Five Frugal Things

by Katy on February 10, 2025 · 80 comments

  1. My son and I watched the movie A Real Pain through my friend’s Hulu account. (Thanks, Lisa!) Written, directed and starring Jesse Eisenberg, the movie is about a pair of cousins whose recently deceased grandmother was a holocaust survivor. The two of them travel to Poland for a guided tour to see where she grew up, as well as the concentration camp where she’d been held. Also starring Kieran Culkin, this film had nuanced characters and was beautifully filmed, thought provoking and even funny at times.

    Although my Jewish family left Europe long before World War II, (I had a great-great grandfather who fought in the Civil War.) I did have extended relatives who didn’t make it out.

  2. I curb picked a pair of structured basket cubes that I’ll clean up and use for storage. These Branäs baskets sell for $24.99 apiece at IKEA, so it was well worth turning the car around. The baskets do have some superficial mildew and condition issues, but I can give them a soapy vinegar scrub and bring them back to life.

    Remember . . . there’s nothing wrong with a dented basket!

  3. I mailed one of my father’s framed needlepoint mazes to my cousin in Pittsburgh and used PirateShip.com to prepay for the postage. I spent $16.24 for UPS shipping as opposed to the $25.98 had I gone directly though the UPS.com website! (I’ll save you the math, that’s a $9.74 savings!) I don’t have a photo of the specific piece, but here’s one that hangs in my home:

  4. • I took my daughter to Winco and although I didn’t have more than a couple things on my shopping list, I did stock up/take advantage of a few sale items including mini peppers, avocados, onions, cucumbers and bananas.
    • I got another Fred Meyer coupon in the mail for a free pint of Häagen Dazs ice cream.
    • I had a carton of blueberries that got unpleasantly soft, so I made a tiny batch of refrigerator jam adding a squirt of lemon juice and a handful of sugar.

  5. I didn’t spend 290 million dollars to buy myself into an unelected federal government position.

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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{ 80 comments }

100 More Reasons To Be a Non-Consumer!

by Katy on February 7, 2025 · 21 comments

In addition to this blog, I also run a companion Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, which is currently hovering around 79,000 members. New prospective members have to answer a simple question, which helps to weed out the ever present spammers. The answers are always interesting, so I’ve started saving them to share in blog posts. 

  1. Educating yourself is always a good thing.

  2. I enjoy Katy’s blog. I don’t buy new. thrifty to the max!

  3. I want to learn how I can enhance my current efforts as a conscious consumer with a frugal focus.

  4. Save.

  5. I want to be a better steward of my money.

  6. I am trying to get out of the cycle of consumerism.

  7. I’m drowning in stuff! It’s suffocating me!

  8. More frugal tips.

  9. Enjoy the blog for many years.

  10. I want to save money.

  11. I’m a social worker …with a social worker salary…nuff said lol.

  12. I read the Year of Less. I am trying to live this way.

  13. Appreciate ideas to stay motivated, inspired to refrain from non-essential buying.

  14. I am semi retired and need to find a way to save money.

  15. I am a widow and live alone. This type of making ends meet appeals to me.

  16. Trying to retire. Need to save money and be more consumer conscious.

  17. Tired of contributing to big corporations.

  18. For inspiration to reduce my negative impact on our planet.

  19. I live remotely and have sort of a forced non-consumption life which I increasingly embrace. I love the simplicity, the frugality, and the peace of this life, and want to be on this journey with others who are like-minded.

  20. To be frugal, zero waste.

  21. Trying to be more frugal.

  22. It only makes sense!

  23. To get ideas on how to support sustainability.

  24. I am retired trying to survive this inflation.

  25. I’d like to learn unique ways to spend less and have more.

  26. Save money.

  27. I read your blog!

  28. Learn to spend less in 2025.

  29. I have gone into early retirement due to macular degeneration and need to save as much as possible.

  30. I would like to live a more mindful and minimalist life.

  31. Retired and needing to build an emergency fund. Also have way too much stuff. Also I don’t want my 3 sons to have to worry about my stuff when Jesus calls me home.

  32. Looking to save money this year!!

  33. I just have too much stuff and feel bad about it.

  34. To be with like minded people.

  35. To spare our environment. I believe less is more and can be applied to many parts of our lives.

  36. I used to live frugally but recently, I have been buying stuff. I need to go on a money diet!

  37. Save money.

  38. I want to learn how to be frugal. I know there are a lot of ideas out there. Some I can do. Some I can’t.

  39. We want to without and use what we have.

  40. I’m trying to make fewer purchases and generally consume less in 2025.

  41. I have always been frugal and am a huge advocate of using up and/or repairing items in my possession. I am also a huge recycler and recycle probably 90% of my trash.

  42. Ideas on how to save money.

  43. I’d like to be more thoughtful about the things I own. I’m good with my hands and enjoy fixing and refinishing furniture.

  44. I’m always looking for ways to live more with less!

  45. Want to stop spending needlessly!

  46. I don’t want to give big corporations any more money. I’m looking for new ways to live a more frugal life.

  47. Save money.

  48. Going thru a divorce, will rely on 1 income.

  49. I like great ideas on saving and i have a friend who mentioned she likes the page and ideas.

  50. I like to live simply.

  51. I’ve read your blog on your website for a while. Decided to join the FB group.

  52. I’m always looking for ways to save money!

  53. Learn frugal tips.

  54. Wanting to learn more ways to save, make repairs and repurpose.

  55. Heading into retirement.

  56. Recently disabled. I need to step up my decent thrift game to an extreme thrift game in order to survive. ASAP

  57. I’m interested in saving and reusing stuff instead of buying more.

  58. In this day and age I need to learn how to be more frugal.

  59. Minimize wastefulness.

  60. Like to learn how to save.

  61. Get inspired to use the things that I have, and to not buy so many unnecessary items and things that I don’t need.

  62. As much as possible, I want to repair, reuse and recycle.

  63. I want to make more of an effort to buy less, recycle more, and reduce my carbon footprint.

  64. Trying to cut down on unnecessary trying to cut down on spending and learn some tips on saving.

  65. Learn.

  66. Keeping with my already non-consumer lifestyle, I look forward to other’s ideas.

  67. Trying to be more intentional about what I allow into my living space so I have only things I need, use, and/or love.

  68. As retirees living in a rural area, we find we need to make do with what we have, as money is limited and trip to a city is 75 minutes.

  69. I’d like to practice frugality and ways to free ourselves from grasps of consumerism. im partnering up with a friend for a minimal spend 2025.

  70. Because I grew up with parents who lived through the Depression and my mom’s philosophy was, “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or go without.” I even had an aunt who taught me to save breadwrappers, cut them into strips and then use them to crochet rugs. I always loved her Wonder bread rug in front of her kitchen sink. <– I wish I could see this!

  71. The peace of not wanting things.

  72. Have always loved the premise of “Ditching it to the man” since the early 1970’s …late 1960’s.

  73. I have been working on minimalism having a smaller carbon foot print and saving money. This seems like it may be a good fit!

  74. I want to get better at saving money and learn how to use what I have instead of buying more.

  75. I need to save!

  76. I read a post and thought I’d fit right in 🙂

  77. I don’t want to add to all the damage consumerism does to us and Earth. Plus, I have adopted some helpful habits which I can share with the group.

  78. I would love to start a zero waste group in ocean county.

  79. Can’t find companies that align with my values anyways so I’d rather just not consume than give money to them.

  80. I’d like to learn as much from others as possible. Thank you!

  81. My husband and I keep things forever. We prefer to repair rather than replace.

  82. To learn different opportunities.

  83. To learn how to repair, mend, fix, reuse items. Under consumption.

  84. I am looking to simplify my life to better focus on people I love versus things I have.

  85. I’ve been following your blog for a long time and am thankful for the reminders that we don’t have to spend a lot to live well.

  86. Trying to reduce my carbon footprint.

  87. To learn and share ideas on living a less consumer-driven life.

  88. I am a non consumer.

  89. I have always been frugal. I drive it till the wheels fall off.

  90. I love to save money and I am very frugal.

  91. I would like to learn how others live frugally.

  92. I’m looking for more ways to save money and to buy less.

  93. To learn how to be a non-consuming citizen for the next four years.

  94. I am in the process of decluttering and want to maintain a minimalist lifestyle.

  95. I am very interested in sharing with others idea and thoughts associated with less consumerism. I have become committed to reducing my use of plastic.

  96. To help the planet.

  97. I’d like to save money.

  98. I was raised to be frugal. it’s in my genes.

  99. On a fixed income like so many others here. I have always been frugal but find that I have to cut back even more.

  100. Recently retired…looking to be more frugal.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 21 comments }

Five Tiny But Important Frugal Things

by Katy on February 6, 2025 · 88 comments

My tiny propagated Christmas cactus is about to bloom!

  1. I put aside a few minutes to make free phone calls to my U.S. senators and congresswoman to leave messages encouraging them to do “everything in your power and then some” to fight against Trump and Musk. It is wholly unacceptable for the richest people on our planet to victimize our most vulnerable. I am so horrified to be an American right now.

    Click HERE to find the contact information for your senator.

    Click HERE to find the contact information for your congressperson.

  2. I also made free phone calls to the corporate departments of Target and Costco to give feedback on whether they kept (Costco) or eliminated (Target) their “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs. I was extremely polite and hopefully these calls can balance out the awful phone calls these operators are likely receiving on a daily basis.

    Click HERE for Costco’s contact information.

    Click HERE for Target’s contact information.

  3. I took my daughter to the credit union to get more papers notarized for free. This saved her around $10. This is me, once again encouraging you to put your money in a member owned credit union instead of a corporately owned bank.

  4. I got another notice for a 7 A.M. to 10 A.M. “Peak Times Rebate” electricity event, so I unplugged a couple of vampire energy devices and turned off a small light we normally keep on before going to bed. There’s not much else to minimize during these early hours, as the thermostat is already set to 64°F and I ain’t going lower!  I saved a massive 46¢ during the last “event.”

    I was curious how our electricity usage compares to other households, so I went to the Portland General Electric website to find this information. This graph shows our electricity usage being less than an “efficient similar home,” except in the summer when we use window air conditioners to ensure the house is cooled down to a livable temperature.

    For reference we live in a 1914 2000-ish square-foot uninsulated house. Cute, but drafty.

  5. I didn’t spend 290 million dollars to buy myself into an unelected federal government position.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 88 comments }

Five Tiny Frugal Things

by Katy on February 5, 2025 · 73 comments

  1. We had my mother and stepfather over for dinner and served a simple but tasty meal of marinated Winco chicken thighs. (I got the recipe from a Struggle Meals YouTube video.) Rice and a big green salad rounded out the meal and my mother brought dessert. We all drank ice water and I’m guessing that the total for the five of us was around $20. There were even leftovers!

  2. My sister just finished a six day visit from New York and although this always costs a little extra for me, there are money savings for her. Here’s how which she saved money while visiting Portland:

    • I picked her up and dropped her off at the airport, thus saving her the price of an Uber.
    • I loaded a Safeway e-coupon for Tillamook cheese and sent her off loaded down with a pair of two-pound cheddar loaves for $6.99 apiece. My treat.
    • We ate all but two meals at home, one of which she paid for, (a shared fish and chips entree) the other, (dim sum) was on us.
    • Lodging was obviously free, complete with a hotel-style robe, suitcase stand and pillow mint.

  3. We kept the house at a higher temperature while my sister was visiting, but reset the programmable thermostat after she flew back to the East coast. We’re fine keeping the house a bit colder than most households, but always crank up the temperature when we have guests.

  4. We watched the Star Trek: Section 31 TV movie through our $1.99/month Paramount Plus subscription last night and still feel like we overpaid. My husband, sister and I all love Star Trek, but this movie was abominable. Worse even, the movie served to set up a future television series!

  5. I didn’t buy an election so I could dismantle the inner workings of my country.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 73 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on February 3, 2025 · 84 comments

  1. I grabbed this Heywood-Wakefield-ish bedside table off the curb, even though it was soggy and grimy as all get out. Luckily it’s solid wood, (likely maple) so there’s no veneer to get ruined. It’s also incredibly heavy, which is a good sign. I’ll dry it out on the porch and then set it in the basement until the weather’s mild enough to sand and refinish it. Should be a fun (and cheap) project!

    It’s giving this vibe:

  2. I went on the library website at midnight on February 1st to see if they’d loaded any new free “discovery passes.”  I was able to reserve passes for the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (value $20) and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. (value $16)  The reservations aren’t until March and April, but it’ll be nice to have something to look forward to.

  3. My sister and I stopped at the Goodwill near my father’s house and I thrifted this handmade wooden tray for just $3.99. I’ll probably keep it as I’m a sucker for a good tray to corral like items.

  4. I slept in my daughter’s old bedroom for a night as my husband was fighting a cold and was coughing a fair amount. I rarely go in this room except to water plants, so I was super surprised to discover that an orchid plant was in full bloom. This plant was given to us by a neighbor a couple years ago after she lost interest in it. I never expected that it would bloom as this room is kind of cold, but I guess the key to success was to do nothing whatsoever.

  5. I didn’t buy an election.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 84 comments }

Five Tiny Frugal Things

by Katy on February 2, 2025 · 39 comments

 

  1. I’ve gone for a couple of cold weather walks over the past few days and been pleasantly surprised both times to discover cozy chenille gloves in my coat pockets. Gloves that I’d found from under the soccer bleachers where my husband and son play. Super soft and warm, with the extra satisfaction that I rescued them from the waste stream and the price was free-ninety-nine!

  2. I returned books to my sad temporary library that’s open while my branch is being expanded over the next year or so. All this branch/not a branch offers is holds pick ups, book returns and “lucky day” books. I browsed the lucky day books and found a hard copy of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which I hadn’t been able to finish in time as a Libby audiobook. Now to figure out my place in the book.

  3. I had my mother and step father over for dinner and kept the meal simple, serving pasta, salad and a $1 loaf of garlic bread from the Franz Bakery Outlet. Plus tap water, as I’m fancy that way.

  4. My friend Lise gave me a terry cloth robe no one in her family was using, as she knew I was keeping an eye out for an extra robe for house guests.

  5. I didn’t buy an election.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 39 comments }

Grocery Shopping in an Era of Insanity — How Are *Your* Grocery Prices?

by Katy on February 1, 2025 · 92 comments

Today was the last day to redeem a $10-off-$50 Winco Foods coupon and there was no way in hell I was going to let it go to waste. (This unicorn of a coupon came randomly in the mail — rare, special and unlikely to ever be seen again.) My day was busy with preparing for a houseguest and attending to various family member issues, but again . . . using this coupon stayed at the top of my to-do list!

For those not in the Pacific Northwest, Winco is an employee owned no-frills grocery store with an extensive bulk food section and except for loss leaders, knocks the socks off their corporate grocery rivals. Even Aldi, in my opinion.

I didn’t choose my groceries based on looming tariffs, instead I stuck to my list and added a few extra items based on sale prices and whimsy. Were the Andes mints a necessity? No, but my sister is flying into town tonight and I go over the top as a hostess, which includes a daily mint on the pillow.

Here’s everything laid out, minus a case of canned cat food which I bought to ensure that I’d be spending the requisite fifty bucks, but also because the Winco website had a $3-off ecoupon. (Turns out I didn’t need to buy the cat food to hit $50, but I’m still happy to have it on hand.) I bought an extra bag of tater tots, as they were on sale and I cook them in the waffle iron to add to burritos, which I highly recommend.

 

 

Hello, kitty!

 

 

My total was just (ha!) $73.83, which still feels expensive, although I did buy a few pricier items like the chicken thighs and two boxes of Tetley tea.

 

This blog post is far from a “Wow, look at the amazing deals I got at the grocery store!” and more of a “Hey, these are the food prices in Portland, Oregon.” I’m curious how food prices are in your region, especially if you live outside the United States.

Please share your thoughts on grocery prices in the comments section below.

P.S. Winco doesn’t accept credit cards and I couldn’t for the life of me remember my PIN, so I wrote an ye ole timey paper check to pay for my groceries!

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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{ 92 comments }

Five Tiny Frugal Things

by Katy on January 30, 2025 · 103 comments

  1. I drove across town to pick up an $85 West Elm loveseat that my kid wanted for their minuscule studio apartment. They’d held off from this purchase until the coffee table sold, and began scouring Facebook Marketplace the moment the money hit their account. It’s very handy to have a mother who still drives her twenty-year-old minivan.

  2. I thrifted another $4.99 Goodwill dining chair, oddly similar to the one I bought last week. (Reproduction is on the left, actual midcentury one to the right.) I’ve listed it on Marketplace for $40, but will hold onto its vintage twin.

    Edit: I sold the dupe for $40 within a couple hours of listing it!

  3. My sister sent me a hefty “Chutzpah” mug as a belated birthday gift, which triggered getting rid of a few extras. My cupboard was already at peak capacity, so I pulled out three dull colored Fiestaware mugs and offered them up in my Buy Nothing group. My chutzpah now has the breathing room it deserves and “Melissa” gets three new mugs!

  4. I was hungry and close to IKEA, so I stopped in to use their clean bathroom and grab a $1.15 veggie hotdog. These come with fried onions and pickled beets and are damned tasty. I also grabbed some cookie samples and enjoyed my meal in the car with some tap water from home. When I say I’m “cheapaf,” I literally mean it!

  5. I didn’t buy an election.

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 103 comments }

Are You Doing a 2025 “No Spend” or “Low Spend” Challenge?

by Katy on January 29, 2025 · 38 comments

I’m seeing a lot of “No Spend” or “Low Spend” challenges on the internet, which seems to be a natural progression from the “underconsumption” trend from late 2024. I know a thing or two about “no spend” resolutions, as I made a decision in 2006 to only buy secondhand things and have somehow kept it up ever since. Sure, I’ve bought a smattering of new items here and there, but they are the exception not than the rule. You know, because I’m not looking to buy used furnace filters, toothbrushes or underwear.

I decided to look up “No Spend 2025” to research this blog post and I kid you not, this was the very first result:

Umm . . . so the first resource to assist in your “no spend” challenge is to something to buy from Amazon?! The irony is strong. Nice try, Bezos!

What I hope is for people who’ve gone into 2025 with a “No Spend” resolution to be able to stick to their goals, even when life gets in the way. So many of us don’t even have a choice of whether to spend less, as the cost of living is escalating at an unsustainable rate.

Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past 19 years:

• Things will come up when you genuinely buy need to buy something new that you hadn’t planned for. This happens and shouldn’t be considered a failure. Shit happens, move on.

• People will think you’re being weird or miserly. Let them think this, that’s their business. You know the “why” behind your decisions and that’s the only thing that matters.

• You might be okay with used things, but a lot of people think it’s “gross,” which can make it hard to shop for them. Those people can receive consumables or enjoy a regift.

• Be open about your no/low spend resolution, you might be surprised how others will support your resolution.

• It’s better when you can reframe financial limitations as a choice instead of something forced upon you. Think “I’m bringing leftovers to work because I’m here to make money, not spend it” or “I’m declining an expensive invitation because I prioritize my financial well being.” These choices are self care.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re entering into a “No Spend” era due to strapped finances, sustainability or both — the results are the same. Neither is superior to the other. There’s no shame in financial discipline.

Are you doing a no/low spend year? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

{ 38 comments }

Nothing Wrong With a Dented Wastebasket

by Katy on January 28, 2025 · 58 comments

You may remember that someone stole my indoor recycling bins last year when I stupidly left them outside for maybe an hour. (Click HERE to read about it.) It was a huge bummer as they were vintage and cute and paired well with my built in 1914, updated in the 1940s kitchen. I’ve been making do with a small wicker basket I already owned, but it wasn’t ideal as kitchen recycling can be drippy and it ended up having to be emptied far too often. I was driving my husband to work this morning, (his electric bike is being repaired — thanks Portland potholes!) and pulled the minivan over for this rare winter “free pile.”

I recognized the Ikea “Dokument” metal wastebasket, as I used to own one. (My son now uses it for his under-sink bin.) I knew it would work well for our kitchen recycling as A) the bottom is solid metal, and B) it’s big enough to hold a week’s worth of recycling. Plus, you know . . . it was free!

I noted that the sides were dented, but was otherwise intact.

 

I brought her home and treated her to a soapy spa treatment to remove the general filthiness. You can appreciate how dented the sides are in this photo, but it makes no difference. It’ll hardly be the centerpiece of my home and it’s the perfect example of “Make it do!”

 

 

Here she is, all cleaned up and ready to filled with cardboard egg cartons, drippy cat food tins and various unwanted paper products. She’s dented, but functional.*

The thrifted metal bin to the right is for kitchen laundry, such as cloth napkins, dish towels and various cloth rags. It works great for this purpose, as the open design helps to everything to air out and avoid Oregon’s ever present mildew.

 

Our homes are not magazine showplaces and there’s nothing wrong with a dented wastebasket. The price was right, it saved this item from going into a landfill and no new items were manufactured to fulfill my need. The idea that our possessions need to be perfect comes from people who benefit from us spending our hard earned dollars on their products. Instead we can choose to buy used, repair our belongings, buy less and maybe even garbage pick a thing or two. 

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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

* As am I, dear reader.

{ 58 comments }

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