Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 18, 2017 · 103 comments

  1. I was texted a Redbox code for a free movie, so my younger son and I picked up a DVD of Hidden Figures at the grocery store. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to watch it last night, but that’s okay since I spend no money out of pocket. I still want to see the movie, so I took this as an opportunity to put the movie on hold at the library. There were a whopping 452 holds, but since they have 210 copies I should get the movie soon enough. I waited this long to see it, I can wait a little longer. Patience is a key tool in my frugality tool kit.

  2. I’m shopping around for a cheaper web hosting company. I’m embarrassed to admit how much I’m paying per month, ($120) as you would rightly lose all respect for me as a frugal advice-giver-outer. The blog was going over its limits every month earlier this year, so I switched to a new company without doing enough research. The real money in blogging is through writing sponsored posts and affiliate links. Since I refuse to do either, The Non-Consumer Advocate ends up being a very successful yet only mildly profitable endeavor. I must keep the expenses as low as possible. It’s a huge pain in the tuchus to switch web hosts, so I’ve procrastinated this chore. No longer!

  3. My husband has a two-day work class next week that’s in Tacoma, Washington. I’m thinking I’ll tag along as a lesser not-as-exciting-as-Timberline-Lodge mini-vacation. I’ve never actually stopped into Tacoma, which is right outside Seattle before. I’ll probably just go into Seattle for fun, but am open to suggestions of anything interesting to do in Tacoma proper. Any advice or suggestions are welcome.

  4. I wanted to treat my sons to Mexican food cart burritos last night, but realized I had almost zero cash on hand. Instead I walked to the grocery store and bought peppers and refried beans and was able to assemble the rest from food already on hand. Of course they weren’t as delicious, (nothing is) but they certainly did the trick. Especially since we still had multiple bags of tortilla chips leftover from my husband’s work party a few weeks ago. I did pick up pints of Ben and Jerry’s for each kid as a special mid-week dessert. What can I say? I love to spoil them!

  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.

{ 103 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 17, 2017 · 67 comments

  1. I took my family to a nearby food cart pod and handed everyone $10 to spend on lunch. This may sound like a splurge, but the money was from Craiglist sales which I specifically put aside for treats. My older son and I chose meals from an Egyptian cart and my younger son and husband ordered fried chicken from a Korean cart. We don’t have any vacations planned for this summer, so instead I’m loosening the purse strings for eating out and other experiential spending. Staying close to home, but eating very well.

  2. I hung three loads of laundry on the clothesline yesterday which was such a joy. I just love how this chore cannot be rushed, which transforms it into a meditative task. Everything smells so good and I saved money from my electric bill while helping our clothes to last longer.

  3. I called our cable company and told them I was considering canceling our plan as we were no longer receiving free HBO. The customer service representative quickly offered an additional free three-months of HBO, which was what I wanted. I have done this at least five times through the years and they’re always happy to provide it. Of course, this was prompted by the season seven premier of Game of Thrones! Winter is coming? Nope . . . free HBO is coming! (We have such a low level cable plan that it only costs us $10 extra per month than having internet alone.)

  4. I donated a small bag of unwanted items to Goodwill. Although a huge load of stuff is much more impressive, it’s consistent small amounts that make a difference for maintaining an uncluttered home. Of course I took a donation receipt for my taxes.

  5. I took a semi-matching felt-tip pen to a thrifted table to cover up a few areas where the finish had worn off. I wouldn’t recommend this method for a priceless antique, but for a $2 thrifted table? You betcha!

  6. 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.

{ 67 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 13, 2017 · 95 comments

  1. I took my sons to see a movie on Tuesday night at the locally owned Academy Theater. Why Tuesday? They run a weekly 2-for-1 special. Sadly, that doesn’t work for odd-numbered groups, although I can hardly complain about the $8 total cost. We saw the Japanese animated movie Your Name, which had a very unique and moving plot. I chose a viewing that was subtitled instead of dubbed as I want to make sure that my sons don’t forget the Japanese that they studied throughout their entire public school career.

  2. My mother and I went thrifting to her favorite Goodwill Outlet yesterday as I was A: in her neighborhood, B: she was getting itchy for some deals; and I guess C: she wanted in on the fun. I spent $15 on a quality midcentury cupboard as a project piece, as well as a number of things to sell.

  3. I was tempted to get takeout for dinner, but instead I rifled through the fridge and freezer for a meal. I boiled up pierogi, assembled bean and cheese quesadillas and cut up a cantaloupe. I need to clean out and organize the fridge, as it’s crammed with random stuff from my husband’s work party, plus leftovers from 4th of July and my sister’s stay. It’s chock full, but I know there’s inedible stuff in there that makes it hard to find the actual tasty treats. Disorganization leads to food waste.

  4. I visited my friend who just had her baby, and brought hydrangeas and a platter of homemade pumpkin cake, I sold another eBay item, I renewed my Craigslist listings, I hung laundry on the clothesline, I wore 100% thrifted clothing, I accepted a can of seltzer from my mother and I returned books to the library,

  5. I don’t buy a Lear Jet or a Предательская позолоченная квартира в аки.

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.

{ 95 comments }

Goodwill Outlet Finds

by Katy on July 12, 2017 · 26 comments

I met up with my new friend Sarah for a morning of thrifting at the Goodwill Outlet. We enjoyed wonderful conversation and our shared love of thrifting. Here’s what I bought:

  • A Hartstone brand mug that matches the ones I use at home. I’m ridiculously obsessed with these mugs which are the perfect size and thickness. Many of them of kind of ugly, but I’m a fan of form over function when it comes to my hot caffeinated beverages. This one wasn’t so ugly.

  • a Pyrex measuring cup. I’ve been keeping an eye out for a four cup size for awhile, and this one looked almost new.

  • A $2 bent wood stool in the same finish as my husband’s armchair. We’d been borrowing the exact one from my son’s room as a spot to set a coffee mug, so I’d been keeping an eye out for an extra. The top was sort of gummy, but it cleaned up quite nicely. This should solve the problem where I pass by my husband’s chair and invariably kick over this coffee.

  • A booklet about “Agates of the Oregon Coast” for my geology obsessed sister. A vintage booklet about how to make potholders for the same sister, as the graphics were to die for. Plus . . .  potholders! Both are now packaged up and ready to be taken to the post office.

  • An official Chivas soccer jersey to sell on eBay.

  • A Bodum glass coffee press. I’ll sell this as well.

  • A wonderful antique 8 X 10 photo of high school or young collegiate athletes. I’ll likely list this on eBay after giving it a spot of research and then fawning over these likely long gone handsome fellas.

  • Two blank books.

  • One reusable nylon shopping bag that folds up into its own pouch. Perfect for keeping in the glove compartment of the car.

  • I probably bought something else, but I need to clean myself up so I can visit with my friend who just had a baby.

Total cost?

A little more than $10! Considering that those mugs alone sell for $20 apiece, I made some major scores.

Now, off to snuggle a baby!

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.

{ 26 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 11, 2017 · 106 comments

  1. I finally sold my set of refurbished vintage shell chairs that I’d had up on Craigslist for weeks. Although I’d received multiple inquiries about them, it took awhile for someone to follow through. I also sold a violin case that I’d picked up at Goodwill and a Cuisinart lid on eBay that I’d pulled from an estate sale “free” box. All of this while working at the hospital both Saturday and Sunday.

  2. I delivered two grocery bags full of wonderful infant clothes to a friend that’s soon to welcome her first baby. Although everything was stuff that I picked up from a garage sale free box, it was all in excellent condition and delightfully gender neutral. I was able to snip a bouquet of hydrangeas from my backyard to gift to her as well. Although this time of year you’d have to hide from me to avoid being on the receiving end of a bouquet of hydrangeas. Seriously, I kind of over-planted hydrangeas back in the day.

  3. I’d offered my eBay Cuisinart lid as “free shipping” for some mysterious reason. However, the buyer lived right here in Portland, so I drove the package over to his house and saved myself a couple of bucks. It was a neighborhood that I’d never been to before, and I enjoyed exploring in my own city. I then photographed and listed a big ol’ pile of stuff on eBay, most of which I’d gotten for free.

  4. I defrosted some pumpkin puree from last year’s jack-o-lanterns for pumpkin bread. A number of my friends are having babies or going through family crises right now, so I thought I’d put together some baked goods. I’m going to try this recipe from my friend’s blog.

  5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated partment 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.

{ 106 comments }

Non-Consumer Photo Essay – A Genius Bra Hack

by Katy on July 7, 2017 · 61 comments

It’s time for another Non-Consumer Advocate photo essay, because apparently it’s been awhile since the last one.

First photo is of my hacked bra, which I worked one while watching the newest episode of Grantchester. (Hello, yummy vicar. Oh no . . .  are you shirtless in bed? So sad.)

Both of my go-to bras had become too loose in circumference and I was thinking that I needed to replace them. But then I got the genius idea that I could just reposition a row of the hooks to create a tighter option. Of course, I needed to cover the freshly sewn-in hooks which brought me to my name tape that my mother had made for my 1977 trip to Camp Namanu. Hey, it’s works!

This will come in handy if I begin a new chapter in my life where my 49-year-old married self starts to leave my bra in random places.

See? You just use a seam ripper (or tiny scissors) to release the widest row of hooks.

I spent an enjoyable half hour or so cleaning out and reorganizing my kitchen junk drawer. Those containers in the front? They’re my adult childrens’ school lunch boxes, which I bought on a 2005 trip to NYC. Of course my spacey kids almost immediately lost the lids. Use what you have, people!

My not so secret dream job is to be a set decorator for period movies. In this movie, these 1970’s avocado green measuring scoops are being used while a mother and daughter have a heated debate in their perfectly outfitted 1970’s kitchen. Of course, all the appliances will also be the same hue.

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.

{ 61 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 6, 2017 · 76 comments

  1. I hosted a going away supper for my sister, niece and extended family last night. I served a hodgepodge of leftovers, which kept the budget nice and low. It was a casual affair, but a mostly tidy home and attractively plated food (even leftovers) elevates any event. My sister and niece then spent the night to simplify ferrying them to the airport at 4:30 in the freaking A.M. Love them, will miss them, but that’s too damned early! Yawn . . . .

  2. My sister and I walked to the grocery store for a few items last night and came home with a pretty glazed flowerpot that someone had put out for free. It actually has the remnants of plant in it, so I’ll water it to see what happens.

  3. I was unsure of how make my garbage picked Westnova style (?) lucite table work, as the unusual top isn’t flat. (This is what it looked like before.) Anyway, I added a gold tray that I already owned to the top, which transformed it into the perfect end table for a corner of my living room. Note the “Happiness is found in little things” needlepoint pillow that I usurped from my mother. Theft from parents is very frugal. Sorry, mom.

  4. My sister brought over all her leftover and uneaten food from the guest cottage where she spent her Portland vacation. From ice cream to frozen Trader Joe’s meals, tortillas to veggies, my fridge is now fit to burst! Hello, free food. Goodbye, food waste.

  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.

{ 76 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 4, 2017 · 82 comments

  1. My friend Lise is rebuilding her Airbnb’s bathroom and was asking opinions on paint colors. I convinced her to try looking at the Habitat ReStore before buying new. Although she didn’t find anything she liked, it was still worth checking out as we both learned that the ReStore now sells their own line of recycled paint for just $16 per gallon.

  2. My sister, Lise and I stopped at the taco truck on the way home where my sister and I split a $7 burrito. We set up in the shady backyard and dined alfresco. We enjoyed leftover La Croix seltzers and chips from my husband’s work party and remarked on how the three of us could have easily split the single “super sized” burrito.

  3. My sister and I stopped at the Kroger grocery store to buy treats and chose two pints of Halo Top brand ice cream. The machine spit out a $2-off coupon, so I called over an employee to assist us as we were using the self-checkout. He whipped out an additional coupon for a free pint and he scanned our $2-off coupon. So instead of $6 apiece for the ice cream, (which we would have never paid) we paid 75¢ apiece for our pints!

  4. I noticed that my friend Lise was replumbing her bathroom using Pex tubing and mentioned that we owned the tool that goes with it. (This is as far as my knowledge on the subject goes.) She later texted me asking if she could borrow it. My husband, who works nights swung by the house to locate it, which saved my friend from having to rent or buy her own one. Much of frugality is providing frugal opportunities for others, which always gives me such a thrill. No roller coaster for me, my thrills come from frugal endeavors!

  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.

{ 82 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on July 3, 2017 · 112 comments

  1. It’s apparently reseller season at Casa Wolk-Stanley, because I’ve been doing very well this past week with my eBay and Craigslist sales. I sold three items from my previously dormant eBay listings. (A pair of boots I got for free, a toy from the house and a cool throw blanket from Goodwill.) I sold a vintage office office chair that I’d fixed up, and then I sold the free garage sale leftover Yamika rack component pieces. The best part about the Yakima rack parts is that I simply took them into a local business that specializes in used racks and they gave me $74. Plus, my friend Lise handed me another part that she’d unsuccessfully tried to give away for free and they gave me $20 for it! Money for me, money for her . . . woohoo!

  2. My sisters, niece and I drove to the beach for the day and although we did stop for a splurge of a lunch, our dinner was a perfect Mexican food cart meal that cost a grand total of $20 for the five of us! Seriously, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory, almost worth the 2-1/2 hour drive just to eat it again!

  3. My sister, niece and I drove to the Mount St Helen’s Johnston Ridge Observatory which was awe inspiring. I can’t believe that I’ve lived so close to this recently active volcano without taking the time to get up close and personal. We did pay $12.50 for entry to the visitor’s center along the way, which I would not repeat, but now I know better for future trips. (I learned afterwards that the cool Forest Learning Center along the way is free.) Heads up all future house guests, you will be visiting Mount St. Helens! It’s hard to capture the magnitude of Mt. St. Helens in photographic form, so I added some perspective in the above photo. Day trips are a great way to feel like you’re on vacation without the associated travel expenses. I love day trips!

  4. I picked up the first season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer from the library, as I’ve been in withdrawal since it left Netflix in April, I’ve been eating raspberries from the garden, we’ve been eating leftovers from a huge out of control kegger work party my husband threw at the house, I worked all weekend and of course I drank the free crappy coffee and the free lovely tea.

  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.

    

{ 112 comments }

Five Frugal Things

by Katy on June 28, 2017 · 104 comments

  1. I spent the afternoon thrifting with my sister and mother and posed wearing the above pair of Dutch wooden clogs. My theory as to why EVERY THRIFT STORE has at least a couple pair of these is that tourists buy them as gifts, which immediately get shunted to Goodwill. I encourage travelers near and far to spend their tourist dollars on experiences and consumables instead of clutter. On an entirely different note, I make these look goooood! #DidntBuyThem

  2. I took a pair of free Levi’s jeans from a garage sale leftover freebie pile and turned them into the above shorts. They had an unfortunate “boot cut” flare to the legs, which was remedied using nothing more than a sharp pair of scissors. Free shorts, people! FREE!!!!

  3. I sold another item on eBay, which I quickly boxed up and have ready to drop at the post office tomorrow.

  4. I mended a baby blanket from last week’s garage sale freebie pile, I mended a pillow case, I bought my husband a pair of pay-by-the-pound shorts at the Goodwill Outlet and I did another TV appearance.

  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.

{ 104 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →