I sold a thrifted mahjong set through Facebook Marketplace, which my husband simply set out for the buyer as I’m still visiting my sister in New York. I also sold two eBay items, (a vintage “Hamm’s” scarf and a set of playing cards) which I’ll ship once I’m back in Portland. I then wrote two paid articles, which’ll help to defray some of the lost income from not working at the hospital. In a nicely timed coincidence, my work bonus appeared on last week’s paycheck, which means that I was able to miss two weeks of work without any pay dips.
I arranged lunch dates in Manhattan with a three different friends, yet kept it 100% on budget. How?
– I scheduled a date with my gorgeous and talented friend Greta. She works at one of the city’s universities, whose campus features a solidly acceptable on-site cafeteria. And since their employee dining hall looks out over the East River, we enjoyed a million dollar view to go with our $9 salads. The hidden bonus of not choosing a traditional restaurant was that there was no tip, as it really was a straight-up cafeteria. Plus, they give out free fancy chocolates with every lunch!
– I then planned a get together with my old friend David, who works for a Manhattan based Hospital. (Coincidently up the street from Greta.) He gave me the choice to either find a restaurant or to eat at the on-site cafeteria. (I think you can see where this is going!) Yup — cafeteria! Since I was paying cash, I even got to use David’s employee discount, which brought the price of my lunch down to a mere $6.50. Again, there was no tip to pay. My goal with these dates was not to dine at the city’s finest establishments, but to catch up with old friends and not keep them away from their work duties any longer than necessary.
– I lastly met up with my old blogging pal, Gretchen Rubin. She chose the restaurant Le Pain Quotidien, which is a national chain. Me being me, I researched whether they had an app that might offer freebies to new members. Ding-ding-ding! Not just a free coffee or dessert, but an actual free entrée! This lunch ended up being the cheapest of all my lunch dates, as my only billed item was a drip coffee.
My sister has never ending papers to write as part of her graduate school program. However, it can be difficult to focus while in the apartment, so I convinced her to dedicate a couple hours of studying at the Mamaroneck public library. They have a beautiful reading room with long tables and a decidedly serene atmosphere. (Plus free parking on Sundays!) We both got some work done, although I did sneak out to grab us a huge Italian combo hero from Cosmo & Alex Pisano Bros, and costs just $7.50.
The library houses a used book store in the basement, but also has a cart of free (free!) books. I was able to find a book which’ll do quite nicely as an airplane read for my return trip to Oregon. For free! Free. (Free!)
I’ll be hitting up my sister’s grocery store in the morning to stock up on food for my trip home. Although the flight itself is just 6 hours, I’ll leave for the airport 5 hours in advance, (multiple public transportation cogs, plus a few hours early to satisfy any paranoia about arriving late for my flight.) In total, I’ll be 11-1/2 hours between my sister’s apartment and my own refrigerator house. I don’t want to get hungry and held hostage to airplane food, which is the worst combination of yucky and expensive.
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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When keeping to a food budget it’s important to keep your recipes simple and classic. But no one wants to give up flavor in the name of financial responsibility. Guess what? You probably already have a stash of cheap-o recipe boosters — your random jumble of condiment packets! You know, all those takeout ketchup, soy sauce and hot sauce packets that usually just languish in the back of your fridge or pantry.
Luckily, there are many culinary dishes that lend themselves to the bit of this, bit of that style of cookery magic and will not only save you money, but turn out to be quite delicious.
Meatloaf
Whether you’re using your grandfather’s secret recipe as a guide or following the classic Betty Crocker version, meatloaf happily welcomes packets of ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, soy sauce or even the spiciness from a packet or two of Taco Bell hot sauce. You may never make it the same way twice, but you’re sure to create something special.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are another savory treat that easily accepts a bit of kitchen experimentation. Squeeze out your unopened packets of wasabi or simply go the tried and true route of mayonnaise and mustard. Either way, you’ll be the hit of your next potluck.
Marinades
You already know that marinating meat is the secret to adding flavor and moisture to an otherwise bland piece of meat. But there’s no reason to pay big bucks for bottled marinades, as creating your own is almost as easy as pouring milk over a bowl of cereal.
Marinades are usually just a combination of:
An acid such as lemon juice, vinegar or wine.
Oil.
Spices and flavor, which is where you get to flex your creative muscle!
Sure, you can follow a specific recipe for guidance, or simply refer to a marinade guide such as this one from The Splendid Table, but once you’ve figured out the general formula, you’ll be rifling through your condiment packets looking for jam, soy sauce, hot sauce, honey and hot pepper flakes.
Pesto
Pesto is traditionally made with fresh parmesan cheese, basil and pine nuts, but I’m simply too cheap to splurge on all these expensive ingredients. Instead, I’m a fan of this pesto recipe, which uses inexpensive greens such as kale. However, I’ve taken it one step further and incorporate tiny packets of parmesan cheese, which I hoard from delivered pizzas. (I’ll even scoop them up after work events.) It may take a large number of them, but they quickly pile up, especially if you’re attending events where multiple pizzas are being served.
Salad Dressing
Bottled salad dressing can be a real budget buster. Sure, you can pay as little as a buck from Dollar Tree, but making your own from scratch will end up tastier and likely even cheaper. I’m partial to this honey mustard salad dressing recipe, which uses standard ingredients to create a gourmet flavor. Best of all? It’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of all those mustard condiment packets! Or you can try this vinaigrette recipe and use up your miscellaneous jam packets.
Use As-Is
All of this dietary experimentation might not be your style, in which case you can always save those condiments for packed lunches, picnics or camping, as their small size minimizes weight and doesn’t require refrigeration.
Final Thought:
Whether you’re squeezing a ketchup packet onto a home grilled hamburger or working it into a recipe, you’re saving money by using what you already own. Resist the urge to toss these culinary gems, and instead set them aside for a night of experimentation.
Your only limitation is your imagination.
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My sister splurged on an unlimited ride NYC Metrocard, and although I’d already bought my own $20 card, she’s letting me swipe hers for the day. (I’m meeting up with a friend in the city while my sister slogs through her grad school work.) This saved me $2.75 each direction, plus any other travel that I happened to do within the city limits.
My niece and I drove back up to the Mamaroneck library yesterday to donate yet another load of books. Their policy is for one box/bag per day, but since my sister is desperately trying to declutter her apartment, her “one bag” was one of those enormous Ikea blue monstrosities. I was fully willing to abide by their rules, but they sighed and graciously accepted the entire lot. We also dropped a couple bins of stuff at her local church thrift shop, and will likely donate a huge bag of yarn later this evening. Slowly but surely, we’re transforming her Boxhenge in The Bronx cluttered apartment into a calm and welcoming space.
Decluttering is a time consuming and emotionally exhausting task in the best of circumstances. Add in an intensive graduate school program and it’s a freaking Olympic event.
I found two one dollar bills on the floor of a bodega, and since no one in the store claimed it as their own, I’ll be adding it to my found Found Change Challenge for 2019. I’ve also been picking up random pennies, nickels and dimes throughout my stay.
My sister is in full get rid of it mode, which means I can shop for free from her unwanted items. I’m normally loathe to take on others’ excess, but was happy to accept a free pair of Birkenstocks that had always been too big for her. And since they’d never fit right, they’re in like-new condition. The only downside is these they’re the exact style that my father wears 10-1/2 months out of the year. I guess I’m transforming into an aging hippie professor dude after all.
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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I’m in New York for a couple of weeks to visit with my sister. Amazingly I was able to score a round trip ticket for just $186 as I had a $50 voucher leftover from helping with a passenger’s on a previous flight. I flew into Newark and then took New Jersey Railroad into Penn Station for a mere $13, which was extremely straightforward. From there I met up with my sister, and together took the subway to her apartment in The Bronx. Navigating an unfamiliar public transportation system can seem intimidating, but is usually easier than you think. New York City’s transit system has great signage to direct even the most befuddled tourist.
I’m starting to arrange lunch and coffee dates with NYC based friends, which will be fun. I have writing projects to attend to, (as well as supporting my sister) but that doesn’t mean I can’t sneak in some mild fun and shenanigans.
Want information on visiting New York City on a budget? Click HERE to read how I’m enjoy the city without breaking the bank.
One thing I’m doing while in New York is helping my sister winnow down her belongings. However, unlike Portland, with its multiple easily accessible Goodwill donation stops, (that take everything from furniture to toys, books to electronics) things are not so easy here. We filled up the back of her station wagon and drove north of the city to her trusty New Rochelle Goodwill only to learn that they no longer accept books, which was easily 3/4 of her donations! (Due to living in The Bronx, it’s often easier to go north of city rather than into mayhem of New York City.) No worries though, as we knew that the Mamaroneck library features a used book store. Until we learned that they only accept a single box of books per day. Even the Little Free Library was so crammed with books as to be a no go.
This story does not have a nice tidy end, as the back of my sister’s car continues to be filled with books. I guess we’ll just head back to the Mamaroneck library tomorrow. And the next day. And probably the day after that as well.
Whattaya think? After effects of the current KonMari fever sweeping the nation?
I met up for lunch with my friend Greta today, but instead of heading out to a restaurant, we dined at the Rockefeller University cafeteria where she works. Not only was the price reasonable, but there was no tip to include, which saved us both a couple of bucks.
After all, what am I a Rockefeller? <—- I am unable to resist a bad good pun!
New York is brisk and windy, and it’s a challenge to stay warm while out and about. However, downloading the Pret A Manger app onto my phone rewarded me with a free coffee drink of my choice. Warm in my hands, warm in my belly. Plus it’s free? The cold weather trifecta!
I found one nickel and two pennies while running errands with my sister this evening, we stopped into Goodwill and I didn’t buy anything, I sold a vintage Hamm’s Beer knit scarf on eBay, my sister gave me a free pass to The American Museum of Natural History and then I found a dime on the ground.
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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I sold a few items including a landscape painting, some midcentury wall hangings and two brand new sets of Spanx pantyhose. The latter sale was an odd one, but I took a chance on picking up three pairs at Goodwill, as they were priced for 99¢ apiece despite the original Nordstrom price tag of $19.99. I still have one more pair for sale, and expect them to sell quickly as the first two sold overnight.
I’m flying to New York City and took the time to pack a ham sandwich, cheese, eggs and tangerines. The trip only takes five hours, but once you add in the Portland airport time plus transportation from the NY airport to my sister’s apartment, my food needs to cover breakfast, lunch as well as the multiple snacks that I normally mindlessly cram into my mouth enjoy throughout the day. I also packed a small box of chocolates for the flight attendants as a thank you gift, although I should have probably brought some for the poor TSA agents who are pointlessly working without pay.
I’m arranging to do eight hours of paid education hours through my hospital. I earned this perk by working a certain number of hours in 2018, and can make sure to get these hours onto the next paycheck that would otherwise be empty due to my traveling.
I created a Frankenbox out of used packaging materials to mail out the midcentury wall hangings, my husband and I continue to eat our way through the enormous free-from-work ham and I scored a used pair of jeans that are my favorite brand/my size. I recently discovered that they’re an expensive brand, (think $100+) which I hadn’t realized as I’d bought them at the pay-by-the-pound Goodwill. I’m extremely excited.
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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My husband and I switched cell phone providers, which came with two $300 debit cards as a rebate. The paperwork specified that they wouldn’t work for cash back. However, I’ve never been one to accept rules, so I tested it out and discovered that they did indeed work for cash back. I’m now in the process of draining them of value so that I put the money into the credit union, where they can be used for bills and properly tracked.
I receive a gift certificate for a “free turkey or ham” from my employer each holiday season. I’ve switched back and forth between the two, but mostly get the hams since they’re pre-cooked and the thought of preparing a turkey meal so soon after Thanksgiving is overwhelming. I took my voucher into the grocery store, but since it was right at the expiration date, they didn’t have any hams which met the strict criteria of the small print. However, a quick conversation with the butcher confirmed that they’d still honor the coupon, which meant I was able to get a $42 11-pound ham for free.
I’m not a big fan of ham eaten as is, (the texture is so . . . bouncy) but like it just fine as an ingredient in soups, which means my family will be enjoying a lot of ham-and-bean soups this month. Right now? Split pea soup. Starting tomorrow? White bean soup. Pretty soon? Chopped and frozen for future meals.
I sold a Baby Bjorn carrier and a breastfeeding pillow through Facebook Marketplace, as well as a hodgepodge of different items through eBay. This includes a Calico Critter car, vintage floppy discs, two Starbucks mugs and a flannel duvet cover that my son had deemed to be “too scratchy.”
I packed my work lunches, I arranged to come into the hospital to complete some online education, (thus ensuring I’d be paid for my time) I brought a couple bags of miscellaneous stuff into a local consignment store that I’d pulled from a shelf of “free stuff” outside an antique shop, I found a handful of change under my credit union’s coin counting machine, I took my daughter to a free resume assistance clinic at the library, I discovered that the library has a WordPress expert, and put in a request to meet with them for some desperately needed blogging assistance, (so many glitchy issues!) and I took up my neighbor’s offer of some free boxes and packing supplies from her basement.
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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As longtime blog readers know, I run a Found Change Challenge, which is a fancy way of saying that I save up all the found money throughout the year and then add it up on January 1st. I encourage readers to do the same, and I’m always amazed to hear how much people are able to glean from their sidewalks and abandoned coin returns.
My total for 2018 was $42.65, which includes one twenty and three one-dollar bills. This receipt breaks down the different coins from my credit union’s free coin counting machine.
Of course, the machine rejected all the foreign coins, including this 1944 British half crown, which is obviously my favorite 2018 found coin!
Did you participate in the Found Change Challenge? If so, how much did you find? Please share your stories of found money in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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I sold a few items, including a hand me down Fiestaware teapot, a thrifted lamp, a thrifted painting and a rotary paper cutter. I also picked up two extra hospital shifts and just today found two pennies and a dime on the ground. My son’s tuition payment is due on January 1st, and it’s crunch time.
We got through the holiday gift giving season with minimal financial damage. I was able to shop from Goodwill thrift stores for all physical items, (three wallets, a curling iron and two pairs of pajama pants) and otherwise gave consumable gifts, practical gift cards and cash. But most of how we kept spending under control is that we’ve drastically minimized the number people with whom we exchange gifts. I’ll be back in New York City next month, and will individually take my niece and nephew out to do something fun. Neither of them needs any more stuff, and choosing an experiential gift creates memories instead of clutter.
The only person who gives me a holiday gift is my mother, and she gave me two sterling butter knives, (that match my existing set) as well as a couple of tea towels, which will all be put to good use. Gone are the years when we’d be inundated with well intentioned but useless gifts that had no logical place in our home or lives.
I’m reading a library copy of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers, which I’m loving. The last couple of books that I’ve picked up haven’t held my interest so I haven’t read as much over the past couple of months. I need to remind myself that it’s okay to not finish a book if it isn’t grabbing my attention. (I have a tendency to halt any and all reading when I get stuck in a middle of a dull book.) My 2018 resolution was to “read and write,” and although I haven’t done as much writing as I’d hoped, I did read a lot more than in recent years. I’m just so happy to be immersed in a wonderful book again!
Thank you, Multnomah County Library!
My son wanted to drive to the video store to get a movie, but instead I convinced him to find something on Amazon Prime, I packed up leftovers to bring for work lunches, a friend gave me two bins of brand new packaging supplies from her husband’s previous business, I cancelled a monthly subscription I wasn’t using anymore and I darned a weirdly huge hole in the sleeve of my son’s sweater.
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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I booked another flight to New York City, as I’m returning to help my sister out with her long term project. I had two $25 vouchers leftover from helping with a medical emergency on a flight last year, but they’d sadly expired. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I called the airline’s customer service number and they generously reinstated the discount. Their action brought the price down to just $186 for my round trip ticket, which is not too shabby!
My son needed a haircut, so I asked him to wait until the Supercuts training center was offering free services again. Sure enough, a few days later they posted on their Facebook page about available appointments. (Which I had previous “liked” and “favorited.” For Portland peeps, it’s simply under “Free Haircuts Portland Oregon.”) I took him in yesterday, so he’s now sporting an excellent haircut and I’m still on budget to pile up as much money possible towards the $4719 due on January 1st for his winter term college tuition payment. 2018 has been an expensive year for a number of reasons, (medical bills, car repairs, veterinary bills and various other unwelcome surprises) so we’re not as on track as we’ve been in years past.
My son and I went to a local theater’s showing of the movie Die Hard on a two-for-one night. And since their tickets are normally just $4, we paid two bucks apiece! It was so much fun! The theater was packed, and the dynamic of a room full of people 100% focused on the same movie at the same time is simply not recreated when watching “from the comfort of your own home.” This movie doesn’t exactly pass the Bechtel test, but it was still pure joy to watch young Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis in their prime. Yippee ki-yay mother f@¢kers!
I sold a thrifted pair of Danskos, a garbage picked coffee maker, a vintage hanging light; plus am arranging pickup of a few other items. My favorite sale was the hanging light fixture, as: A) It was tacky as hell, but in a good way, and B) I picked it up at Goodwill and then sold it on my way home to a vintage shop. Not a huge profit, but I doubled my $10 investment in under an hour, which I call a win.
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.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter. Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram. Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group. Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Pinterest.
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I sold a number of things including a locally made silkscreened pillow, as well as Lenox snowman figurine that I picked up for 18¢ at the pay-by-the-pound Goodwill bins. I also listed a couple more items such as a Dyson vacuum cleaner canister/filter and a North Face backpack. All these items (other than the pillow, which was $2.99 from a regular Goodwill) were bought at the bins. Yes, I had to scrub down the Dyson canister and the backpack, but they’re now as good as new. There’s gold in them-thar bins! Yee-haw!
I mended a pair of hand knit socks that I’d set aside at least six months ago, as they had a hole that was likely to worsen with wear. They’re not perfect, but since zero percent of my friends and family spend time scrutinizing the bottoms of my socks, they’re now good to go. I feel like I got a brand new pair of socks for free!
I mixed up a big ol’ pot of chili, which included some browned bulk sausage that I’d stuck into the freezer last month. I also threw in some random Chick-fil-A dipping sauces leftover from when I stopped by for a freebie over the summer. It added an extra zip, and there’s juuuust enough left to pack up for my next work lunch. Needless to say, I started with bulk-purchased dry beans.
I set up our garbage picked Christmas tree that I pulled out of a dumpster three (four?) years ago. It came from a real estate company that had shuttered its doors, so I suspect that my tree lived its previous life staging houses for sale during the Christmas season. I never thought I’d been an artificial tree enthusiast, as Oregon supplies a large percentage of Christmas trees to the U.S., but I gotta say that getting rid of an annual purchase is pretty sweet. I’m in full support of anything that banishes a recurring expense!
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.”Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter. Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram. Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group. Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Pinterest.
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