The Non-Consumer Advocate

1. My husband and I wanted to go do fun stuff the other day, yet couldn’t justify the cost. (April was an extremely expensive month due to tuition payment, taxes and some unexpected medical fees.) I had two large mustard colored glazed flowerpots that I wasn’t keen on, so I brought them over to our local consignment shop and left with $6.90 in cash. I’d pulled them from a free pile a few months ago, so I had no problem parting with them. Add in that I still had leftover cash from last week’s consumer opinion panel, and suddenly we had guilt-free funds for an afternoon of lunch and sightseeing.
2. I worked yesterday and brought my own lunch of spaghetti squash with homemade kale pesto. I’d thought that I didn’t have enough leftovers to put a work lunch together, but then remembered the squash. Of course I enjoyed the free crappy coffee and the free delicious tea.
3. I drew out my own calendar pages for June and July instead of buying a regular calendar. We have more paper at home then we could ever possibly use, and I’d rather make use of something I already own than buy a retail product. Why do we have so much paper? I rescued a couple reams of paper from my son’s dorm when we helped him move out last year. That’s also how I “shopped” for our current bath mat.
4. I remembered my Chinook Book app while shopping at New Seasons the other day and tapped through to see if there were any coupons I could use. I discovered one for a dozen free eggs, which I gleefully added onto my phone. I paid $15 for the app a few months ago on a day when 100% of the proceeds were dedicated to the American Civil Liberties Union, (ACLU) which perfectly aligned my passions. Bargain shopping and free speech protection? Be still my heart!
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

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

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I found a sodden lump of washcloths on the ground when I was dropping my son off at school the other day. They were wet, but only from the ever present Oregon rain. I threw them in the back of the car and then laundered them with a load that included terry cloth rags that I’d used to clean up my cat pee mattress. (In other words, they were not the grossest thing in that load of laundry!) I just took them from the dryer and am pleased to see that one is a pretty washcloth, the second is a microfiber cloth and the third is a washcloth/scrubby hybrid with much potential. These items would have certainly been send to the landfill if I hadn’t picked them up. Even if I didn’t want to keep them, I could have given them to someone who could get use from these still functional items.
2. I didn’t bring my lunch to work yesterday, but I did wait to go to the hospital cafeteria until after 2 P.M. when the salad bar is 25% off. I chose poached salmon and roasted asparagus with mushrooms for a grand total of $2.48. Better than a lot of restaurant meals I’ve had in my day, and certainly a lot cheaper!
3. I had my son swipe me in for a dining hall meal while I was on campus. Not exactly frugal as the university’s meal plan is insanely expensive, but it’s money smart to make the most of it.
4. I’m finishing up a library book that’s due today, I’m wearing 100% thrifted clothing, (okay, maybe not the underwear) my mother’s taking me to lunch as a thank you for borrowing my minivan and brute strength to pick up a mattress, my husband and I shared a $7 taco truck burrito and I’m still using the same menstrual cup that I bought nine years ago.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

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

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. My son came home for the weekend, so the two of us spent yesterday having fun about town. Our first stop was to a conveyer belt sushi restaurant for lunch, but you know that we were deliberate with our spending. Part of our frugal plan was to order bowls of udon noodles as soon as we were seated, as they’re just $2, yet very filling. In the past we’ve waited farther into the meal to order the udon and ended up too full. The total for the two of us was $12.50.
2. There was no choice but to stop into the nearby Goodwill as it was walking distance from the restaurant. Neither of us found anything to buy, although I was tempted to pick up a $10 Specialized bike, but changed my mind as the chain was super rusty and I’m not in the right mindset for a new project.
3. We then walked over to The Dollar Tree where I bought three 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, ginger snaps, knock-off Nature’s Miracle and two 7-ounce containers of “Steakhouse Seasoning.” I don’t remember why I ever bought this stuff in the first place, but I’m glad I did because this mix is the best! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it in the stores, so I stocked up. The same amount of Penzy’s brand steak seasoning would be $36, so this stuff is a screaming deal! (I use this in almost all my savory dishes, and it really livens up the flavor.)
4. The two of us then wandered around the mall as my son wanted to see the new sneakers in person. However the only thing we bought were two 90¢ lollipops from See’s Candy. The man behind the counter was feeling generous and gave us four fancy chocolates, which my son happily enjoyed.
5. The last stop was to New Season’s Market. (Like Whole Foods, but local.) I needed a half-pound of ground beef for spaghetti as were having my mother and step father over for dinner. My definition of frugality is to be deliberate and thoughtful with my resources. What that looks like is the illogical combination of canned tomatoes from a dollar store, but ground beef from an expensive source. The one choice creates the room for the other. The evening was topped off with ginger snaps and an episode of the new Mystery Science Theater 3000. No Lear Jets were harmed in the making of this blog post.

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

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I had the privilege of receiving a behind the scenes tour of a Portland area Goodwill Outlet store yesterday, which of course was a total blast. (So interesting, and you can look forward to a stand alone blog post about it in a few days.) Afterwards I wandered around “the bins” for a bit, where I picked up a brand new pair of hand knit socks and a pair of classic vintage scissors. The total cost? 57¢. And yes, thank you for asking. I am an extremely practical person.
2. I’m attending a consumer opinion focus group this evening, which will bring me $100 closer to my goal of exotic vacations, groovy clothing, gourmet restaurant meals, relaxing spa days paying for my sons’ college expenses. These are always very interesting and there’s something very Soprano-esque about being handed an envelope full of cash. I just wish they’d tell me that “you’re one of my top earners.”
3. I borrowed my friend’s sweater shaver to tidy up a vintage needlepoint pillow that was looking a bit rough. This is a perfect example of how having a “mutually moochy relationship” supports a frugal life style. There is a 0% chance that the two of us will require this item at the same time, so there’s no need for duplicate ownership. She then has carte blanche to borrow anything that I own. Example? She borrows my rug shampooer from time to time.
4. I accepted an invitation to meet up with the alumni outreach person from my college of nursing. He knew to not hit me up for a donation, and together we enjoyed delicious lattes on his expense account.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

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

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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1. I finally used up my year-long Voodoo Donuts gift certificate to get a dozen donuts to take down for my son’s dorm mates. If I never see another donut in my life it will be too soon.
2. I was able to write two Clark Howard articles while I was at Timberline Lodge. Making money while on a free vacation is pretty sweet.
3. I’m reading a library copy of the book “Lab Girl.“
4. I turned off the heat and switched the hot water heater to low while we were out of town.
5. I didn’t buy a Lear Jet or a vulgar gold-plated apartment in the sky.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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

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