The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. I was invited for an afternoon of dining and dancing thrifting with my new friend Sarah from Portland Sampler. Not only did she prepare a lovely meal for the two of us, but she also gifted me with a loaf of her blueberry yogurt cake which was sublime beyond comprehension.
2. The two of us then headed out to the Goodwill Outlet where I bought a nest of bandanas, (so handy to have on hand) a Brooks Brothers wool flat cap to sell, a vintage wool scarf from Scotland, a tiny wooden easel to prop up an old frame and a vintage rotary phone which will join my collection of old telephones. Total cost? $6.39. A bonus was that I found 36¢ in coins among the bins. Of course I added the coins to my Found Change Challenge jar. I did find a Lear Jet in one of the bins, but I put it back as they’re actually pretty expensive when you pay by the pound.
3. I cut roses from the garden to cheer up the kitchen. This particular rose bush is a volunteer that grows in the front yard whether I want it to or not. I usually prune it in February but somehow didn’t this year, and holy crap, it’s suddenly insane huge! I guess there’s a reason why Portland is called “The Rose City.”
4. My husband and I have an appointment this afternoon to meet with a retirement planner through my employer. Not only is the meeting free, but he’s not a salesperson so I won’t have to worry that he’ll steer us towards high commission products that benefit him more than us.
5. I lowered the prices on a few of my eBay items and have made eight sales since last night! I’ll pack everything up using free materials from the post office as well as free bubble wrap that I get from a nearby business.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. My husband and I hiked around an area nature preserve to take full advantage of the beautiful Portland weather. Although it’s only ten minutes from the house, it was the first time the two of use had ever been there together. It’s on the Reed College campus and not well known, so I’d kind of forgotten about it.
2. I ran into an old co-worker at the Goodwill Outlet and asked her to share any recent impressive finds. She told me about a framed piece of Prince Valiant artwork she sold for $1800 and a “pin up style skirt” that garnered a $900 eBay bid! Keep in mind, both of these items were bought by-the-pound! I just love stories of how professional dealers, (of which she is) who are able to recognize specific things and get them into the hands of people who appreciate them. Without the work of resellers, these items would have been forever lost.
3. I listed a few items on eBay and Craigslist. No action as of yet, but the effort is minimal and the possible payoff will be worth my efforts.
4. I hung laundry on the clothesline and let evaporation work its magic.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. My father played a wizard in a Kabuki play at his university, so I was the lucky recipient of a free ticket. I used my work provided public transportation pass which took the price of the evening up to zero-point-zero dollars. Really enjoyable and it was fun to be involved with the Japanese community again. (My sons both graduated from a kindergarten through 12th grade Japanese immersion program.)
2. I sold the vintage glass jars from my recent Goodwill Outlet trip to the terrarium shop in my neighborhood. I received twenty bucks as well as a cup of coffee which I sipped while enjoying a wonderful long conversation with the owner.
3. I spent a few hours tidying the garden this afternoon, which included repotting a few plants I already owned and planting a volunteer laurel tree into its own flowerpot. I rarely spend any money on gardening as I long ago planted perennials, which means that I suffer from too many plants which is a frugal place to be.
4. I dropped books at the library and then loaded up with new ones, I bought three bags of groceries for $23 (mostly fruit and vegetables) I returned bottles and cans, I refreshed my living room by rearranging what I already own, I started rewatching Manor House though Amazon and although I got takeout for my son, I grazed for my own dinner in the fridge.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated covfefe in the sky.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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First off, I’m so sorry about letting the blog lie dormant for so many days. I worked four 12-hours shifts in a row at the hospital and was utterly brain dead by nightfall, and simply didn’t have the mental energy to string words together.

The blog posts would have looked a little something like this:

“I wear thrifted clothes. They on my body two hours a day. Otherwise scrubs. Feet hurt. Sleep now.” (Please feel free to read this aloud in a standard caveman voice.)

And nobody needs to read that kind of drivel.

Please enjoy a shiny new Five Frugal Things post:

1. I didn’t bring my lunch to the hospital three of the last four work shifts, but  I made fairly frugal food choices in the cafeteria. I am somewhat obsessed with the poached salmon in their salad bar, especially since I can assemble a huge salmon topped spinach salad for just four or five bucks. I drank the free crappy coffee and the free delicious tea.
2. I fielded a couple of offers on things I’m selling on eBay. I think I’ll lower the prices on those items if my offers aren’t accepted, as I’m pretty sure I can find a price point that works well for both for customers and my bank account.
3. My plan for today is to cleanse the house with fire scrub down the house and then go thrifting with my mother. I’m keeping an eye out for a new queen-size fitted sheet and know that the cheapest (and most environmentally friendly) deal will be at the Goodwill Outlet “bins” store. Paying by the pound is a screaming deal when it comes to lightweight items. My mom is always up for an afternoon of thrifting, which makes for the perfect mother-daughter date. Hey, maybe I’ll find another Dyson vacuum cleaner that I can spiff up to sell! Buying used not only prevents the environmental damage associated with a newly manufactured item, but it keeps unwanted items from the landfill, which will always be a win-win in my book!
4. I have a set of iPhone earbuds that stopped working, which is a huge pain in the tuchus since I normally use them to listen to podcasts or chat on the phone while cleaning the house. (There is a direct correlation between the current grubbiness of my house and my lack of earbuds.) I was thinking I should bite the bullet and buy a new set, but then realized that it might be possible to fix them. Sure enough, there are almost endless youtube tutorials on fixing earbuds which should get me back on the road to productivity. Electronic or home repairs may seem intimidating, but youtube tutorials are a game changer for most any problem.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar and horrifying gold-plated apartment in the sky.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I sold my thrifted Dyson vacuum cleaner through Craigslist, making a tidy $100 profit. Now that I know how to crack open and clean the “cyclone”  I can start keeping an eye open for more of them to flip. #collegefund
2. I did a grocery store run this afternoon and was able to buy three bags of groceries for only $28 by taking advantage of sales, (eggs and cheese) and choosing basic ingredients and inexpensive staples such as bananas, apples, zucchini and carrots.
3. I watched the third episode of Victorian Slum House through my Roku box. I lived in London for three years throughout my childhood and have a soft spot for the city. Seeing how slum dwellers lived in the late 19th century gives an important perspective to modern day life.
4. I finished up a Clark Howard article that’s been sitting in my drafts folder since last week. I have a nice chunk of time off from the hospital and plan to use it to work through more paid writing. (To clarify, I’m not taking time off from work, this week’s schedule just happened to connect more consecutive days off than normal.)
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

Now your turn. What frugal things have you been up to?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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