Five Frugal Things

by Katy on November 8, 2017 · 125 comments

  1. I owed my friend Lise a thank you lunch, so I suggested Bob’s Red Mill as A) we both enjoy bulk food purchases, and B) I had a 2-for-1 lunch coupon. The total for our lunch was a budget worthy $8.95, and I even had a 2-for-1 coupon for any product as well. (I brought my own bags which I filled up with red lentils and a veggie bean soup mix.) We then walked across the street to the Dave’s Killer Bread outlet where I picked up two loaves of their 21 whole grain bread. I had another 2-for-1 coupon which impressed Lise enough to exclaim that “you have a coupon for everything!” Silly girl.

  2. I watched the most recent episode of The Durrels in Corfu through the PBS app on my Roku box. I also picked up a couple of novels and a DVD at the library. What books? Pink books. I need a big dollop of escapism in my fiction right now.

  3. Lise and I then stopped at the Goodwill outlet where I spent $16 and bought a neoprene lunch bag for my work lunches, two T-shirts, (one for my mom) a Baby Alive doll to sell, some Hanna Andersson jammies to sell, a small Italian mirror to sell, four fine art lithographs to sell, a Land’s End down vest to sell, another pair of Solmate socks, a deck of vintage playing cards, a vintage microphone to sell and an ottoman that’s the same style as my husband’s recliner. (Which of course was a Goodwill purchase.)

  4. I haven’t sold anything though eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, but I did finish writing a Clark Howard article and then proposed a new article. I’ll also work two 12-hour shifts this week at the hospital.

  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.”

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.

{ 125 comments }

The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy!

I’m currently reading Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors, which is a fascinating anthropological study of middle-class families in the Los Angeles area. This single book could easily inspire a dozen distinct and varied blog posts from me, but today I focus on this one quote:

“Most Possessions per Family in Global History.”

“For more than 40,000 years, intellectually modern humans have peopled the planet, but never before has any society accumulated so many personal possessions. U.S. households spend on average tens of thousands of dollars every year on new purchases. A substantial portions of these expenditures goes towards replacement goos such as trendy apparel and the latest media electronics, not to mention the newest model of cars. Many of these objects replace perfectly good antecedents that homeowners may only reluctantly part with, The result is typically clutter amassing in “back stage” storage areas such as garages, closets, and attics, eventually extending to “front stage” living spaces.”

Yesterday my mother and I took my two teenage sons to two different Goodwill thrift shops. There was nothing we really needed, and each of the four of us made a single purchase, which I thought was very telling.

  • My mother bought four drinking glasses to replace missing/broken glasses in her rental cottages. ($3.96)

  • I bought a large framed vintage Maxfield Parrish print that I will display in my spare bedroom. ($14.99)

  • My younger son bought a pair of Nike Free Runs that normally cost $90. ($4.99)

  • My older son bought an Italian merino wool turtleneck sweater. ($6.99)

None of these purchases were technically necessary, however each was deliberate. My older son is very particular about his clothing, my younger son is obsessed with shoes and I always keep an eye out for underpriced home decor.

Are we typical American consumers?

Yes. No. Absolutely not. Most likely. More than we care to admit. Kind of yes. Kind of no.

Our thrift store purchases did give us that endorphin rush that comes with finding that perfect thing to add to our house full of stuff. But they will not push our home into the realm of cluttery chaos.

Although I often write about minimalism, I am not a minimalist. I like to think that I inhabit the grey area of just right along with Miss Goldilocks. (Of course, what one day can seem just right can teeter over to too much the next.)

Which is why it’s called a grey area.

I’ll keep reading the book, and hopefully find inspiration for that sweet spot between a cluttered home and one that echoes.

 

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.

{ 27 comments }

Now that our sons are both in college, my husband and I have a lot more time to hang out with each other. It’s still a bit odd, but we’re starting to get into a groove. My husband volunteered to teach CPR during the day, and I texted him suggesting that we “do something nice tonight.” Mind you, my idea of “something nice” is still going to be 97.2% more frugal than other people’s idea of an ideal date night. (Then again, I’ve never aspired to be like “other people.”)

Here’s what we did:

  1. I gave my husband a few options of where to go to dinner, as he’s not very good at coming up with ideas. He immediately jumped at the suggestion of a nearby brewpub, as that’s A) his favorite category of restaurant, and B) my least favorite category. After all, isn’t marriage about compromise. (I’m not a drinker and get annoyed by menus that are 90% burgers.) Because we dined early, we were able to order from the discounted happy hour menu, which pleased us both as my husband could order a plate of fish and chips and I could choose yummy fish tacos. Win-win! Even with my husband ordering a pint of porter, our bill only came to $22 with tip.

  2. Our next stop in Operation Something Nice was to treat ourselves to fancy coffees as my husband had earned a free Starbucks drink. He buys those big vats of Starbucks coffee for his CPR classes, which occasionally add up to free drinks. But first we stopped at home for travel mugs as I’m trying to hold myself to a zero waste standard whenever possible. We ordered the largest Venti size and had the barista split a mocha into our two mugs, and then sat to leisurely drink our coffees before our next activity. Photographic proof HERE.

  3. Brace yourself, as this is when things get exciting. We stopped into Trader Joe’s to buy 19¢ bananas, as it was almost next door. Of course I chose the biggest bananas, as they’re priced per unit instead of per pound. (Hey, what can I say? Going on a date with me is always going to veer towards the practical.)

  4. We then drove over to my favorite second run theater for a 6:45 showing of The Big Sick. It wasn’t my husband’s first choice, but as I’ve already clarified, marriage is about compromise. The tickets were $4 apiece, and the two of us walked right past the concession stand despite the alluring aroma of hot buttered popcorn. I normally have 2-for-1 coupons for this theater, but they wouldn’t have been valid on a Saturday night anyway. The movie was great, and I even ran into an old friend for bonus enjoyment.

  5. Our post-adventure evening featured the two of us goofing around on the internet in front of Star Trek:The Next Generation reruns. And about halfway into Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra I jumped up to make some hot buttered popcorn as I felt we deserved one last tasty treat. Dare I say it? A extremely frugal treat.

Total cost of the evening? $30, plus around 70¢ in change that I put into the tip box at Starbucks.

Now your turn. Do you and your loved one enjoy date nights that don’t break the bank? Please share in the comments section below.

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.

{ 74 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on November 2, 2017 · 111 comments

  1. I gave away all our leftover Halloween candy to someone in my Buy Nothing Group who is a middle school counselor. She’d posted a request, asking “Have leftover chocolate? I’d be happy to take it off your hands for my students. I’m a middle school counselor and chocolate has a magical way of making teary, awkward, emotional middle schoolers feel much better after a crappy day.” Poor kids, middle school is THE WORST!

  2. I sold all my leftover Red Rose Tea figurines to someone who sells at area flea markets. (Not a ton of money, but every penny counts!) Once I’ve decided to get rid of something it’s almost painful to continue looking at it. I also picked a different buy nothing recipient to come and get a tea kettle that I’ve been trying to give away. (The person who had so desperately wanted it kept flaking out.) I finished up another Clark Howard article that I’d been tinkering with for a few days. In the end it took a long time to write, but I’m really happy with the end result. I’ll start on another article today that’s hopefully a bit more straightforward.

  3. I needed to get out of the house yesterday, so I texted my friend Lise to see if she was up for a walk to the grocery store. I needed carrots, onions and beef broth to tart up my leftover pot roast, and I even stuck to my list. We had a nice long chat while crossing tasks from our respective to-do lists. She’d recently reorganized her magazines, and I showed her a nearby Little Free Library that would be a perfect way to declutter a few of her old New Yorkers.

  4. I took some Dollar Tree navy beans that I’d cooked in the crock pot a few days ago and am turning them into a savory soup. I work tomorrow and would like to have some nice leftovers to bring for lunch. The hospital cafeteria has an amazingly inexpensive salad bar, but homemade is still cheaper.

  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.”

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.

{ 111 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on November 1, 2017 · 72 comments

  1. I bought an on sale chuck roast yesterday and filled my house with the heavenly scent of pot roast. I gobbled up all the ambrosia-like carrots and onions, so I’ll go to the store today for more carrots to bake in the leftover broth. Day two of the house smelling like pot roast? Even Lorelei Gilmore would approve.

  2. I sold an Izod shirt on eBay that I’d had listed for ages. I then bought a pair of eBay jeans that I’ve determined to the perfect size and style for me. I was down to a single pair of pants, (“trousers” for you British readers) and was unlikely to come across these specific jeans while thrifting. I paid $13.50 with free shipping, which works for me.

  3. For years I’ve set up an old TV/VCR combo in our front window on Halloween to play “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” We no longer own this TV, so instead I set up a big computer monitor and played the same movie through Netflix. Our nine front steps are wide, which gives them the illusion of being steeper than they actually are, so I feel the need to advertise our house as “worth the effort” to hesitant trick-or-treaters. It always works and many of the kids commented on how much they loved it. This Halloween decor doesn’t need to be bought, stored or maintained. Using what I already have as a Halloween feature? Perfect!

  4. I packed up the Izod shirt in a used manilla envelope, I arranged a free USPS pickup to avoid driving to the post office, I handed out Red Rose figurines to trick-or-treaters who wanted “a ceramic figurine” and I only bought practical food while grocery shopping. So yeah . . . no ice cream.

  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.”

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.

{ 72 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on October 31, 2017 · 60 comments

  1. I’ve been successful at not breaking into the Halloween candy, even though I changed my mind about storing it at the neighbor’s house which is my normal Katy-is-an-unapologetic-wierdo hack. (Instead, I shoved it into the back of our attic space to protect it from inevitable late night cravings.) I bought it during a 50%-off sale a couple weeks ago and look forward to handing it out to tonight’s adorable zombie cheerleaders and Darth Vaders. I’ll be alone at the house for the first time ever as my husband works and the kids are in college, but I still plan on dressing up and reveling in the neighborhood fun.

  2. I sold an antique cast iron skillet through Facebook Marketplace that was a pay-by-pound Goodwill Outlet find. I then sold a textbook through eBay that I’d pulled from a free pile while dropping my son off at college. I was put on call for work yesterday and then immediately called back in, which gave me four hours of overtime pay. I submitted another Clark Howard article and proposed two more article ideas.

  3. I borrowed my friend Lise’s sweater shaver to tidy up a Pendleton wool sweater that I’d bought at the Goodwill Outlet. I’d intended the sweater for my husband, but it was too small for him which means I now own a refreshed pill-free and cozy sweater for fall. I don’t own very much clothing, and this addition is perfect as the sweater is warm but still pretty thin. Plus, we Oregonians love our Pendleton wool!

  4. I worked yesterday and brought my own lunch, and then drank the free crappy coffee and the free delicious tea, I decorated my front porch using Halloween doo-dads that a former neighbor had handed down to me a million years ago, I gave my friend Lise a can of La Croix cranberry seltzer as a thank you for the sweater shaver and I let my free HBO subscription expire without renewing it, (I only wanted it for Game of Thrones.)

  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.”

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.

{ 60 comments }

I love, love, love the Portland area Goodwill stores. And although I’m on a mostly pay-by-the-pound Outlet kick lately, there are still bargains and entertaining oddities to be found at their regular retail stores as well.

I don’t have a specific list of items I keep an eye out for, although there are general categories of things that draw me in.

Odd Things: 

I didn’t buy any of the items in the following photo collage. Especially not the infant/doll/dog sweatshirt that boasts that it “brought sexy back.” None of the wearers should be considered “sexy,” so yes, it warranted a photo op.

Targeted Savings Banks:

Of course, I’m always on the lookout for what I call “targeted savings banks.” And Goodwill does not disappoint. That barrel of money? Totally empty!

Bait and switch, Goodwill. Bait and switch!

Fodder For Selfies:

There are some Goodwill items that beg to take photos with me, and who am I to refuse that request. I didn’t buy any of these things, although I kind of regret not getting the satin bomber jacket.

The Good Stuff:

However, not all Goodwill items get left behind, as I enjoy a good flip to plump up the ol’ college fund. All four of these items recently made it into my cart and out of the store.

  • The vintage Dremel electric shoe polisher worked perfectly and had good completed sales on eBay, so I bought it to resell. However, my husband bonded with it, which means that it now lives at his workplace for his shiny boot needs.

  • The Vans woven throw blanket looked brand new and also had good completed sales on eBay. I listed it on eBay and quickly sold it to someone who lived not far from me in Portland.

  • The striped suitcase was a collaboration between a high end designer and Target. (Her designs are normally sold at Lord & Taylor.) It was only offered briefly and had a great resale value. It was in excellent condition and I was able to sell it for a nice profit through Craigslist. This purchase was an example of how I try to only buy items for resale if I’d be happy to keep them if it turns out that my instincts were off. It was super cute with a cheery bright apple green interior.

  • The over the door hooks are a knock off/inspired by the Eames hang-it-all system that normally sells for $199. Again, I figured it would be handy to own if I couldn’t find a buyer. Luckily my instincts were right on this one, as I bought it yesterday, listed it on Facebook Marketplace last night and already have three interested buyers. It won’t make a big profit as I priced it pretty low, but it will pay for the chocolate malteds that my mother and I enjoyed yesterday afternoon.

The great thing about thrift shopping is that you can buy high quality items without paying high quality prices.

Just yesterday I paid $19.84 and bought:

  • A Talbots down puffer vest.

  • Four pairs of $50 – $225 jeans for resale.

  • New looking Levi’s and a Pendleton wool sweater for my husband.

  • The perfect color coiling phone cord for one of my vintage phones.

  • A new in package paint brush.

  • A Vera Bradley purse.

I call that fabulous-will!

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.

{ 23 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on October 26, 2017 · 86 comments

  1. I worked yesterday and brought food from home, even though all I had for a heat-and-eat meal was half of a roasted acorn squash, hard boiled eggs and a banana. I worked my tuchus off and needed every single drop of the free crappy coffee and the free delicious tea.

  2. I came home and remembered that they’d started airing the second season of The Durrells in Corfu on the PBS Roku channel. I loved the My Family & Other Animals books when I was a child, and even read them aloud to my sons when I became a parent. This Masterpiece Theater series is one of the few television adaptations that does justice to the source material. Laying in bed watching the struggles and adventures of the perfectly imperfect Durrell family was the perfect end to an exhausting day.

  3. I’ll be treating my mother to a Birthday Day of Adventures this afternoon. I won’t spoil the surprise by sharing my specific plans, but there will be an anchor activity, a meal and then a treat. All based on my mother’s interests and centered around a single locality. Very few of us are wanting for miscellaneous knick-knacks and random tchotchkes, so I encourage you to consider replacing your thing based gifts with experience based gifts. After all, multiple studies have shown that experiences make us happier than physical objects. Plus the enjoyment of the gift can be shared with all who participate. Click HERE to see how we celebrated last year.

  4. I decided that I didn’t like the You’re a Badass at Making Money book that I currently have from the library. The author’s tone and central premise about the super cool amazingness of being rich rubbed me the wrong way, so I’ll be returning it to the library this afternoon. It’s a couple days overdue, so I’d planned on dedicating time to finish it, but instead I decided to cut my losses. I’ll also drop off our election ballots at the library, which will save us 98¢.

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

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.

{ 86 comments }

Please note that this giveaway has ended. Congratulation to Karen C. and Diane Black!

Like many others, I’m a big fan of Gretchen Rubin and her writing. She hooked me with The Happiness Project, and has continued to draw me in with her subsequent books, Happier at Home and Better Than Before. Plus, she and her sister Elizabeth Craft also host a weekly podcast titled Happier with Gretchen Rubin, so it’s damned near impossible to escape her influence. (Plus, as you can see we’ve had the opportunity to meet in person a number of times.)

To say that Gretchen Rubin is a disciplined and prolific writer would be an massive understatement. Then again, she is an “Upholder.”

What’s an Upholder? An Upholder is a person who naturally and easily meets both outer and inner expectations, and is one of the four tendencies outlined in Rubin’s newest book, The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too.)

These four tendencies describe a personality framework based solely on whether someone meets or resists outer and inner expectations.

Here’s a graphic for a visual reference:

So for Gretchen to take on such ambitious projects is a natural fit. She’s able to set and reach personal goals and then meet deadlines set by her publisher.

See that bottom circle, the “Rebel?” The one that reads “Resists outer expectation, resists inner expectation.” That’s me. And although “Rebel” sounds all James Dean and sexy, it’s actually a huge pain in the tuchus to be that person. External expectations make me less likely meet my obligations, which is both illogical and personally frustrating. (I also suspect that I was a challenging child to raise.)

However, I think that being a Rebel is closely tied to a richly creative mindset. Because I have zero interest in going through life like everybody else, I’m compelled to reinvent each and every wheel. I don’t let others’ opinions hold me back from what I want, and I’m almost impossible to embarrass. I have a strong sense of self, but I have a terrible time with deadlines and self discipline.

Luckily, this book doesn’t just focus on identifying your individual tendency, but explores motivation and what it means to meet or resist life’s expectations. (Which Rubin clarifies is only a single aspect of what makes us tick.) Rubin also gives very concrete information about how to interact with and understand others’ tendencies, which is important for anyone who’s not currently a hermit.

There’s an online quiz to determine your tendency, although I do have to confess that I’ve only skimmed it.

I could go on and on about this book, but instead I’m going to cut to the good part.

I’m giving away copies of The Four Tendencies to two lucky readers. Just write your name in the comments section below, and I will randomly choose the winners on Sunday, October 29th at 9 P.M. PST. 

Rebelliously yours,

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.

{ 274 comments }

Work Perks

by Katy on October 24, 2017 · 48 comments

The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy!

monthly-passes

I work for one of the largest private employers in the state of Oregon, and with this job comes some great benefits. Deals on cell phones, gym memberships, discounts for local businesses and my favorite — a free all-zone adult public transportation pass. To buy this privately, (as many people do) would set me back a whopping $946!

That is one mighty fine work perk.

Although I’ve been in the same job for 14 years, I have enjoyed employment by many different companies throughout the years. I’ve worked everything from retail in Idaho, shoe sales in London, (note to self — DON’T ask customers if they’re planning on wearing their shoes with a skirt or “pants.”) cinemas and restaurants in Portland, Oregon and even as an elf at Macy’s in Herald Square, New York.

Yeah, I moved a lot.

The jobs varied from interesting to tedious, poorly paid to semi-poorly paid. But they all had one thing in common — work perks.

Working retail meant an employee discount on merchandise, which could be quite sizable, other jobs provided handy perks as well:

  • The variety store in Ketchum, Idaho gave a “cost plus 10%” discount, which sometimes translated to 90% off. Got my holiday shopping done early that year!

  • The shoe store in London not only offered a discount on shoes, (the amount of which I’ve forgotten) but customers would occasionally purchase new shoes and leave the old ones in the store. As gross as this may sound, I got a new looking pair of super cool shoes this way, which I held onto for at least ten years.

  • Work in restaurants always provided free food and drinks, and working at a movie theater meant I was able to see free movies at all the theaters in town for myself and a guest. This last job was during my senior year of high school, and my best friend and I took great advantage of the viewing opportunities, often seeing multiple movies in a single day!

  • Oddly, the stint as a Christmas elf at Macy’s was one of the worst employee discounts, as it was for only 15% off products that could be worn on the body. (clothing, jewelry, make-up, etc.) Although, Wearing a head-to-toe sparkly elf costume meant I didn’t have to dress professionally, which I considered to be a huge plus. Not to mention, it was simply a lot of fun!

My current job as a labor and delivery nurse also provides my work wardrobe, (although there is certainly less bling than your average elf costume) which has probably saved me thousands of dollars through the years. Some nurses on other floors have to provide their own scrubs, but ours are provided by the hospital as we circulate through the operating rooms and need to have certifiably clean outfits. Infection control and all.

These work perks can be a huge part not only in making a job worthwhile, but in employee retention. My friend’s husband works in management at AT&T, and got free box seat tickets to take their  daughter and her friends to see a Miley Cyrus concert last night.  (This probably won him the daddy-of-the-year award at his house!)

The main work perk that attracts employees and then keeps them in place are health care benefits. How many of us have stayed in a  job simply because we needed the benefits? Or even left a job we loved because it didn’t provide those essential health care benefits?

Have you ever taken a job because it came with fabulous work perks? Was it an employee discount on merchandise or comprehensive health care coverage? What was your favorite work perk you’ve ever had? Please share your stories in the comments section below.

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.

    

{ 48 comments }