The Non-Consumer Advocate

After months of keeping an eye out, I finally scored on a set of thrifted queen size flannel sheets. (Heck, I’ll even confess that spent time clicking through the pricey Garnet Hill website, as their flannel is freaking heaven on a stick!) Sadly, my commitment to buy nothing new coupled with an aversion to spending upwards of a hundred bucks on a set of sheets lengthened the sheets buying process. How much did I end up spending? $3.75! For a brand new $14.99 set of Goodwill sheets marked down an extra 75% due to their unapologetic holiday wintery theme. These sheets aren’t “made in Portugal of pure cotton that’s brushed on both sides for softness,” but they’re buttery soft enough for me. In case this isn’t coming through in my writing, I’m insanely excited to have found these sheets! Cozy, warm, burrowing under the covers excitement. Mmmm . . . .

I completed my eight hours of 2018 paid education and immediately submitted the paperwork to be reimbursed for the course costs. I love that I was able to read medical journal articles at home on “Common Neonatal Conditions” and “Perinatal Aspects of Cannabis Use” while in my pajamas. Plus I really did glean useful information to use my job as a labor and delivery nurse. I then signed up for the next month of hospital shifts.

I cooked up a batch of red lentil soup with . . . wait for it . . . ham! I know I wrote that I was going to freeze any leftover ham, but apparently that goes on tomorrow’s to-do list. Cooking from scratch is such a huge money saver, especially when you start with dried beans and are in possession of a free 12-pound ham that just won’t end.

I just finished reading a library copy of Shaun Bythell’s The Diary of a Bookseller. I highly recommend this surprisingly engrossing account of what it means to run a used bookstore in a small Scottish town. Hilarious and addictive, I had to force myself to slow down in order to not rush through the 310 pages. Of course, Bythell would not appreciate that my copy was from the library instead of a locally owned bookshop, but with two kids in college I really do have zero wiggle room in the budget.

“A customer at 11:15 a.m. asked for a copy of Far From The Maddening Crowd.  In spite of several attempts to explain that the book’s title is actually Far From The Madding Crowd, he resolutely refused to accept that this was not the case, even when the overwhelming evidence of a copy of it was placed on the counter under his nose: ‘Well, the printers have got that wrong. Despite the infuriating nature of this exchange, I ought to be grateful: he has given me an idea for the title of my autobiography should I ever be fortunate enough to retire.”

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I worked at the hospital yesterday, for which I was paid a enjoyable time-and-a-half in wages. Management then asked if I could stay late to move my delivered patient to her postpartum room, to which I agreed. Especially since it was my only shift of the entire pay period. (I like to work less when my kids are home from college.) However, I arranged to do yet another eight hours of paid education, which I earned from working greater than 800 hours in 2017. With last week’s eight hours of education, I’ll end up with a perfectly acceptable pay check.

I ran into an area Goodwill to return a groovy vintage lamp which turned out to be missing a chunk. I used my store credit to buy a $3.99 game which I quickly sold for $15. I came home and scooped up a large pile of clothing that my son had decluttered from his room and donated it to Goodwill right before the December 31st deadline. I took a quick loop through the store and bought a pair of like-new Sperry Top Siders for my son and a new-with-tags Hanna Anderssson infant jacket, which I’ll sell. I kind of hoped that my son wouldn’t want the Top Siders, as they’re my size as well.

I held back on a few items that my son didn’t want for my Buy Nothing group, motivated to balance out having recently been on the receiving end of that spectrum.

I received my AARP card in today mail, and am exciting to tuck this bad boy into my wallet and start enjoying the occasional senior discount! (Yup, you only have to be fifty.) I do realize that only a few companies offer a discount starting at 50, but you can be assured that I’ll start asking for one.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I had a voucher for a “free turkey or ham,” which is the annual Christmas bonus from my hospital. I do not resemble the ham obsessed Ponyo, but it’s easier than having to bake a turkey. (Plus I’m still sick of turkey from Thanksgiving.) It was about to expire, so I stopped by Safeway to scope out the possibilities. However, the coupon was specific for the ham to be “6-8 pounds,” yet the smallest one in stock was 12 pounds. I took it to the counter and asked if it could be cut, and was told no. The per-pound price was $3.95, and I didn’t feel like spending $16 on something I normally wouldn’t even buy. I put the ham back and started towards my car, but turned back around to ask if I could get a rain check for when smaller hams get restocked. The manager (who knows me) told me that they would honor the coupon for the smallest ham in the store. This story ends with me in possession of a 12-pound ham and working very hard to incorporate it into every meal. So yes, our last three dinners have been split pea soup with ham, mixed bean soup with ham and black bean chili with . . . ham! My plan is to spend a few more days in ham hell incorporating into meals and then dice it up for the freezer. Ham ideas are welcome.

I was itching to get out of the house, yet didn’t want to derail the budget lockdown that we’re currently in. The weather was cold and rainy, so outdoorsy activities were out of the question. However, my younger son is always up for shenanigans, so the two of us drove over to Ikea to enjoy steaming mugs of their free coffee. We each brought a blank book and spent an hour or so doodling and jotting down ideas and weirdness. Finding fun and frugal activities was pretty easy when my kids were young, as there’s always something going on at the library or a new playground to explore. It’s a little trickier when they’re teens, so I felt pretty good about the frugal hack.

I paid my younger son’s tuition and fees for the winter term as the deadline was January 1st. I then logged into my older son’s account and was pleased/elated/ecstatic to discover that his tuition deadline is somehow not until January 12th. This is fantastic as we’ll have a few more paychecks under our belts, including the one that includes my work bonus. Cash flowing two kids in college is sometimes a laughable goal.

My birthday is later this week, so I’m starting to plan my Birthday Day of Adventures™. This family tradition to spend on experiences instead of stuff is a great hit at our house, but I’ve learned over the years that’s it’s best when I make the plans. Even for myself. So far I’ve sourced 2-for-1 movie tickets through my Buy Nothing Group and accepted a friend’s offer to use her museum guest passes, as there’s a Laika exhibit that the four of us should enjoy. I’m still trying to figure out the meals and treats, but it’s a good start for a day that will promote family bonding and memories. I want for nothing, and value the rare instances when the four of us get to spend an entire day together more than anything sold on Amazon. Experiences > stuff, people. Experiences > stuff.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I’m spending the day at home working my way through online educational modules for which I’ll receive eight hours of RN pay. I earned this benefit through working greater than 800 hours as a labor and delivery nurse in 2016. I also earned this benefit for 2018, as I worked waaaay more than 800 hours in 2017. However, since 2018 starts in a few days, I can actually piggyback two years of education sessions onto the same paycheck. This is great as I’m not working much while my kids are home from college, yet those college tuition payments are like a financial elephant on my chest.

Today’s sweater, jeans and socks are all semi-recent finds from the pay-by-the-pound Goodwill Outlet store, while my tank top is a long ago 25¢ garage sale item. I did receive new Keen slippers as a gift maybe five years ago, although they seem to be holding strong and should last another five years. I would hazard a guess to say that I spent two dollars on today’s outfit, but it’s only that high due to the Land’s End sweater being cotton and having some weight to it.

I’m working on eating from the fridge and pantry as much as possible right now. I cobbled together a pizza for my sons last night, which I topped with frozen pepperoni. My husband noticed that his work refrigerator had a Costco sized bag of sliced pepperoni which was going to be tossed, so he brought it home. I froze what I can only guess was four pounds of pepperoni in small resealable bags, so we’re now set for the next couple of years. I also threw some dried black beans into our crockpot, which simmered throughout the afternoon and into the evening. I enjoyed a bowl for dinner, which I garnished with various random items, including the last of some organic salsa that someone had brought to a party last summer. (It didn’t get opened until last month.) There’s enough black beans left over that I can set out a “burrito bar” for the evening meal. I do need to pick up a few grocery items, (specifically fruit) but I’ll go to Trader Joe’s, as their bananas are 19¢ apiece and a bargain, especially if you take a moment to grab the biggest ones. I’m guessing they’re a loss leader, but I have no shame about walking past their aisles of impulse items to just buy bananas. After all, I am the “loss leader of the free world.”

I was able to buy one of my son’s Christmas presents (Metallica Guitar Hero for our PS3) using store credit I earned from bringing in games from a long ago free box, I lined our kitchen garbage using plastic bags from the Chinese restaurant where we ate Christmas dinner, (a NYC Jewish tradition and my Bronx-raised step father’s treat) I’m using bandanas as my nose tends to get runny in cold weather, and I made one of my son’s college tuition payments early so I can avoid late fees if there are any issues with routing numbers or other such nonsense. (My payday’s not until Friday, so I’ll make the other son’s payment then.)

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

We were able to avoid the normally inevitable H.F.E.S., (“Holiday Financial Expansion Syndrome”) yet still feel 100% content with our gifting. We gave our older son a Wii video game system as the one he took to school didn’t work properly. I somehow sourced one for free through NextDoor.com, which was amazing since I’d written a post offering to pay for one. My younger son then received a compact stereo system as he’s been wanting to listen to Mettalica/Anthrax/Megadeath on CDs instead of just streaming them. (Boy oh boy, do he and I have differing taste in music!) Again, someone generously offered to just give us one they weren’t using, which was tremendously helpful since our January 1st double tuition deadline looms greatly. (Gulp!) We also gave them gift cards to Buffalo Exchange which I earned by bringing in random stuff over the past year. They each then received $25 to spend at Amazon.com using a gift card my husband received from his employer. My husband and I don’t give gifts to each other, and through the years we’ve winnowed down the people with whom we exchange gifts. For other family members, we regifted, bought gourmet consumables, gave a few pay-by-the-pound Goodwill items and bought a movie theater gift card. But in the end we kept our spending low and stayed true to our tight budget.

I was tempted to treat ourselves to a restaurant dinner on Christmas Eve as we don’t follow any family traditions or commitments. Instead I walked to the grocery store and bought the fixings for an enormous pot roast. Not only did our house smell heavenly for hours on end, but we’ve been enjoying leftovers ever since.

I mended a queen size fitted sheet that I bought at the Seattle Goodwill at least seven years ago. A few of the seams had split, and although my hand stitched repair is super obvious, it sits under the blanket and it’s not like I’m giving tours of our bedroom. New or even thrifted sheets are expensive, y’all!

I put together a couple of eBay and Craigslist listings, and then arranged to do eight hours of paid education through my employer. I earned this perk by working over 800 hours in 2016, but hadn’t realized I had this benefit until recently. I can do the study program while in my jammies at home and the extra pay will go onto my next paycheck. I worked enough hours in 2017 to earn a $1.25 per-hour-worked bonus, which will help to jump start the April 1st double tuition payment. Even though we’re paying less than when the kids lived in dorms, it someone seems harder to save while making monthly rent payments.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

We’ve been the recipient of multiple home baked goody bags from my husband’s employees. I’m realizing that I need to reciprocate, so I’ll mix up a double batch of my ginger snaps, which are always a hit yet do not require fussy or expensive ingredients.

I spent a couple of hours photographing and then listing my recently thrifted Build-A-Bear clothing lots. In all I spent $15 for two tremendously full bags of doll clothing, from which I assembled nine mixed lots and will potentially bring in $150. Of course eBay, PayPal and the IRS take their cut, but even so I’d prefer to engage in a money making activity than sit idle in front of the TV. (I’ve sold dolls and doll accessories on eBay in the past and have a 100% sell-through rate.) The bags contained additional random unbranded doll clothing items, which I’ve already gifted through my local buy nothing group.

I’ve been making dinner early in the day lately which saves me from cooking in the evening when I’m uninspired and likely to succumb to the siren song of takeout or restaurant meals. Yesterday was meatloaf, the day before was butternut squash soup and tonight will be chicken adobo. All meals that can be prepared hours in advance without dried out or soggy results. I know I could plan a big prep day once a week like others do, but that smacks of a level of organization and effort that eludes me.

I returned an overdue book to the library, I accepted an offer to buy just a small piece from an eBay listing, I gifted a wall calendar through my buy nothing group that comes unasked for every year and I’m thinking I can make 100% of our holiday gifts be either consumable or second hand this year.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

I worked yesterday and dutifully packed enough food to get me through the 12-1/2 hour shift. (A banana, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken and some green beans.) However, it turned out to be the day when the hospital provides a free holiday meal for the entire staff! I did eat the banana for breakfast, but kept my food refrigerated so I could save it for this weekend’s shift. Of course, I drank the free delicious tea and the free so-so coffee. (They recently upped their coffee game.)

 I stopped into Goodwill and bought two huge bags of official Build-A-Bear clothing that I can piece out to sell on eBay. I’ve sold a number of random dolls and doll accessories through the years and have always done well with them. It’ll be a pain in the tuchus to get everything photographed and listed, but that’s just a matter of effort on my part. I think there’s a couple hundred dollars of potential profit in the bags, selling to parents wanting to buy for Christmas gifts, and then to kids who want to dress the bears they got for Christmas!

I drove over to The Grocery Outlet the other day to hopefully address the echo in my refrigerator. (Having both the kids home from college is an entirely different food situation than when it’s just my husband and myself.) I currently have a 90-day subscription to the Chinook Book app on my phone, which came via my Buy Nothing Group. (Someone was giving away an extra book, which came with an app e-code.) Anyway, I had three “$3-off a $25 purchase” e-coupons, which is a pretty great deal considering how cheap their prices already are. I bought a large amount of food, so I had the checkout guy split my purchases into three separate transactions so I’d be able to use all three coupons. (Luckily there was no one in line behind me.) Again, a pain in the tuchus, but worth the $9 savings!

I’ve been able to remove multiple stains from a Pottery Barn kids quilt that I picked up at the pay-by-the-pound Goodwill Outlet. I utilized my go-to stain removal method of mixing hydrogen peroxide, dawn detergent and baking soda and then soaking in oxyclean. (By the way, my recipe is “a squirt of this, a squirt of that and a sprinkle of the other.”) It took a couple rounds of scrubbing and washing, but the quilt now looks great and is ready for a new owner. Being able to repair, mend and clean my belongings is a key component of non consumerism. Our grandparents didn’t throw away their stuff just because it needed TLC, and neither should we.

I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.