Greetings From Seattle

by Katy on July 2, 2009 · 17 comments

Because I’m up in Seattle for a few days, here’s a reprint of a previously published post from last Summer. Enjoy!

P.S. Please feel free to suggest fun Non-Consumer-y things to do in Seattle in the comments section below.

Experience Music Project Building

Experience Music Project Building

Okay, maybe Seattle on $0 per day was a tad unrealistic.

Seattle is traffic-ey and expensive. Did I mention the traffic?

I walked Maggie the dog through the arboretum in the morning with my 10-year-old. The highlight was not the oasis of nature amidst the city. No, no, no — the highlight was the cleanly cut-in-half rat. Only part of which was squished. I got to teach my son the word, “bisected.”

“You know honey, Like Darth Maul in ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.’ “

These are the memories a child brings into adulthood.

The dog duly walked, we drove off to The Experience Music Project, which we have a membership to. Street parking was easily found, which saved us $2.

I really liked the Science Fiction Museum area. (I am an enormous Sci-Fi geek!) However, I’m not a huge rock music fan, so the main part of the museum was lost on me. I explained to my husband that it would be like him going to a quilting museum, (not that I quilt). I think he understood.

Luckily, I’d brought a library book from home, so I found a comfy bench and made myself at home. There was one other person doing the same thing — he looked to be in his 80’s. We bonded.

My 12-year-old bought a Nirvana stretchy wrist band, and my 10-year old made one of those flattened souvenir pennies. I’ve decided the smooshed penny thing is the ideal Non-Consumer keepsake. There is no packaging, shipping, or environmental impact from the process. It’s hand-cranked, and doesn’t even require electricity! And at 51 cents, it’s steal!

We were now hungry and on the bad side of cranky at this point, and decided to find a nice locally owned restaurant. The boys declined the granola bars I’d stashed in my purse.

So we drove, and drove, and drove. We somehow ended up on I-5 South, which sent my husband into fits. The language used has no place in my family-friendly blog, so I’ll let you just use your imagination.

When we did see places that looked good, there was not even a slight chance of a parking spot. We probably drove for an hour-and-a-half (no exaggerating here) before settling on a somewhat corporate yuppy pizza place.

I hate spending a bunch of money eating out unless it’s something special. This place was not special. Expensive, yes.

I had my husband drop me and the 12-year-old at the Montlake library on the way back. We stocked up on graphic novels, (for him) and chick-lit (for me, I am on vacation after all!). Plus we pulled a few decent DVD’s from the shelf.

Tomorrow will be better. I really want to go to Goodwill, I’m crossing my fingers that we can score some Mariner’s T-shirts there for the boys.

Whatever we do, I see that the only way to have this vacation under fiscal control is to plan ahead.

The rat was free though. It will probably be what my son remembers most from this trip.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

P.S. I found $2.02 in change the evening before, but none today. Coin-Girl was not happy.

P.P.S. Have any frugal Seattle tips? Please let me know in the comments section below.

{ 17 comments }

Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old (or Borrowed) Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile!

by Katy on July 1, 2009 · 17 comments

suitcase

Summer is a time of travel. Your journey might be to far flung locales, or as close as a weekend at the beach. Either way, you’re going to need to fill a suitcase with the necessaries of life.

My family has had a few high stress travel events that streamlined our packing routine. Mostly, it was a two week trip to Japan in 2007 which my husband Dale, and then 11-year-old son went on. The packing list was very specific and everything (including host family gifts) had to fit into a standard 29″ rolling suitcase. We didn’t actually own any rolling suitcases, (29″ or otherwise) and I was unsuccessful at scoring one from a thrift store.

So, did I shell out the cash for a somewhat poor quality suitcase that would fit within our stretched budget?

No way! I found suitcases to borrow instead.

I have since scored a high end Sampsonite brand rolling suitcase in a thrift store for only $6. (I checked, and to buy it new would have been $150+.)

What’s the lesson here?

If there’s something you need and aren’t able to find an acceptable used version of, then perhaps you should look to borrow one. (It goes without saying that keeping good care of it is a priority, and that you should look for an opportunity to do a favor for the lender.) Putting off this purchase saved us over $140 had we bought a high end suitcase, and saved us from spending $40 on a poor quality one.

We now have enough nice luggage for most travel situations, but that doesn’t mean we don’t borrow a few things here and there. My ten-year-old wants his own rolling suitcase, but there’s no hurry on that. I’ll just keep an eye out.

Do you feel comfortable borrowing from others, or does it make you feel uneasy? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 17 comments }

Where Did All The Old Televisions Go?

by Katy on July 1, 2009 · 17 comments

When television went all digital did you take it as an opportunity to buy a new plasma screen TV and scrap your old one?  I for one am seeing a lot of curbside televisions sporting free signs, yet there don’t seem to be many takers.

Where are all the old TV’s going?

Take Back My TV.com writes that:

Currently, about 85% of the old electronics that we dispose of in the US end up in our landfills each year.  But TVs and other electronics don’t belong in our landfills, even if it is still legal in many states to trash old TVs. The toxics in TVs can leach into and contaminate groundwater and surface streams. Plus, there are many metals and other materials in these products which should be recycled, not trashed.

The Electronics Take Back Coalition was featured in a NY Times article yesterday that addressed the crisis of dealing with the obscene numbers of unwanted electronics.

I write on a 2005 Macintosh laptop which looks like a wheelbarrow when compared to the current models. But here’s a little secret . . . it works just fine. And you know something else? The older televisions only needed digital converter boxes to be able to work, and the government provided two $40 vouchers for anyone who asked for one. Our converter boxes cost $5o (minus the $40, bringing the cost down to $10 apiece ) and work great! We now get multiple channels, (mostly crap) and perfect reception.

So go ahead and enjoy the video above, and click on the link at the end to sign a petition to get the television companies to offer recycling programs.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 17 comments }

Striving for a Plastic-Free Life

by Katy on June 29, 2009 · 30 comments

sea-of-garbage-3.large

Joining The Compact in 2007 changed my life in a number of ways. I not only began to rethink my purchasing habits, but I also became increasingly aware of the environmental ramifications of my life.

One of the big changes I’ve made in my life is to try and minimize plastic usage for myself and my family. I haven’t gotten rid of all my Rubbermaid and Tupperware yet, but I’ve been nabbing Pyrex storage containers in thrift stores and it’s starting to make a dent.

I’m lucky because I live in an area where I can recycle most plastics. I can put out #2, #5 and anything with a neck in with my weekly garbage pickup. I can also haul all other plastics to a local grocery store which sends it to be made into plastic lumber for decking. It is somewhat horrifying to see how quickly my plastics recycling bins fill up though.

The real solution is to not be using so much plastic in the first place.

Plastic is nasty to manufacture and nasty to recycle. And the shipping of the raw materials around the world is not exactly cute and pretty.

And storing our food in plastic is suspect, health wise.

Changes I have made so far:

  • I bring reusable shopping bags with me always. This includes a string bag in my purse which takes up minimal room and is ready at a moment’s notice.
  • I bring reusable produce bags for lettuce, tomatoes, etc. (I bought a four-pack at The Dollar Tree store in the automotive section!)
  • I bought a stainless steel Tiffin lunch container for my son to use for his school lunches. I have yet to buy a second one for my younger son as they are pricey and he is spacey and loses stuff left and right.
  • We use stainless steel water bottles. As much as I covet the trendy Sigg bottles, we make do with the no-name versions I’ve been able to glean from area Goodwill thrift shops.
  • In the rare instance that I am in a restaurant, I decline a straw. This may seem like it’s hardly worth it, but I’m kind of the Queen of every little bit counts.
  • I always choose the glass leftover containers before pulling out the plastic.

Changes I want to make:

  • I want to freecyle all the plastic containers and switch over 100% to glass. Because this would involve an initial significant financial outlay, I have yet to make this leap.
  • I want to buy or make reusable fabric sandwich wraps for all of our work/school lunches. Not owning a working sewing machine is a barrier, although my mother is an accomplished seamstress, so I could enlist her help.
  • I’m keeping an eye out for a glass juice container, as I hate the plastic ones that we currently use.
  • I want to remember to bring a reusable container when buying deli food. (We buy pastrami, smoked turkey and fabulous sausages from a local delicatessen.)

Plastics are killing our wildlife, destroying the oceans and will last beyond our life span countless times over.

Want to know more about how plastics are affecting us and affecting our planet? Make sure to check out Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry’s fabulous blog that is all about plastic, all the time.

Are you working to minimize your plastic consumption? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 30 comments }

Too Much Stuff Makes it Easy to Keep an Eye Out

by Katy on June 29, 2009 · 28 comments

Mortar and PestleI have written before about how I keep an eye out for certain items, but I haven’t connected how the manufacturing glut makes this task as easy as throwing together a batch of my black bean burgers.

A prime example came this weekend while perusing a neighbor’s garage sale. My mother had asked to me to keep an eye out for a flowering arranging frog, and my step-mother had asked me to keep an eye out for a mortar and pestle. And whattaya know? This sale included both those things. $1.50 later and I now get to play Lady Bountiful.

But here’s the thing. There wasn’t some metaphysical force at work, where needed objects are matched up with seekers. There’s simply too much stuff in the world!

I know that these things already exist in someone else’s home, yet are considered clutter. Just like the clutter in my home is just what someone else is keeping an eye out for.

I had asked my mother to keep an eye out for a queen-size mattress set and within a week she’d located a looked-new-to-me set from a friend who wouldn’t even take any money. Was this because the stars had aligned to present their pillow-topped gifts? No, it was because my mother’s friend was getting a divorce and the new boyfriend wanted, well . . . let’s just say a fresh start.

Me? I’m not so picky. The mattress looked immaculate, that was good enough for the Non-Consumer Advocate.

So much stuff out there is already manufactured and perfectly good. There is no reason to hack off another block of marble from an Italian mountainside to make a new mortar and pestle. The environmental consequence of freshly producing each and every item that strikes our fancy is serious and real.

Practice patience and keep an eye out. You’ll be amazed how what you want magically appears already exists.

Do you keep an eye out for wanted and needed items, or do you buy what you want when you want it? Is there anything you’re keeping an eye out for now? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 28 comments }

It's Time for Another "Buy No Food Challenge"

by Katy on June 28, 2009 · 26 comments

pushing_shopping_cart_lifeskills1

Last August I declared a Buy No Food Challenge after a week long visit with relatives left me with a refrigerator bulging with an embarrassment of food riches.

Enough, said I!

I was not going to buy any more food until I got my family to eat down what we already had. And we did. I think we went an entire week before having to step foot into a grocery store again. Thus minimizing our food waste while saving a bit of money.

Ten months have passed since this original challenge, and it’s time to re-issue it.

This time the impetus was a weeklong hosting of a British soccer coach coupled with my bronchitis, which meant my husband was in full charge of meal preparation. There were Costco trips, Trader Joe trips, at least one Safeway trip and yes, one more Costco trip. The result of which is that the fridge is once again filled with every type of food imaginable. And to make matters worse, we’re going up to Seattle on Wednesday, and will be gone for a week.

I am going to work my darndest to not let this food go to waste. I will serve it, eat it and when push comes to shove  — I will freeze it.

As Frigidaire as my witness, I will never have too much food again!

Are your cupboards and refrigerator overly full of food? Is your tea shelf bulging at the seams? Please join my challenge to eat what’s already there before buying new.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

P.S. Thank you to my husband Dale for picking up the slack while I lay in bed coughing and compulsively watching the entire library DVD set of “Freaks and Geeks.”

{ 26 comments }

Broke vs. Poor

by Katy on June 27, 2009 · 13 comments

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


When I was growing up, my next-door-neighbor was a single mom who supported herself with her writing. Needless to say, she did not have issues of where to invest all that excess income.

One thing she used to say, which stuck in my mind was:

“I’m not poor, I’m just always broke.”

I remember being a little confused with this. Weren’t poor and broke the same thing? I just didn’t get it.

Now that I’m a certified grown-up, I think I understand what she was getting at.

To describe oneself as poor is to accept a place in a lower strata. To believe that there is a distinction between the classes, and you’re simply stuck at the bottom. It’s who you are, and there’s no way out. The long term view.

To be broke, means you have no money, but it’s a temporary situation. You’re just one good writing assignment away from financial stability. You may have an empty bank account now, but flush times are just around the corner.

Is there a real difference between poor and broke?

Of course not.

I’m not suggesting that poverty isn’t a valid and real existence for millions of people the world over.

But it sure is more satisfying to be frugal because you’re broke, rather than because you’re poor.

And I’ve certainly been broke in my life, but I sure as hell have never been poor.

Have you ever refused to take money saving measures because you didn’t want to be perceived as poor? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 13 comments }

A Day Off for Bronchitis

by Katy on June 25, 2009 · 7 comments

I’ve got bronchitis and am spacey as all get-out, (must be a lack of oxygen) so I won’t be writing a post today.

Have a great and healthy Non-Consumerly day!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Cough it up, cough it out, cough it do or cough without.”

{ 7 comments }

A Guest Post Over at The Frugal Girl

by Katy on June 25, 2009 · 0 comments

A piece I wrote a few months back, (Green Purchasing — What is Best?) is featured over at The Frugal Girl today.

The article may be old hat to Non-Consumer Advocate readers, but the comments are worth a read. (How did the one commenter get the idea that I was promoting the use of used toilet paper?! — Blegh!)

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

{ 0 comments }

An Inspiring Comment From a Reader

by Katy on June 24, 2009 · 9 comments

This comment in response to Now is Not The Worst Hard Times just came in, and it’s so moving and inspiring that I wanted to share it with everyone.  Next time you’re feeling deprived, think about how others have lived in the past, and how others still live in many parts of the world.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Mother of Pearl Clam

My 91 year old Grandma lived through the Depression in rural Illinois (not the Dust Bowl area).

She talks of how her father would catch squirrels in the fields, clean them, and her mother would cook them with dandelion leaves. Her dad would eat the brains, which she always thought was disgusting, and he always said he loved. It didn’t dawn on her until later in life that he was trying to give his children the good parts and would sacrifice eating the bad (i.e. gross) parts in order to survive.

She also told me that the men did anything to make money. Her family lived near a river, and (after he lost his job) he would dive for clams, shuck the shells and sell them to the button factory to make mother-of-pearl buttons. The clam meat was not edible, otherwise they would have eaten those as well, so she says. Each man in the area had staked claim to a river bank area. He would get into fist fights with other men in order to protect ‘his clam territory’ on the river.

She always talks about how she desperately wanted a pair of shoes. That was really the only heartache she felt when she was young, she says. She said that although life was tough, it was not bad. The family would go around the room and every family member would recount what they were thankful for, which helped them remember that they will get through it.

She always says that the bigger cities (like Chicago and Rockford) were feeling the Depression much worse, as those areas had a more dense population of people to feed, and not enough land to live off of the resources. Fortunately, her family lived in a rural area, where people did favors for food and such.

It’s always interesting to hear her talk about that portion of her life. She’s so matter-of-fact about it. It’s definitely something to learn from.

{ 9 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →