The Beauty of Friendship

by Katy on April 20, 2009 · 8 comments

holding_hands

The friendships I foster are an important factor to my rich life.

Not friends who make you feel bad when you hang out together. The gee-why-does-my-house-not-look-as-good-as-theirs style of friend.

I’m talking about the friends who boost you up, refresh your attitude and help you to gain perspective on your life.

I’m a not the kind of person who has a huge number of friends. I have a few close friends and many other people whose company I enjoy. I’ve also made a number of online pals in the past few years who I consider to be friends. 

My friends and I swap library movies, go for walks instead of meeting up at the gym and exchange ideas instead of gifts. But it’s not a shared interest in frugality that cements our friendships, but a shared outlook on life. We enjoy figuring out original solutions to life’s challenges; and nobody is all that interested in fashion, expensive coffee or how to attain six-pack abs.

But most importantly, I know they’re there for me. Whether it’s for a loan of a stack of magazines or an afternoon spent together during hard times. And I think they know I’m there for them as well.

My best friend from college is flying in from New Hampshire on Wednesday just to hang out with me for a few days, which I find incredibly flattering. I’m so much overwhelmed with how much I’m looking forward to her company, that I don’t even care that the forecast is for rain, rain and more rain.

My friends enrich my life in ways I cannot even express.

So I’d like to extend a huge thank you to my friends, both those I’ve known for years and those I’m just now getting to know. I would be lost without you.

How is your life affected by your friends? 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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Can You Be Too Frugal?

by Katy on April 19, 2009 · 26 comments

Credit Cards

Sometimes I think I might be going over the deep end. I host potlucks, garden exclusively with free plants, attend swaps, hang laundry in the sun and compulsively keep an eye on my family’s food waste. (Tonight was the last of the leftover chili baked with cornbread on top.)

But has my obsession with frugality gone too far? 

I’m going to say no, because my frugality is tied to a goal, and that goal is to live debt free. I currently have some credit debt that is tied to some large unexpected home expenses, (Brand new $5000 sewer line plus $2000 to de-commission the old oil tank.)

Tell me again why home ownership is the American dream?

But the act of getting this debt paid down as quickly as possible makes me feel great, like I’m in control of my finances and my life. And we are motoring through getting this paid off. And every time I make a choice to save $3 here or $1 there, it’s a concrete step towards living the debt free life I want for myself.

And my next goal? 

Create an emergency fund to deal with the never ending emergencies that seem to be tied to owning a 95 year old house!

At what point do you think frugality goes too far? 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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What Makes Me Happy

by Katy on April 18, 2009 · 24 comments

The following is from a previously published column. Enjoy!

 

 

I am happy.

I am a happy person with a great life. And no, it’s not dependent on the price of gasoline.

Here’s what’s currently making me happy:

  1. I didn’t have to work today.
  2. Dinner tonight was healthy, cheap and well received, (pizza from scratch).
  3. I did most of the dishes, but no one cares if I finish up tomorrow.
  4. Both my kids had friends over after school today, and there was only minimal whining about no video games.
  5. My 12-year-old has been drawing more since I took away said video games.
  6. I have four great movies from the library right now, and three whole weeks to watch them. (Juno, Charlie Bartlett, Extras: Series Finale and Star Trek: Enterprise, the Second Season.)
  7. I gleaned a perfect Swiffer today from a neighbor’s garbage pile. I can use it with towel rags, which work perfectly.
  8. My husband just got his dream job, which he’s been working towards for eight years.
  9. The rock wall in my backyard is almost done.
  10. I was able to get all the rocks for free from craigslist.
  11. I picked up a check for $92 from the children’s consignment shop today, for clothes I had dropped off months ago and forgotten about.
  12. I can beat my book-smart older sister at online Scrabble. Sometimes.
  13. I played the word, “egads” today for 34 points. Egads is simply a terrific word.
  14. I can beat my ten-year-old at Sorry, and he doesn’t cry or pitch a fit.
  15. I got four beautiful zucchini from my friend Nadine, and have worked them into dinner two nights in a row.
  16. I went to The Dollar Tree store today for shampoo and conditioner, and nothing else snuck its way into my basket.
  17. The book my ten-year-old son wants read to him at night, is actually really good. (The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan.)
  18. I am reading a great, funny book from the library right now, and it can easily be enjoyed in short spurts. (The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World., by A.J. Jacobs.)
  19. My pants are kind of loose around the waist, (although it may simply be because they were line dried.)
  20. My mom lives in town and was able to drop by today for a cup of tea and a homemade muffin.
  21. I found a great second hand birthday present for my little sister at the consignment shop for only $2.
  22. The humidity from all the rain meant my 12-year-old’s thick, platinum blond hair was all wavy with curls at the bottom. Like when he was a toddler.
  23. My husband took the kids to a nighttime soccer game in the pouring rain. And let me stay home, warm and dry.
  24. When the news on NPR got to be too much today, there was great music playing on the other stations.
  25. Both my sons are still really snuggly.
  26. No one has found out yet where I hid the video game system. Although they may have found a few holiday gifts.
  27. We only produced half a grocery bag of garbage last week.
  28. Apparently having a swanky grocery store being built up the block will increase the value of our house “up to 17%,” according to an article in the newspaper.
  29. It’s flannel sheets weather, and I love my Garnet Hill flannel sheets. (Purchased pre-Compact.)
  30. I’m suddenly back in touch with almost everyone I went to college with, and we’re all much more bearable now. Pretty much.
  31. I have a job in the health sector, which is pretty much immune to economic roller coaster rides.
  32. My neighbors will stop to have a chat, even in the pouring rain.
  33. I have wonderful friends, who bring me garden surplus. And are always happy to stop in for a cup of tea, and maybe a scone.
  34. No one in my family gives a rat’s tuchus that all their clothing comes fromGoodwill.
  35. I have seat warmers in both my cars.
  36. I still have lettuce growing my my wheelbarrow.
  37. My couch is long enough to fully stretch out on. 
  38. My four-year-old $45 washing machine is still going strong. (Yeah, craigslist!)
  39. Both my kids eat a wide variety of foods, even if it’s just a no-thank-you-bite.
  40. The Japanese teacher we hosted a few years ago is pregnant with a boy. And she’s going to be an incredible mother.
  41. She once told me that Japanese mothers don’t kiss their kids as much as I do, (my kids are irresistible!) but she had decided it was something she would do.
  42. Wool socks.
  43. Having neighbors that admire my clothesline, instead of reporting me to a homeowner association.
  44. The friends, (Max and Julia) I’ve made through being part of The Compact. (Buy nothing new!)
  45. Being able to say I turned down an offer to be on the reality TV show Wife Swap.
  46. Knowing I have regular Non-Consumer Advocate readers in Tanzania, The Czech Republic, Canada, England, Scotland, Australia and France.
  47. Singing the Sisters song along with my Puppini Sisters CD. Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!
  48. Being 40-years-old.
  49. Knowing, that by choosing to buy nothing new, I am not contributing to all the environmental mess that comes from unnecessary manufacturing.
  50. The health of my family and loved ones.
What makes you happy? Tell us your list in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Dave Ramsey Book Winner + Awesome Budgeting Tips!

by Katy on April 17, 2009 · 3 comments

totalmoneymakeover1

 

Thank you to everyone who entered their budgeting tips for a chance to win a hardback copy of Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. 

 

The winner, chosen at random was “Laurie,” here’s her tip:
I have time and no money, so when grocery shopping, I take advantage of *every* store ad and their loss leader offerings of the week. “Two for one” or “buy one get one” offers are great, but I only buy them if it’s something we would have normally purchased. .. and that is usually all I will buy at that store. LOL
Click here to read through all of your inspirational ideas.

 

Here’s a small sample from the many budgeting tips from you, the readers, (and thanks again to the generous folks over at daveramsey.com.)

Kid’s clothes? consignment sales only. My daughter dresses amazingly well and getting a top name outfit for $4? . . . perfect. We buy socks and other personal items at Target. On sale.

Costco also has the best lettuce! For $3.50 I get twice as much lettuce as the bags of lettuce we were buying. I like salad. But 1/2 the cost? I like that better.

 

My favourite tip is to treat every dollar as if it were one hundred. Having respect for your money is a great start to any budget.

The best budgeting tip in my book should be the most obvious; spend less than you make and live within your means.

If I don’t have the money for something, I don’t buy it, and I don’t buy it new if it can be found used. If it’s something I really need, I save for it. For me, it works best not having a credit card, but a debit card.

This wouldn’t be as successful for me if I didn’t have an emergency fund. There is finally $1000.00 there, and once I’ve got more debt cleared, I’ll work on increasing that.

For motivation, I also have been keeping a list of any debt, and as each was paid off, added it to a grand total. Very inspirational for me to see the total amount of debt I’ve paid off increasing, and what I have left getting smaller & smaller (just my auto and house now). Helps me keep going!

I think it’s important to really think about a purchase before you make it. Learning the difference between an need and a want was one of the most important frugal lessons. Also, I try to fix something before I throw it away or find another use for something, like using old shirts with stains as rags for cleaning.

I have my paycheck direct deposited and I’m lucky enough to be able to split it between two accounts. My bill money is direct deposited to my checking account and all the rest is direct deposited to my savings. I have no chance to spend it and once it’s there I don’t like to take it out.

My tip is definitely the envelope system for gas, groceries and my ‘blow’ money. I have found that it keeps me from using my debit card, which in turn, allows me to save more. I use Dave’s zero-based budgeting concept, and when it’s all spent, it’s all spent. It makes me think long and hard about my expenses for the month, and what is important and what I can skip.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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The Great Depression — Everything Old is New Again?

by Katy on April 16, 2009 · 9 comments

 

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The 1930’s were not the good old days. The Dust Bowl sickened countless Americans with dust pneumonia, as it drove thousands from their beloved family farms. City folk didn’t exactly have it easy either, as unemployment plagued the formerly thriving working-force.

So why are we looking to the depression era as a source of inspiration?

Is it nostalgia for simpler times, before electronics became both a need and a nuisance?

Or are we seeing the diehard frugality of our parents and grandparents through new eyes?

Knitting, quilting, and backyard chickens have reached the pinnacle of hip. Even cobblers are experiencing an unforeseen rise in business. 

So I ask, what can we learn by the menders, fixers and savers of those who survived the great depression? Those who learned how not to waste?

The NY Times recently published a moving article titled, Making Ends Meet in The Great Depression that gleaned the memories of those who lived through the great depression:

“Back then there was little money for food, let alone new curtains, but people found ways to cope. Backyard gardens were cultivated not because of a sudden itch to eat locally grown produce, but out of necessity; homeowners did their own repairs and found ingenious ways to make their homes functional and attractive.”

Hmm . . . sounds familiar.

Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. (A 2006 National Book Award Winner) chronicles the background and hidden stories of the people behind the environmental disaster that was the dirty thirties. Egan neither romanticizes nor sensationalizes this era. Instead, the author follows a few families in the hardest hit counties of Texas and Oklahoma to humanize the experience. Egan skillfully outlines the events that led to the dust bowl, making this one of the few book purchases I’ve made since joining The Compact, (buy nothing new) in 2007. 

I have written previously about this book on The Non-Consumer Advocate, and had asked readers to share their family’s depression era stories on the blog. The subsequent comments were incredibly moving and inspirational; and brought tears to my eyes.

I think there is much to learn from the lessons learned by those who survived the great depression. An appreciation for food on the table, money put aside and the health of loved ones can get away from us in our go, go, go world.

These lessons are worth saving.

Did your family struggle through the great depression? Did your grandparents continue with the skills learned during lean times? Please share your stories in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Why on Earth Are We Drinking Bottled Water?

by Katy on April 15, 2009 · 26 comments

 

When the issue of frugality vs. sustainability arises, the one glaringly obvious contradiction for me is bottled water.

I simply do not understand why anyone would pay money to drink water that’s been shipped from thousands of miles away, and is not subject to the important safety standards of municipal tap water. Not to mention that the environmental consequences of manufacturing and dealing with the bottles could be completely avoided.

Hard on the wallet and bad for our planet? 

I beg to differ.

To have clean and safe drinking water available at the turn of a handle is not an option to a large percentage of our planet’s population. Yet we turn our noses up at lowly tap water.

The video above shows a excerpt from Tapped, The Movie which looks to be an enlightening, yet entertaining film about the many, many issues that surround the bottled water industry.

So start making it a habit to carry a re-usable water bottle with you and just say no to bottled water.

Here are two columns I had previously published about bottled water.

Are you still buying bottled water, or are you a die-hard Sigg bottle fan? 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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Garage Sale Time!

by Katy on April 14, 2009 · 15 comments

Garage Sale

I love when there’s an intersection between the beloved areas of my life. Frugality and green living, cheap and tasty, and free and useful. But there’s one area that really gets my motor running, and that is:

Decluttering and income producing.

That’s right fellow non-consumers, I’m starting to get organized for a garage sale. 

I’ve spent the past few years decluttering my house, as well as minimizing purchases. (An important component, as it makes no sense to get rid of stuff if I’m still in acquisition mode.) I’ve sold a few things on craigslist, donated multiple carloads of household items to Goodwill and handed kid clothes down to friends.

But I’ve still held onto a lot of stuff that I felt was too nice to donate or held inexplicable sentimental value.

But I love great-uncle Sammy’s dishes! (Never mind that they have never been released from their basement purgatory in 15+ years.)

But I’m now ready to do another huge purge, and this time I’m looking to rake in a few bucks.  

And my goal with this garage sale is to get rid of all the stuff in my home that is not useful or believed to be beautiful. 

Having a cluttered house means I spend too much time trying to keep it in order, and frankly, it’s a bit of a losing battle. It’s much, much better than it used to be, but it’s still not to the point where I want it to be. By no means will anyone ever accuse me of being a minimalist, but I would sure like to have a house that didn’t require near constant tidying up.

A Springtime garage sale in Oregon can be a tricky endeavor as it’s not unusual to be the recipient of heavy rains all the way through June. (Or Junuary, as it was referred to last year.) So my plan is to gather up all the excesses of our life, set them up on tables in the garage, and even get them priced. This way, I’ll have a garage sale ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just open up the garage door and haul the tables onto the driveway.

Add a free listing on craigslist and a few cardboard signs, and I’m good to go.

Yup. People paying me money while hauling away my clutter. Can’t get much better than that!

Two decluttering book that I found to be very helpful, as they delve into the actual root problems behind clutter:

Clear Your Clutter With Feng-Shui, by Karen Kingston. (Although do me a favor and ignore the final chapter on how a good colon cleanse is essential to the process. Umm . . . pass!)

Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding, by David F. Tolin. 

Are you planning a garage sale this year? If so, is it for the purpose of decluttering or money making, or maybe a little of both? Have a great garage sale tip to let us in on? 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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Have You Joined the "Waste No Food Challenge?"

by Katy on April 13, 2009 · 27 comments

food_waste1

When I started up the waste-no-food-challenge last May, I had no idea how much food waste I would be able to divert from our well fed compost pile. 

No longer do my leftovers languish in the back of the fridge. Gone are the days when my heads of lettuce transformed to liquid. (C’mon, admit it. I can’t be the only one to have conducted this particular science experiment!)

I have made many positive changes in how I buy, store and use/re-use food.

The most important change I’ve made is to be realistic about how my family eats. My ten and 13-year-old sons are more open minded eaters than most of their friends, but they still balk at certain meals.

Mom, is that a microscopic piece of onion in my bean burger?!

You get the picture.

Here’s the best techniques I’ve found so far in avoiding food waste:

  • I no longer cook up huge batches of food. Yes, I’m happy to eat leftovers once. Twice? Not so much. Our freezer is not big enough to store large amounts of leftovers, so I try to only cook enough for two meals at a time.
  • When buying lettuce, I immediately wash and chop it, and then store it in a salad spinner. Because the inner basket sits above the outer bowl, this prevents the lettuce from getting soggy. This technique has greatly helped our now nightly salad habit.
  • I include leftovers in subsequent meals. For example, I chopped up some roast chicken for use as a pizza topping a few nights ago. 
  • I no longer buy jars of salsa or barbeque sauce, as I noticed these were frequently wasted items. I now buy El Pato brand enchilada sauce to use as salsa. These small cans are the perfect size to get used up before going bad.
  • I store leftovers in clear containers as much as possible. Out of sight, out of mind is unfortunately very true for me. But if I can actually see the contents of my refrigerator, then I’m much more likely to eat the food I’ve bought.
  • I serve smaller portions to the kids. If they want seconds, then they’re welcome to help themselves. I’m also putting smaller portions in their school lunches. I find this helps in my quest to scrape less food into the compost and garbage from their plates. 
  • I’m buying less cereal. The days of half-eaten, completely-forgotten boxes of whatever-o’s are behind us.

I’m simply keeping an awareness about food waste up front in my mindset. Not only is food waste a huge waste of money, but it’s also an unacceptable practice in these economic times. And the methane gas produced from landfills full of rotting food is hardly a big plus either.

Put your name in the comments section below to add yourself to the waste-no-food-challenge.

Are you increasing your awareness about food waste in the home? What have you found that helps or doesn’t help for you? 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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Win a Book!

by Katy on April 13, 2009 · 2 comments

Have you entered to win your copy of Dave Ramsey’s, The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness yet? You only have until April 16th at midnight P.S.T.

Click here to enter.

Good luck!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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What Will One Hour Buy You?

by Katy on April 12, 2009 · 8 comments

clock

I was sitting in the break room at work the other day when a discussion about the state of the economy came up. One of my fellow labor and delivery nurses was bemoaning how bad things were for all of us these days, and I chose to disagree. 

I argued that if I were to take one hour of my pay to the grocery store. I could easily buy a week’s worth of food for myself.

Her response was, “Well sure, if all you eat is rice and beans!”

But I don’t eat just rice and beans. Yes, we occasionally eat rice and beans, but we also eat chicken, vegetables, fruit, cheese, cereal, yogurt, potatoes, eggs, pretzels, ice cream, well . . . you get the picture. We eat a completely normal diet. I’m just careful with my food shopping.

My family of four, which includes 10 and 13-year-old sons (think hollow leg here) spends $450 per month on food. This takes into account school and work lunches, as well as rare meals out. This means we’re each spending a little less than $30 per person, per week. (And I don’t consider ourselves to be particularly scrimping and saving when it comes to groceries.)

The notion of what an hour of work will buy began to percolate in my head. An hour’s wage could easily buy a child’s brand new outfit, a first run movie for the entire family or even dinner out in a nice restaurant.

But it’s not that simple. I choose to work a part-time schedule. I generally work between 16 to 24 hours per week, because I know that when I work less I enjoy my job more. And when I do work full time hours, I don’t get to have the time off I need to enjoy my life.

So I choose to buy second hand clothes for my family, see only second run movies, and eat cooked from scratch meals at home.

I could work full time in order to buy brand new things for my family, but then my hour of work would need to stretch into three-to-four hours.

I’m lucky that I have the choice to pretty much work as little or as much as I want. Not everyone has that option. But I’m able to choose that completely manageable schedule because I do make these across the board frugal choices in my life. 

What my hour buys is different from what what someone else’s hour buys. 

Are your hours at work buying more than ever? 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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