The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. I sold a number of things, including:

   • A handmade Pendleton wool vest that I bought for $9.99 and sold for $70.

   • A Magnalite stock pot that I bought for $6.99 and sold for $120.

   • An IKEA swiveling “Lomsk” egg chair that I bought for $7.99 and sold locally for $100.

   • An American Girl doll sweater. I bought a doll with clothing for $4.99 and then sold just her “Kirsten” sweater for $25. I’ll sell the doll separately.

   • A Canadiens hockey hoodie that I bought for $7.99 and sold to someone in Australia for $40.

   • A bag of miscellaneous Brio train track pieces that I picked up at the Goodwill bins and sold locally for $25.

   • A pair of Polish pottery mugs that I sold locally for $40. I’ve no record of how much I paid for them. Polish pottery used to sell like hotcakes, but the demand for it seems to have died down.

   • A Wii Fit board and game that I paid $9.99 for and sold locally for $30. I bought this waaaaay back at the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was clamoring to exercise at home. I was deliriously happy to get it out of my house!

2. I accepted an invitation to a Willamette Valley winery with a college friend who recently moved to the Portland area. The invite was a last minute affair and my gut reaction was an immediate “nope!” as wine makes me feel both groggy and headache-y. But then I reminded myself that it’s actually enjoyable to spend time with a friend and accepted her kind invitation.

   I ended up having an extremely enjoyable day at the winery, even though it turned out that they didn’t serve food, which brought my share of the bill down to $0.00. However it was still a very scenic and enjoyable afternoon. A long drive for sure, but perfect for catching up with an old friend.

3. Our cheapo hand held shower head has been spurting water in random directions lately, so I did a bit of research and chose a highly recommended replacement. We purchased this last one at least fifteen years ago to accommodate a house guest who’d just had knee surgery, and it was much more a “grab whatever from the hardware store” than a thoughtfully purchased item.

   Normally, my husband and I would at least attempt to repair a broken household item, but this low quality shower head was definitely not manufactured to stand the test of time.

   I do still buy second hand whenever possible, and thankfully found a used version, which was described as simply having “damaged packaging.”

4. I snagged a pair of metal organizing cubes from a free pile, (I’ll use them to create a modicum of order in my coat closet) I listened to the audiobook of Seven Days in June through the library’s free Libby app, I got my free Covid-19 booster shot, our two maple trees lost multiple branches from a freak snow storm and my husband and I cut up the branches by ourselves, I scored six big red peppers for $2 and chopped them for the freezer, I gave away a number of items (an assortment of tea bags, a teapot and some macaroni noodles) through my local Buy Nothing Group, my friend Lise and I brought our plastics to be recycled through a free event on Earth Day, I thrifted a 99¢ lazy Susan which prompted a full reorganization of our medicine cabinet, I brought my own cup of tea to my neighbor’s house for a friend date and I clipped blooming lilacs from my mother’s house for a large bouquet of flowers.

5. I didn’t spend 44 billion dollars to buy Twitter.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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1. I sold a number of things, including:

   • A pair of scruffy Danner boots that I cleaned up and polished. Bought for $7.99, sold for $120.

   • A cute midcentury style folding chair. Bought for $6.99, sold locally for $40.

   • Another CathrineHolm vintage enamel bowl. Bought for $2, sold for $75.

   • A handful of antique marbles. Bought for maybe $4.99, sold for $30. I also sold another marble from this lot for $40 and still have one more to sell.

   • A pair of distressed Carharrt overalls. Bought for $12.99, sold for $60.

   • A wicker coffee table. Bought for $9.99, sold locally for $40

   • And my favorite sale . . . a pair of Rothy’s that I bought for $7.99 and then quickly sold for $165!

2. My husband went on a free three-day weekend to Sun River, Oregon, with four of his Portland Timbers dude friends. Sun River describes itself as a “3,300 acre resort community” and would normally be out of our budget, so this was a real treat. They stayed in a big-ass rental house and apparently much soccer was watched and many brew pubs were supported.

   Lucky guy. Note to self . . . make wealthier friends.

3. I listened to In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park, Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith, The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella and I’m currently listening to Seven Days in June, (so good!) by Tia Williams. All courtesy of the free Libby app.

4. I continue to shop at the Everyday Deal$ grocery liquidator, which means that I’m enjoying 79¢ organic greens and 2/$1 16-ounce Ellenos yogurts, (normally $6-$7 apiece!) I refilled my Soda Stream canisters for $7.50 apiece at a local paintball store, my husband replaced the ignitor and burner on our stove, I picked up a couple two-pound loaves of Tillamook white cheddar for $6 apiece and I started physical therapy for plantar fasciitis at an inconveniently located clinic, but . . . have been pairing it with their closest Goodwill which makes the appointments almost something to look forward to.

5. I didn’t deplete my billions of dollars buying up Twitter stock,

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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I apologize for letting the blog lie dormant, but there’s been a lot going on at casa Wolk-Stanley. Plus, I happen to be a wee bit lazy. 

1. I’ve been starting to incorporate the “Everyday Deal$” grocery liquidator as part of my regular grocery shopping routine. (Food prices are no joke right now!) This store is beyond your ordinary “grocery outlet,” and there is some actual poking past the moldy tomatoes to find a fresh one. Much of the inventory is packaged for the restaurant industry, which makes for some interesting shopping. I’ve been enjoying some amazingly good deals such as:

   • Large clamshell packages of organic mixed greens for 50¢ apiece.
   • 50¢ packages of blueberries, which was enough to make four jars of refrigerator jam.
   • A $1 bag of chopped red onions, which I’m pretty sure weighed around five pounds. I then separated them into smaller bags for the freezer.
   • A yuuuuge $1.69 bag of cilantro, which I used for a few days, shared with my friend Lise and then froze for later use.
   • 50¢ bags of organic tortillas.
   • 3/$1 avocados.

   The best part? The one on S.E. 82nd Avenue is next door to a Goodwill.

2. Our washing machine suddenly stopped agitating, which began a two week journey into the world of appliance repair YouTube videos for my husband. Two used motors and a carburetor later and we now own a freshly repaired machine that should last us for a very long time.

   This machine was a hand me down from my mother around fifteen years ago when she upgraded to a shiny red front loading set. For reference, this one is a 1980-ish Kenmore model with groovy fake wood detailing. However, it’s straightforward enough to be repairable by your average Joe, which turns out to be the winning factor.

   Total spent? $155, although I plan on reselling the one motor that my husband incorrectly ordered.

3. I’ve been wanting to spruce up our shady backyard, and after a bit of Googling realized I could just divide a row of ferns that I’d originally dug up in the woods maybe 24 years ago. I’d kind of forgotten about them as they’re in a spot that’s only visible from the neighbor’s property.

   I went ahead and confirmed that the neighbor knew they were mine and got to digging. This may seem like a minor “frugal thing,” but large individual pots of ferns are $39.99 apiece at the local nursery so this hack will save me around $160.

4. My friend Lise gave me a large bag of black eyed peas, my musician son scored a electronic keyboard through our Buy Nothing Group, I got a free box of books for our little free library, (which hilariously included the above Kama Sutra “Weekender Kit”) I gave away another antique vase, I read multiple library books, both physically and through the Libby audiobook app, I sold a curb-picked table for $65, my husband brought home a big bag of packaged burritos, chips and salads that were left over from a work event, I cooked 743.2 meals from scratch and I received a check for $240 from a class action lawsuit from my former employer engaging in illegal time clock shenanigans. 

5. I didn’t lose money in the sketchy Non-Fungible Token market.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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1. I participated in a short (ten minute?) online study that rewarded me with a $5 Amazon gift card. This worked out well as my husband and I accidentally rented the movie Mulholland Falls on both Apple TV and Amazon Prime at $3.99 apiece. Oops . . . Frugal fail and win?

2. I hauled home a curbside vintage diner table that I’m currently in the midst of restoring. It’s got a distinct Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls vibe, which I enjoy. Sadly I’ve neither need nor space for it, so I’ll be putting it up for sale through Facebook Marketplace. You know . . . after I’ve scoured it with Barkeeper’s Friend and then plucked the 1,001 spiders’ nests from the underside.

   Edit: I sold the table locally for $65.

3. I made full use of my county library system by reading:

   • Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan

   • The Sea Keeper’s Daughter, by Lisa Wingate

   • The Last Story of Mina Lee, by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

   All of these books were written by women, with deep and intricately written characters. There were zero descriptions of glossy hair, the length of legs or  skinny women who bit into huge cheeseburgers.

4. My friend sharpened my cheap-o gardening shears that I’ve had since nursing school, I picked up (and actually finished!) a huge tub of fresh mixed greens for $1.69 plus a bag of sliced mushrooms for 69¢/pound from the sketchy food outlet store that’s next door to Goodwill, I happened to take a bus trip on a free day that honored Rosa Parks, I gave my son a like-new Ikea bowl from a neighborhood “free box” and my son and I brought our laptops to IKEA and sipped on free coffees.

5. I didn’t go on an ego driven space jaunt with my fellow billionaires.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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1. Our down comforter was no longer providing the same warmth it once had, so I knew it was time to bite the bullet and buy a “new” one. (Shivering isn’t a good look for me.) I started my research with the NY Times’ Wirecutter website to see what they recommended and saw that the Costco one ranked high, so I clicked around on eBay until I found a “new without tags” version for $74.95 instead of $220. I also bought a new-in-package Pottery Barn duvet cover for $76.99, which seems expensive until you realize that it was probably around $200 to begin with.

   People often assume that a decision to buy used is the lesser choice in terms of comfort and dare I say it — luxury. However, there’s almost nothing that can’t be found on the second-hand market. My purchases support independent sellers instead of morally corrupt companies that bypass environmental accountability and worker rights in the name of shareholder profits.

   If I can avoid triggering the manufacture of a brand new item, that’s always going to be my first choice.

2. I awkwardly turned down a bid to prune our backyard maple tree as it came in at $3250. (Awkward, as we’re socially connected to the arborist.) I did receive a bid from someone else last summer that was much lower, but it somehow got buried in my inbox and I’m not sure the bid still stands.

   I gotta say that home ownership can be a real pain in the tuchus. Yes, we’re building equity, but it’s only realized if we sell the house or borrow against it. Sometimes owning a home is just a series of boring expenses.

3. I went to Costco and only purchased items from my list. (Cat food, olive oil, chicken bullion, honey, frozen berries and a roasted chicken.) This may seem like a non-impressive “frugal thing,” but stores count on customers finding off-list items to bolster their profits. It’s not evil, it’s just the Science of Shopping. Whether it’s food purchases prompted by a tasty sample or the physical setup of the space, your impulse purchases are far from random.

   I’m just as swayed by store displays and fun new products as anyone else, so I consider it a win any time I’m able to grocery shop without sprinkling my cart with impulse items.

4. I received a $20 refund from my doctor’s office, I started listening to Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (my friend’s future daughter in law!) I sold a thrifted Calphalon frying pan through Facebook Marketplace, I gave away a cluttery antique vase through my Buy Nothing group, I returned a bag of unused miscellaneous Home Depot stuff, I picked up a $13 headlight bulb from an auto supply store for my husband to install on our Prius, (this’ll save us $22 over taking it to Jiffy Lube) my husband’s friend gave us a big bag of books for our Little Free Library, my friend Lise planted a native plant in a corner of my backyard and I donated two bags of clothing and random items to Goodwill.

5. I didn’t go on an ego driven space jaunt with my fellow billionaires.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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1. I schlepped my 2021 Found Change Challenge jar to my credit union’s coin counting machine to discover that I’d gathered a mere $11.91 in dropped money over the course of the year. (Even though I’d found two one-dollar bills!) This shouldn’t have surprise me though, as I was serious about minimizing outings last year. Being a homebody doesn’t exactly open up opportunities for found money.

   I really miss the before times.

2. I read some free library books:

   • The Bookshop of Second Chances, by Jackie Fraser.

   • The Curator’s Daughter, by Melanie Dobson.

   • Confessions of a Curious Bookseller, by Elizabeth Green.

   • Surprise Me, by Sophie Kinsella.

   • The Show Girl, by Nicola Harrison.

   I’m currently halfway through listening to the Nobel Prize winning Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk, but am struggling as it doesn’t have a traditional plot structure, and my brain wants to make connections which don’t exist. I think I just need to listen in bigger chunks to bring it all together.

3. I organized an overstuffed dresser drawer that holds my husband’s and my pajama bottoms, shorts, track suit bottoms and sweat pants. I was able to identify maybe five garments that hadn’t been worn in ages to donate, but most importantly I rediscovered a cute pair of sweats that I’d forgotten about.

   Like shopping, but for lazy cheap gals such as myself.

4. I picked up a vintage glass lighting globe for $4.99 which I quickly sold to a vintage shop for $20, a childhood friend dropped off a bag of bubble wrap for me to reuse, (thanks, Deborah!) I’ve created a million-and-one homemade meals that keep us on budget, I’ve gotten better about properly organized grocery shopping trips that deter popping into the store for “just one thing,” but inevitably leads to impulse purchases, I used a coupon for a free pint of Häagen Daz ice cream as well as a $3.99 Red Baron pizza rebate that earned $4.49 through Ibotta, I returned a Goodwill rug I’d bought to resell but later realized had condition issues and I treated myself to a decent size $4.99 jade plant from The Grocery Outlet, which I transplanted into a cute garbage picked crock.

5. I didn’t go on an ego driven space jaunt with my fellow billionaires.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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