The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. I curb picked a terra cotta planter that matches three I already have on my deck. (Two of which I sourced from different after garage sale free piles last summer!) This one was pretty dirty and had pieces of English Ivy stuck to it. However, it was a just a matter of scrubbing it down with some soapy water to bring it back to back to snuff.

   I won’t plant anything in it for now, (January and all . . . ) so I have time to figure out potting soil and what I’ll plant in it.

   

2. My husband and I celebrated my birthday this week by doing some thrifting out of town and then sharing cake back at home with the kids. I’m enjoying things a bit simpler lately, so our dinner was homemade turkey soup with no knead artisan bread that I’d left to rise at the house.

   I didn’t come across anything to dominate the news cycle like this $100,00 Murano glass vase, but hope springs eternal.

3. My son’s comforter is apparently starting to pill, which is how I ended up shopping for a duvet cover at an unpleasantly crowded Ikea on a Saturday afternoon. (His idea, not mine.) The one he liked was out of stock, but then someone in my Buy Nothing group offered up a similar one this afternoon. I love it when this happens.

   There is simply too much manufactured stuff floating around this world. Buy Nothing groups help put the glut of excess belongings into the hands of people who can put it back in use.

4. • I finished reading my library copy of The Saints of Swallow Hill.
   • I organized a drawer and came across a bag of mirror holder clips, which prompted me to install a full length mirror in my daughter’s old bedroom. Unsurprisingly, I curb picked it last summer.
   • I took my husband out to lunch and we shared an entree, which was enough food for the two of us.
   • My neighbor put another Bonne Maman jam jar in her recycling bin, which I brought home to wash and add to the cupboard for food storage.

5. I didn’t thrift any Lear Jets.

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

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Exiled lampshade

1. I pulled a bag of leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones from the freezer and threw them in the Instant Pot with salt, pepper and some ragtag carrot/onion/celery bits. I then picked through it, so I now have everything ready for a big pot of delicious turkey soup.

   I sautéed carrots/onions/celery in leftover bacon fat and added cooked black eyed peas and a splash of chicken broth for a yummy lunch. A friend of mine panic bought a bucket of black eyed peas at the beginning of the pandemic and has been plying me with them ever since.

2. My husband signed us up for a free week long trial of The Criterion Channel, so we snuggled up to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window last night. It’s been at least three decades since we watched this perfectly plotted movie, so there was still some element of surprise. But really, the movie could be hot garbage and it would still be worth watching for the opportunity to gaze at the ethereal Grace Kelly in her prime.

3. My nephew is coming for a visit, so I’ve been getting my son’s old bedroom ready for him to sleep in. I sourced a bed frame from my Buy Nothing group when my son moved out, but the blanket in the room isn’t the warmest. I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to stop by some thrift stores to look for a “new” duvet, but he reminded me that we had a backup blanket in our attic space.

   I doubted him, but sure enough he brought down a black contractor’s bag that indeed contained a nice warm blanket that I’d totally forgotten about. I put it through the wash to freshen it up, so now all I need to do is put clean sheets on the bed, run the robot vacuum, (it’s the only room in the house with wall-to-wall carpet) and we’ll be ready to be the hosts with the mosts.

4. • I walked to the library to pick up my holds, even though this time of year threatens rain from dawn till dusk and all night long.
   • My neighbor returned some pretty jars that I’d given to her filled with Christmas cookies. She added Harry & David chocolates to them, which I set aside for when my nephew comes to town. I normally welcome any and all sweets, but we overindulged last month so they’re not currently tempting me.
   • My husband returned a packet of sliced havarti cheese to Costco, as it was moldy from day one.
   • My son’s five-month-old kitten is a wild child, so I’ve been removing certain items from common spaces to spare them her wrath. So far this includes a Victorian style fringe lampshade, (see above) a pothos plant and a variety of breakable tchotchkes. He moves into a new apartment this February and will take the cat with him, so my vulnerable belongings will see the light of day once again.

1. I didn’t thrift any tiny Lear Jets.

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

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1. I took my vacuum cleaner apart to unclog the tubing, which was a messy but satisfying task. I’ve been troubleshooting the occasional issue with this vacuum since 2001, yet don’t use this normal maintenance as an excuse to replace it. An appliance is naturally going to need the occasional repair. This is both a financial and environmental issue, as the overmanufacture of consumer goods is detrimental to the health of our planet.

   The Story of Stuff points out how manufacturers profit from consumers perceiving older items as clunky and outdated, even when they still meet our needs.

   As Annie Leonard put it:

   “I’ve had the same fat white computer monitor on my desk for 5 years. My co-worker just got a new computer. She has a flat shiny sleek flat screen monitor. It matches her computer, it matches her phone, even her pen stand. [It looks cool.] She looks like she is driving in space ship central and I, I look like I have a washing machine on my desk.”

   So yeah, I’ll keep living with my vacuum cleaner, even if it’s neither sleek nor shiny.

2. I signed up for a free seven-day Britbox subscription on Roku so my husband and I could watch the eighth season of Shetland. I then took a photo of how to cancel the subscription and added the task to my calendar with an alert. No taking chances for me!

3. I’m reading a library copy of The Saints of Swallow Hill, by Donna Everhart, as well as listening to an audiobook of The Daydreams, by Laura Hankin through the library’s free Libby app.

4. • I went on eBay and bought a replacement copy of a book that a friend lent to me last summer, as I’d accidentally left it on an airplane. I’d totally let this transgression slip my mind until the memory suddenly snapped back to the front of my brain.
   • I delivered a basket to someone in my Buy Nothing group who was housebound with a sick kiddo.

5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I was in a bit of a post-holiday slump today, so I decided to be extra productive to see if I could at best distract myself; and at worst check some dull tasks from my to-do list. Here’s what I did:

   • I raked the last of the soggy leaves from the backyard. Mostly.
   • I dropped plastics recycling off at New Seasons Market.
   • I returned a board game to Goodwill.
   • I took our two winning scratch-it lottery tickets to 7-11 for a whopping $6. I then had a nice long chat with the owner, who’s an old friend.
   • I stopped into Safeway to pick up my pre-colonoscopy prescription and a dozen eggs.

2. We’ve been eating leftovers since Christmas and since the contents of our refrigerator resembles a tightly packed Tetris game, it’ll be a good long while until we need to do a proper grocery shop again. Eating what we’ve already bought is always the most frugal choice.

3. I took down all the Christmas decor on the 26th, mostly prompted by the kitten’s aggressive tree climbing. I didn’t want my precious garbage picked Christmas tree to suffer irreparable harm, so it’s safely back in storage until 2024. A year when Chanukah and Christmas both start on December 25th.

   A free tree must be protected at all costs, as I’m unlikely to come across another one.

4. • I registered all our losing scratch-it lottery tickets for a “second chance” on the Oregon lottery app. Please cross your fingers for us!
   • I listed a large basket and an antique throw pillow on my Buy Nothing group. Part of my never ending effort to rehome the “cool” things I bring home, but now just clutter the home.

5. I didn’t thrift any tiny Lear Jets.

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

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1. I ordered a gift for my mother that won’t come until after the holidays, so I painted a picture of the gift. Just like I did for my daughter’s Doc Martins a few years ago.

   

2. I have these Pottery Barn velvet and silk pillow shams that I absolutely love. They’re the perfect weight and softness, but I acutely dislike the orange-y coral color, so I ordered a packet of Rit dye.

   
   I’d hoped for more of a darker burgundy tone, but the dark pink accidentally matches my handmade Marimekko lampshade so I’ll take the win.

   

3. I thrifted this handmade Christmas stocking last year, as it was too spectacularly ugly to leave behind. I paid maybe a buck-ninety-nine.

   However I felt it was time to pass it along to someone new, so I put up a post in my Buy Nothing group saying “Offer: The world’s ugliest Xmas stocking. Perfect for a white elephant gift exchange or giving to your least favorite relative.”

   I quickly got a response from someone who needed something for a white  elephant gift exchange and she’s promised to let me know the response.

   

4. • I gave and received Christmas treats with multiple neighbors.
   • I borrowed my next door neighbor’s fondue pot, which is my annual tradition.
   • I’m either wrapping all our gifts in pillow cases or not wrapping them at all. I hate the waste and don’t like having to store wrapping paper.

5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet.

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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1. I got a letter in the mail informing me that my credit union had “not yet received payment on your account.” My credit card account! My husband and I rarely use this card, as we prefer a different card with perks. This card is set to automatically pay off every month, or so I thought! I clicked into the account and found $55.30 in late fees, so I drove down to the brick and mortar branch and met with an employee.

   The credit union employee guessed that there’d been a “hiccup” with the account and was able to reverse the late fees. We once again have the account set to automatically pay off every month.

2. The credit union is down the street from H Mart, so I nipped in to pick up various Japanese treats for the kids’ stockings. Batching errands for the win!

3. I’ve reached the point of Christmas shopping where I’m panic shopping looser with my budget. However, I still want to buy used as much as possible. I decided to get each of the kids a new set of sheets, so I went on eBay and bought each of them a “new” set from an independent seller. In original packaging and for the low-ish cost of $19 and $23.99, including shipping. I can cross it off my list without enriching a certain bloated billionaire whose name rhymes with Schmeff Schmezos.

   These sheet sets are both brand new, yet purchasing them doesn’t prompt a replacement set to be manufactured. I call that an environmental win.

4. Our minivan has been having issues with a phantom electrical draw that emptied the battery and had us stymied. My husband initially took it to Les Schwab, where we’d bought the battery four months ago, but they assured us that there was nothing wrong with it. My husband then researched how to check the alternator and was even convinced for a bit that we had a problem with one of the automatic side doors. We plunked down money for both a battery charger and a portable battery jumper.

   My husband finally brought it to the mechanic at work who tested everything and diagnosed it as . . .  a battery issue! Les Schwab finally confirmed and replaced it at no cost to us.

   My husband tried to pay the mechanic for his time, but he refused compensation. So instead I sent my husband into work today with a rather sizable tin of assorted Christmas cookies. Which probably cost $4 to make.

   I’m pretty irked about the time and expense spent trying to figure out what was wrong with the car when it was as simple as a faulty battery. I suppose I could raise a stink, but instead I’ll chalk it up to “shit happens” and move on.

5. I didn’t thrift any tiny Lear Jets.

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

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