where I was out of/almost out of enough items that it was worth braving the grocery store. I’m trying my hardest to avoid corporate America during my continued economic boycott, which directs me to shop at Winco Foods. Not my closest grocery store by any means, but employee owned and mostly cheap.
I went with a grocery list and my only impulse purchases were the $1.28 artichokes and the Pringles, which were $1.98 per case on the clearance shelf. (Versus $17.99 at Safeway!) I’ve set them in the basement and will bring them out for picnics, road trips and such.
I wasn’t sure if I needed a full ten pounds of potatoes, but at $3.48/10-pound bag, it was a no brainer.
Of course I hit the bulk bins for a couple items!
Eggs were tricky, as Winco prices your first 18-count carton of eggs lower than subsequent eggs. I bought an 18-pack and two dozen as it’s really an issue of buy-them-while-you-can. (The smaller cartons were priced low for your first two.) I made a cake last night and used up our last three eggs.
In the end I spent $79.59, which is more than I’d normally spend, but the eggs, chicken and yogurt were budget busters. The chicken and yogurt are for my husband’s work lunches, which he’s quick to point out are cheaper than getting takeout, like many of his coworkers.
How do these prices compare to where you live?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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My youngest came over and cooked up a big pot of red lentil soup for this week’s work lunches, using ingredients we already had on hand. (Lentils, onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, broth and bulk-purchased spices) It may seem illogical to let other people use our ingredients to make their meals, (especially during No Spend March) but I’m more than happy to share with others. I’m really good at bargain shopping and want nothing more than to help other people stretch their dollars.
Click HERE for my red lentil soup recipe.
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The two of us walked a half mile or so to the library to pick up the books I’d put on hold. Three for them and one for me. I also grabbed a Sophie Kinsella book from a neighbor’s little free library.
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I made a loaf of no-knead artisan bread supposedly for French onion soup, but it was gobbled up before I had the chance to slice up a single onion. Good thing it’s the easiest recipe and takes maybe two minutes to mix up!
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I spent a couple scratchy hours pruning my backyard hydrangeas so they’ll be nice and full this coming summer. They’ve gotten leggy over the past couple years, so I cut them waay back. (Hopefully I didn’t screw up!) By the way, this photo is from a couple summers ago. This is what they currently look like:
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I didn’t have to switch up any last minute skiing plans due to protestors.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Friday was the one-day economic boycott and although I’m a low spender to begin with, it did effect my spending as my husband had asked me to pick up a couple specific things from H Mart — sweet chili sauce and furikake. I bought neither item.
A single day to boycott retail corporate America is a great idea, but a better plan is to expand that day to an entire month! I’m absolutely furious with how the current administration is prioritizing big business over care for vulnerable Americans and our natural habitat, so I’m going to continue with my economic boycott. I feel that voting with my dollars has more power than the actual votes that I cast in November’s election.
My wallet votes for the world I want to live in.
Are there rules? No, because we all have different resources available to us. However, I encourage you to only spend on absolute necessities and shop locally owned whenever possible, but do your research. (Locally owned bakeries that refuse to sell wedding cakes for LGBT+ weddings come to mind. Not all “locally owned businesses” are created equal.) Avoid Amazon, Wal Mart, Starbucks, Hobby Lobby, McDonald’s, Safeway and Kroger, (tried to create a grocery monopoly) and Target.
And that picture above? I found a recipe for homemade sweet chili sauce and cooked up a batch using ingredients I already had on hand. By the way, it’s absolutely delicious and my husband and I both agree that it’s better than the bottled stuff!
Are you interested in joining a No Spend Month? Let’s collectively tell corporate America that we have the power to spend our money in an ethical manner!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Put your wallets away to show billionaires who we are.
Powerful people, whose dollars vote for the world we want
to live in.
Today, tomorrow, everyday.
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My husband had the day off yesterday and it was miraculously not raining, so we planned a walk along the Washington side of the Columbia River. Unfortunately we had a sluggish morning and realized that our timing couldn’t be worse, as we’d be hitting the Portland-to-Vancouver traffic during the beginning of rush hour, which would be a big mistake. Huge! Instead we pivoted and strolled through the Alameda neighborhood, which has gorgeous old houses, as well as postcard worthy views of Portland.
Quality time with my husband without spending a penny. Priceless.
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I treated my daughter to lunch to celebrate an accomplishment and she chose locally owned Pho Hung on S.E. Powell Blvd. Not only is this restaurant consistently delicious, but I saw on social media that they’d brought steaming bowls of pho to the striking nurses a few weeks back. (It’s like they knew how to earn my loyalty!) I chose a large bowl of their brisket pho and ate the vermicelli, some of the broth and most of the brisket. I then brought home the broth and added my own vermicelli noodles into the leftovers, which was enough to feed both my husband and myself.
Three meals from one entrée, I call that a frugal win!
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Today’s forecast is for a lovely 62°F/17°C and then tomorrow we’re supposed to see 64°F/18°C! I took this as an opportunity to turn off the furnace and open windows to welcome a breath of fresh air in the house. I know that this “false spring” is just a blip on the radar, but I’ll take it and enjoy a couple days without the cost of heating the house.
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• I did my Winco grocery shopping today, as I won’t be spending any money tomorrow to participate in the Economic Boycott. I plan on continuing the boycott in some way beyond this single day, but am still processing how to make that happen.
• I stopped by Goodwill to return last week’s droopy-crotch jeans and browsed the store without buying anything. I did take a moment to snap a “Best Mom Ever” photo to send to my kids.
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I was a good human being. I did not try to overthrow the American government. Did not belittle and humiliate Federal workers. Did not needlessly create chaos. <– Thank you to “Zoe” for this quote.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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My social media feed is filled with people spreading the word about the February 28th Economic Boycott. In essence, thousands (millions?) of Americans are finally taking a stand against the horrifying current administration by not supporting the economy this Friday.
Voting with our dollars.
There doesn’t seem to be an absolute consensus, as some people are planning to spend money at locally owned small businesses, but there is full agreement that no money should be spent at Target, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot or the multitude of other Trump friendly corporations.
You already know that I do my best to boycott these unethical companies on a daily basis, and that I stopped buying almost anything new in 2007. So yes, I am in full support of this grassroots movement. Just like the people who started boycotting Target in January only to realize that there was almost no need to shop there in the first place, I’m hoping that Americans realize that mindless consumerism accomplishes nothing. It keeps us impoverished, while transferring our hard earned dollars to those who already have more than they could ever spend in a lifetime.
This single Friday? What about every Friday? How about every Friday and Wednesday? What if Americans only spent on the absolute necessities? We’d bring our country to a crashing halt. I’m reminded of when I was on The Today Show and I stated it would be “A catastrophic thing if everybody did this,” (stopped buying newly manufactured items) and that it was a “moot argument.”
Record screech! That time has come.
So yes, let’s show our collective economic power this February 28th. Hold onto your dollars, they’re apparently more powerful than your vote.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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My husband and I share a single car, which is only possible because he rides an electric bike to and from work. (It also helps that I no longer have an 18 mile commute!) Our monovehicular status is an occasional issue, but mostly not. I’ve hired a Lyft three times over the past year, which is decidedly cheaper than owning, insuring and maintaining an extra vehicle.
It saves us a tremendous amount of money, plus it gives me the occasional excuse to laze about hunker down at home. Today is one of those days, as my husband needed to get from Portland to Vancouver, Washington for baseball practice. We’ll probably get a second car at some point, but we’re good for now.
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The backup key fob for our youngest’s Prius hadn’t worked for awhile, and the story was something about it being programmed incorrectly. I decided to do some troubleshooting and was able to get it to function by simply replacing the button battery. I did watch a two-and-a-half minute YouTube video to figure it out, but I’m still inordinately proud of myself. The best part was that I already had the battery on hand, so no money was spent.
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I helped my 26-year-old file their taxes, which was free due to their income level. I didn’t actually do anything beyond serve as a sounding board, but it’s always good to have someone there to answer questions, even when you don’t have any.
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My husband switched from deli meat sandwiches to grilled chicken over rice for his work lunches. This is cheaper, healthier and I imagine a more enjoyable meal. He works 12-hour shifts and needs to pack both lunch and dinner.
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Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
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