-
I drove across town to pick up an $85 West Elm loveseat that my kid wanted for their minuscule studio apartment. They’d held off from this purchase until the coffee table sold, and began scouring Facebook Marketplace the moment the money hit their account. It’s very handy to have a mother who still drives her twenty-year-old minivan.
-
I thrifted another $4.99 Goodwill dining chair, oddly similar to the one I bought last week. (Reproduction is on the left, actual midcentury one to the right.) I’ve listed it on Marketplace for $40, but will hold onto its vintage twin.
Edit: I sold the dupe for $40 within a couple hours of listing it!
-
My sister sent me a hefty “Chutzpah” mug as a belated birthday gift, which triggered getting rid of a few extras. My cupboard was already at peak capacity, so I pulled out three dull colored Fiestaware mugs and offered them up in my Buy Nothing group. My chutzpah now has the breathing room it deserves and “Melissa” gets three new mugs!
-
I was hungry and close to IKEA, so I stopped in to use their clean bathroom and grab a $1.15 veggie hotdog. These come with fried onions and pickled beets and are damned tasty. I also grabbed some cookie samples and enjoyed my meal in the car with some tap water from home. When I say I’m “cheapaf,” I literally mean it!
-
I didn’t buy an election.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
I’m seeing a lot of “No Spend” or “Low Spend” challenges on the internet, which seems to be a natural progression from the “underconsumption” trend from late 2024. I know a thing or two about “no spend” resolutions, as I made a decision in 2006 to only buy secondhand things and have somehow kept it up ever since. Sure, I’ve bought a smattering of new items here and there, but they are the exception not than the rule. You know, because I’m not looking to buy used furnace filters, toothbrushes or underwear.
I decided to look up “No Spend 2025” to research this blog post and I kid you not, this was the very first result:
Umm . . . so the first resource to assist in your “no spend” challenge is to something to buy from Amazon?! The irony is strong. Nice try, Bezos!
What I hope is for people who’ve gone into 2025 with a “No Spend” resolution to be able to stick to their goals, even when life gets in the way. So many of us don’t even have a choice of whether to spend less, as the cost of living is escalating at an unsustainable rate.
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past 19 years:
• Things will come up when you genuinely buy need to buy something new that you hadn’t planned for. This happens and shouldn’t be considered a failure. Shit happens, move on.
• People will think you’re being weird or miserly. Let them think this, that’s their business. You know the “why” behind your decisions and that’s the only thing that matters.
• You might be okay with used things, but a lot of people think it’s “gross,” which can make it hard to shop for them. Those people can receive consumables or enjoy a regift.
• Be open about your no/low spend resolution, you might be surprised how others will support your resolution.
• It’s better when you can reframe financial limitations as a choice instead of something forced upon you. Think “I’m bringing leftovers to work because I’m here to make money, not spend it” or “I’m declining an expensive invitation because I prioritize my financial well being.” These choices are self care.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re entering into a “No Spend” era due to strapped finances, sustainability or both — the results are the same. Neither is superior to the other. There’s no shame in financial discipline.
Are you doing a no/low spend year? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
You may remember that someone stole my indoor recycling bins last year when I stupidly left them outside for maybe an hour. (Click HERE to read about it.) It was a huge bummer as they were vintage and cute and paired well with my built in 1914, updated in the 1940s kitchen. I’ve been making do with a small wicker basket I already owned, but it wasn’t ideal as kitchen recycling can be drippy and it ended up having to be emptied far too often. I was driving my husband to work this morning, (his electric bike is being repaired — thanks Portland potholes!) and pulled the minivan over for this rare winter “free pile.”
I recognized the Ikea “Dokument” metal wastebasket, as I used to own one. (My son now uses it for his under-sink bin.) I knew it would work well for our kitchen recycling as A) the bottom is solid metal, and B) it’s big enough to hold a week’s worth of recycling. Plus, you know . . . it was free!
I noted that the sides were dented, but was otherwise intact.
I brought her home and treated her to a soapy spa treatment to remove the general filthiness. You can appreciate how dented the sides are in this photo, but it makes no difference. It’ll hardly be the centerpiece of my home and it’s the perfect example of “Make it do!”
Here she is, all cleaned up and ready to filled with cardboard egg cartons, drippy cat food tins and various unwanted paper products. She’s dented, but functional.*
The thrifted metal bin to the right is for kitchen laundry, such as cloth napkins, dish towels and various cloth rags. It works great for this purpose, as the open design helps to everything to air out and avoid Oregon’s ever present mildew.
Our homes are not magazine showplaces and there’s nothing wrong with a dented wastebasket. The price was right, it saved this item from going into a landfill and no new items were manufactured to fulfill my need. The idea that our possessions need to be perfect comes from people who benefit from us spending our hard earned dollars on their products. Instead we can choose to buy used, repair our belongings, buy less and maybe even garbage pick a thing or two.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
* As am I, dear reader.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
-
I stopped at Safeway on the way home from running errands and bought nothing more than the two tubs of Greek yogurt that were on my grocery list. I checked their app before going in the store to load an ecoupon, which saved me a whopping $1.76. I also found two dimes in the coin return.
The thing that saved me a tremendous amount of money was to not wander the store in hopes of discovering others deals. I bought these yogurts for my husband’s work lunches and nothing else. I call it “putting on my blinders” and works great when I actually remember to do it. Buy what you need and get out of the store!
-
My husband worked a NBA basketball game that included free food and brought home a pair of chocolate chip cookies for his loving wife. These are overtime shifts for my husband, so the free food is an extra bonus.
-
Our neighbors went out of town, so we took care of bringing in their garbage cans and keeping an eye on their property. My block of four houses all look out for one another’s homes when we’re away, which keeps us all safer and builds our relationships. We borrow last minute dinner ingredients and specialty cooking items, (muffin tins, fondue pots, etc.) and feed one another’s cats. It does save us money, but more importantly it makes for a richer deeper community.
-
My son finally sold the $15 coffee table that he thrifted during my birthday day of adventures! He priced it at $115 to profit a tidy hundred dollars, which was a good deal for the buyer as it’s currently listed for over $400! It took a couple weeks to sell, but finding the right buyer was just a matter of refreshing the listing once a week and practicing the art of patience.
-
I didn’t buy an election.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
-
My recently scavenged knit cap found its way back to its original owner, which is very satisfying! I’d found it run over in the street, matted with road filth. However, it was next door to a friend of mine, so I texted her a photo to show to her neighbors. It turns out that it belonged to their daughter and has since been reunited.
Just reminding you that something that’s dirty and abandoned isn’t necessarily garbage. We have a choice about whether we live in a throwaway society.
-
I wrote yesterday about how I was tempted to thrift this $7.99 vintage refrigerator leftover container, (with rare unbroken lid!) and how I have a few similar ones. I try for cohesiveness with my storage containers, which isn’t always the easiest as I only thrift or garbage pick. However, it is doable.
These two vintage glass containers live to the right of the sink and hold my miscellaneous electronic bits and bobs. Both were thrifted and I doubt I paid more than $1.99 for either one. I think they’re cute.
My other vintage refrigerator dish resides in my bathroom and holds a bar of soap and a roll of litter box bags.* I pulled this one from a free pile a couple years ago, which is my favorite way to source things! Our singular bathroom has literally zero-point-zero storage, so I keep a few necessary items on a thrifted tray to keep on hand.
-
I stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up toilet paper, (theirs is made from 100% recycled paper) bananas and salad fixings. I’d also planned on grabbing a container of chocolate covered raisins, but couldn’t find any. Whatever, no big deal. I mentioned it to the cashier when he asked if I’d “found everything you were looking for.” He quickly looked it up and guessed that they were sold out. I was then loading my groceries into the car when he ran out with a container of free chocolate covered raisins for me. Woo hoo!
-
My Facebook Marketplace sales have been completely flat this month, but I continue to renew the listings when that option pops up. Some things simply take a long time to find the right buyer and that’s normal. You wouldn’t expect a normal retail establishment to sell all their inventory every week or even every month.
-
I didn’t buy an election.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
* I reuse plastic bread/frozen veggie/whatever bags for scooping my litter boxes, but keep these nicer bags on hand for when my neighbor does me the favor of watching over kitty when we’re out of town.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
I had a few extra minutes to my day, so I snuck into the Broadway Goodwill to see if I could find anything to justify a Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will blog post. The thrift goddesses were good to me.
I was tempted to pick up this Mama Ro brand ceramic and wood kitchen canister, as it would feel quite at home in my father’s house. Unfortunately it was priced at $9.99, which was too rich for my blood.
See? Would’ve slotted right into my dad’s kitchen without anyone blinking an eye.
I was also tempted to pick up this vintage refrigerator leftovers container, as it had an intact lid, which can be rare. Priced at $7.99, it was actually a decent price, but I’m not looking for properly priced items, I want bargains!
I have four of this style of glass containers, mostly the smaller square ones that I use throughout the house to corral small items. I like their ribbed sides and their chunky aesthetic. I sourced two of them from free boxes over the years, which is why $7.99 gave me sticker shock. What am I, a Rockefeller?!
This colorful purse jumped out at me as A) it looks to be made of pop art eyeballs; but also because B) the color scheme seemed oddly familiar.
Is it normal to match your handbag to your shower curtain? (You may remember this photo from when stupidly I cut my own hair.) Of course, the shower curtain is also thrifted, maybe 12-15 years ago.
This antique chair caught my eye as it had an oddly flat and square seat. Of course, there’s a reason for that design choice . . .
Hello, hidden potty seat!
The chair section did provide one gem, which was this vintage walnut dining chair priced at just $4.99! Half the price of a used kitchen canister! Yes, I bought it.
“But wait,” You may be saying to yourself, “what about the ‘Badwill’?”
I cannot specify what this chef appears to be doing in this PG-13 blog post, but I gotta hand it to you Goodwill, good job!
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
In addition to this blog, I also run a companion Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, which is currently hovering around 79,000 members. New prospective members have to answer a simple question, which helps to weed out the ever present spammers. The answers are always interesting, so I’ve started saving them to share in blog posts.
-
Love to learn how to save.
-
A need for new frugal ideas.
-
I’ve had my job eliminated and at my age I’m working to save save save!
-
Information on frugality.
-
Retired. Need to be frugal.
-
Trying to be more frugal.
-
I would like to learn some tips from other people on how to be more frugal.
-
Interested in the environment.
-
I am doing a no-spend (or very low spend) 2025 and want to learn how to be a non-consumer.
-
Want to do a ‘Year 2025 of Less.”
-
Save $
-
Interested in the environment.
-
We are on a fixed income. As prices rise, we are looking to be more strategic with our spending.
-
Planning for retirement and want to become more frugal.
-
I want to be more of a minimalist and reduce my impulse spending, as well as pick up more DIY ideas/skills.
-
I am attempting to reduce my consumption and am looking for ideas and support!
-
Just trying to save resources.wear it out, make it do, or do without!”
-
To learn more about and stay inspired to reduce consumption.
-
I am one who doesn’t replace, but repairs as needed. Have lived frugally for a long time in order to enjoy experiences.
-
We are a nation of mass consumption. It is not good for the planet. I want to lessen my footprint on the Earth.
-
To find ways to make better use of my resources, wiser spending habits, and more.
-
Want ideas and inspiration to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. And retirement isn’t far away either.
-
I’m in the middle of a low spend season and want to encourage myself to continue.
-
Because I miss the support I got from the writer Amy Dacyczyn and her publication The Tightwad Gazette which was a monthly periodical that came out in three books. I like gleaning ideas from others.
-
I’m big on recycling and getting most everything 2nd hand whenever possible.
-
I am participating in the No Buy Movement and want to be in community for this.
-
I’m interested in simplifying my life by downsizing what I have.
-
I would like to reduce my waste contribution.
-
I am a homemaker with a retired husband. I am looking for support in reducing my spending. Ideas and reminders on how to be satisfied with a more minimalist lifestyle.
-
We are such a wasteful society. I want to be a good steward of the resources God has provided, and l’d love to learn ways to be more responsible.
-
Yes.. to be more practical with my spending and consumption of non essentials.
-
I’d like to use what I have. I’m living on SS and recovering from cancer. I’m in a real bind. I’m hoping to educate myself more.
-
Use it up is my middle name.
-
Two kids in college, riding out these next four years to avoid debt. In other words, buying next to nothing with the exception of good food.
-
Trying to avoid spending money as much as I can…I don’t want to support Trump’s economy!
-
I love to upcycle, recycle and thrift.
-
I’m always looking for ways to spend less & save more.
-
I want to be better with money and to the environment.
-
I happily entered the world of minimalism during the pandemic, and it’s changed my life! I find so many minimalists discussing being non-consumers and so I have started learning more about the topic including ways to be more frugal. I’m looking forward to learning from all of you!
-
I’m looking for a way to save money.
-
I want to learn to mend, trade, barter, and make do, and shop local & small, instead of lining corporations pockets with low-quality products made to keep us sick & dependent on them.
-
I follow you on Instagram and I have adopted such principles of non consumerism to a degree and want to learn from others.
-
I want to learn better ways of living with less and making do with what I have.
-
Love 5 frugal things and want to read more.
-
I’m already into non consumerism. I’m looking for all the ideas I can find.
-
This has always been my lifestyle.
-
Trying to save money!
-
Feel too overwhelmed and stressed by consumer culture and want to learn to spend consciously.
-
I’m looking for inspiration to consume less. I feel like I am constantly surrounded by messaging that I need more stuff to be happy and have a meaningful life. I don’t believe this to be true. So I want to add more input in my life that inspires me to be a non-consumer.
-
Trying to consume less.
-
I agree wholeheartedly that we, as a People, are waaaay too consumer driven. This poor planet has finite resources and we should All look for ways to be better stewards of them.
-
I have always tried to buy used, recycle, and not compulsively purchase.Trying to do that even more now.
-
I love to save $!!!
-
Love the idea of consuming less.
-
To simplify my life.
-
It is time to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Setting a better example for my tween.
-
Live my life as frugally as I can, will get better at it when I move closer to work & family. Showing family about horticulture, which I am passionate about.
-
To gain insight into how to save money.
-
Interested in being a better steward of our resources.
-
It’s getting harder to give stuff away, and I’m ways to better balance a passion for repurposing with a need to declutter/simplify…
-
Would like more idea about being frugal. I don’t nobody spend month frequently. I enjoy it and it’s wonderful. To be able to have emergency money. When something comes up so you don’t have to go in debt.
-
I enjoy frugal tips! I read The Frugal Girl blog and love it!
-
As I’m nearing retirement I have started to re-evaluate all of the clutter and wasteful spending. Looking for a community that will have ideas on more that I can do.
-
It is my lifestyle.
-
Please share why you’d like to join a non-consumer group.
-
Always looking for ways to reuse and conserve.
-
I am retired and would like to save money and leave the planet a better place.
-
To learn more about saving money and the environment.
-
To learn to live more frugal and learn how to reuse, reduce and recycle.
-
To stop falling into the ‘buy new’ mentality. It feels good to be frugal.
-
Being a consumer is a form of self respect and self care. <– Did this person mean “non-consumer?”
-
Suggested by a friend. Want to be kind to the environment.
-
Have some thrifty ideas for everyone.
-
I try to be Frugal.
-
Making life changes… looking for like minded people for support.
-
Came across your Five Frugal Things and I am intrigued. I, too, walk my zipper storage bags and love my local library.
-
As I’m trying to save more so I’m trying to stop buying anything except the bare necessities.
-
My proudest moment was making salad croutons from a half eaten bagel.
-
Trying to be mindful of a modified no spend this year!
-
I’m spending far too much on a UK state pension.
-
Always looking for frugal ideas.
-
I am interested in this topic and am looking for ideas.
-
Not destroy earth.
-
I’m frugal!!
-
I enjoy your tips.
-
Actively trying to do better with consumerism and want support and ideas.
-
I am tired of being a ” consumer” I need to learn to save money.
-
Reduce waste and my impact on resources, save money, learn skills, gain inspiration for creativity.
-
As a recovering shopaholic, I’m finding peace and joy in learning new ways to face the world. I am inspired to be more mindful in how I consume, or choose NOT to consume goods and services. I enjoy the blog and would like to connect here too.
-
I’d like to learn more about consumer activism and making more thoughtful buying decisions.
-
I am always finding ways to cut costs and save money.
-
Saving money.
-
I’d like to find ways to waste less.
-
I’m trying to stop consumption to save money, do my part to protect the Earth and for my mental health.
-
I have always been frugal. I enjoy it!
-
I want to become a better steward of the planet.
-
Share ideas with like-minded people…
-
I try to be frugal but I need support, inspiration, ideas, suggestions, to keep from backsliding (as exhortations to SPEND! are all around us).
-
Learn how to be a better Steward of my things and money.
-
Everything is too expensive and simply unnecessary at times. However, I struggle with impulsivity so I wanted to join a group that can assist me.
-
I enjoy Katy’s blog. I don’t buy new. thrifty to the max!
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
-
My husband and I started watching The Pitt through my parents’ HBO account and are hooked. We’re both health care workers and although I normally stay as far away as possible from hospital drama shows, (they’re cringingly inaccurate) this one mostly holds up. Plus, my family’s from Pittsburgh, which makes The Pitt an extra layer of enjoyable.
I’ve see the hype for the second season of Apple TV’s Severance, but we can wait until the season ends and then scout out a free trial.
-
My husband and his brother got free tickets to last week’s Colter Wall concert, as his brother knows someone in the band. Their seats were well situated and would’ve cost over a hundred dollars apiece.
-
I was out and about running errands with my son the other day, when we realized we were both super hungry. Luckily I keep a stash of got-them-from-the-clearance-shelf apple bars in the glove compartment. They aren’t tempting enough to snack on, which makes them perfect for these “we have food at home” situations.
Saved us from grabbing fast food.
-
My Eufy robot vacuum cleaner stopped working, so I ordered a new off-brand battery for $16.14. I see a lot of similar robot vacuums in thrift stores and wonder if people just donate (or toss) them when they stop functioning. It now works possibly better than before, which is great since I use it at least three times per week.
-
I didn’t travel to Washington D.C. to celebrate any felonious white supremacists.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
I’ve been meaning to get myself to a Franz Bakery outlet store, as they’ve been advertising $1 loaves of bread on Saturdays throughout the month of January! This is an insane bargain considering how much the cost of bread has been rising, just like everything else.
I assumed the bread would be somewhat picked through, as I didn’t get there until after 2:30, but such was not the case.
Behold!
I ended up buying eleven loaves of bread for $10, as you get a free loaf with a ten dollar purchase. Plus, I pulled out my punch card, which only takes five $10 purchases to earn additional free bread. I have a chest freezer in the basement, which is how I’m able to stock up to such an extreme, but you could always buy less.
Here’s what I bought:
• Four loaves of commercially packaged multigrain bread. (I gave one loaf to a friend.)
• Two eight-packs of pub rolls.
• Two loaves of garlic bread.
• One sleeve of pizza bagels.
• One sleeve of whole wheat English muffins.
• One loaf of “Naked” organic great seed bread. I would have bought more of these, but this was the only loaf.
The Great Seed bread loaf normally sells for $7.99, currently on sale for $5.49 at Safeway.
Is this post sponsored? Nope, nyet, absolutely not! I just like a bargain.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
-
-
-
I found a penny on the ground outside Pho Hung restaurant. It didn’t do much to offset the cost of lunch with my husband, but it did made for a nice photo opportunity. We don’t eat in restaurants that often, but when we do we make sure it’s cuisine that we don’t prepare at home. I’ll never understand people who pay good money for meals that are easily made at home.
-
Someone left a used soda can in our little free library, which I held upside down until it stopped dripping and promptly added to our bag of returnable cans. I’m not too proud to take the 10¢.
-
I brought four dozen donuts to the striking nurses and doctors at my old hospital* and held a sign for a couple hours while catching up with my old friends. It was freezing cold, so I was especially drawn to one nurse’s gloves, as I hadn’t thought to bring my own. (My plan was to bring the donuts by and head out afterwards, but I was encouraged to stick around and hold a sign in solidarity.) At first I thought the extra layer was part of the design, but the nurse showed me how they were actually cut down from a pair of Christmas socks! You can see in the photo how her thumbs go through where the heels were, which is genius!
Nurses are so smart! Except for me, repeatedly forgetting weather appropriate gear. At least I brought a hat this time!
Here I am with my friends Andrea and Heather:
-
I stopped at Trader Joe’s for eggs and saw that they sell their organic rosemary at $1.79 per package, which is actually a decent price. However . . . I have the most enormous rosemary shrub in my front yard, which I propagated from a neighbor’s plant. I very well may be worth over a thousand dollars at this rate.
-
I’m keeping my money in my high yield savings account instead of using it to buy Greenland.
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.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
*Providence sucks!
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
