What's the worst that could happen?

Ah, after my month off from shopping in July, I have ventured into the thrift stores a couple times but haven't brought much home. Thankfully, I broke the habit and am very picky about buying anything. I did find a great covered basket for $2 and knew exactly what I'd use it for. Perfect for my craft room to hide sewing supplies! Today though, I found something I've had on my list for ages... Cast iron pans! I've found a few here and there, but usually they're either made in China (I don't want to risk it as some have been found to contain lead) or they're insanely priced even when they've been abused. 

Years ago, I ditched my nonstick (Teflon) skillets in favor of stainless steel, but some things just work better in a less "sticky" pan. I picked up a set of ceramic coated pans a few years back and they work well, but after awhile, the coating chips (even though I only use wooden utensils in mine and no harsh scrubby to wash) and then you have to trash them. Not cool, as far as I'm concerned. So I've been wanting cast iron, but I'm also avoiding anything but secondhand shopping. Cast iron is nearly indestructible. I have friends cooking in pans inherited from their great-grandmothers! If you find a cheap, USA-made pan that the coating is gone, have no fear. It can be revived! So how did I finally luck out? Goodwill had them priced way too high. As in, one was actually priced higher than it sells for new. Maybe they were pricing by weight? LOL I looked up the prices on Amazon on my phone and decided to try for a better price at the register. Worst they could say was no, right? Then I'd just leave them behind and know it wasn't meant to be today.

8.5 and 12 inch skillets and a 10.5 inch griddle pan

It took awhile since they had to call a lead to come make a decision, but the guy eventually came and he gave me much more fair prices on the pans. Total paid for the three? Less than $20. The large pan alone sells for $27 from Amazon. 😀 They're technically new with the tags still on, but they need to be reseasoned. Maybe someone got them as a gift and left them in the garage, unused, until they cleaned it out and they made their way to me. Who knows. Reseasoning is easy enough and well worth the savings. I already have a cast iron Dutch oven  and two nice, heavy stainless steel pots (also thrift store finds!) so I'm all set! Patience wins again!

Have a pan you want to fix up? Lodge shows you how:

enough!

A funny thing happened this month since declaring a No Buy July. Nothing came in, but a lot went (and is still going) out!

I suppose being more careful not to bring in unnecessary items caused me to start looking around more carefully at what was already in my home. Last year around this time, I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (I highly recommend it!) and followed her direction which resulted in a much less cluttered home and a decent credit on my income taxes from the donations so I was a little surprised how easy it was to fill the back of my Jeep again this month. Some items were ones I'd set aside previously to try and sell, but didn't have any luck with... I didn't try all that hard. lol  No more waiting! Out they went.

Happily, all kitchen-related items now fit easily in my kitchen cabinets aside from my dehydrator that is simply too big to fit into any of my cabinets. No more basement overflow! I even moved the holiday plates I keep an eye out for throughout the year (secondhand of course!) to use for cookie plates for friends/neighbors at Christmas to a newly-emptied cabinet. That will make it quick to check to see if I need more or not. So far, I've gone through my kitchen and also shredded old paperwork, keeping only what's absolutely necessary.

This time around, I'm not following the konmari order, but I am sorting all of each category at one time. I also did a major overhaul if my yarn stash. It feels good to let go! It's interesting though how or minds adjust to the new level of stuff in our lives and suddenly what once felt like an acceptable amount is now too much. Enough is a constantly shifting goal. 😊

seeking personal independence

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday! For my non-US residents reading this, happy Monday! ;-)

If you've been here long, you know I love challenging myself and this month is no different. Along with my yearlong goals, I decided to up the ante this month with a:

Well, not entirely NO buy. I'll still be buying necessities like food (it's cherry season!) and gas and Reilly is getting his teeth cleaned in a couple weeks (totally counts as necessity in my book) which won't be cheap, but outside of that and regular monthly bills, there shall be no spending! Not only will I be paying a significant amount to the vet (health is always more important than money!), but I'm still saving for a few home repairs (ugh, always) and my budget needs a tune up. We're now halfway through the year. (How did that happen?!) It's a good time to reexamine that budget and be sure I'm still on track to getting where I want to be. Where do I want to be? I want more freedom! Good time of year to take a closer look at this, being the month the US celebrates our independence! I'll be busier with work too so why not take full advantage of that extra income by socking away as much as possible? :-)

This means no thrift store browsing this month! I've been finding plenty of secondhand clothing to repurpose and have a stack to work with. Any crafting time I carve out certainly won't be lacking in supplies. I'm still planning a trip or two to my favorite thrift store, but only for dropping off donations. ;-) Time to clear out the few items that made it to the basement the past year. I have an urge to clean out cabinets and closets as well, to cull the extraneous and no longer loved. Funny how not bringing things in gives me an urge to move things out. lol I'm hoping to make some real progress this month! My first goal is earning enough at my second job to cover Reilly's upcoming vet visit. :-)

Totally worth it. :-)

leaving it to fate

A funny thing has happened since deciding not to buy new products. The thrift stores keep providing! Well, almost always anyway. I've still yet to find a good toaster oven. But on the crafty side of things, I've had absolutely no urge to step foot into a craft store.

One of my local thrift stores puts all but the newest items half off each Saturday. Last week, I left with nothing. Sure, there were some interesting items, but nothing I needed. This week?

a very crafty thrift store haul!

I hit the crafty mother load! I could hardly believe it when I spotted this pretty spinning fiber laying atop a bin of fabric and acrylic yarn! And yes! It had been there at least a week so it was an even better deal. :-) At $4, I figured I couldn't go wrong and happily tossed it into my basket. Even if there is a bit of felting, it'll still be well worth the price!

I rip out and keep the zippers from any clothing items I repurpose, but I'm always on the lookout for good closures and was not disappointed that day. I found a pack of 3 zippers (50 cents) and another package of closures - snaps, hooks and eyes and even an overall buckle (also 50 cents). As I kept wandering, I spotted this inkle loom tossed on a table in the furniture dept. Full price, but only $5. :-) I was thinking warping board and I do believe it will be used that way, but I'm happy with the find either way.

When I first started thrifting, I tended to look in only particular areas of the store. Big mistake. lol I quickly realized that those sorting donations and placing them on shelves don't always know what the item is. I've seen pet items placed among kitchen utensils and parts of a set* split up and put in separate areas of the store, and of course the shoppers who change their minds often just place things on a shelf nearby so things aren't always where you'd think. The thrift stores here aren't massive so a quick browse up and down aisles doesn't take long, esp if you're pretty good at spotting the gems, and the extra effort can result in great discoveries.

While I do go in with a list and try to stick to it, occasionally, something comes along you can't pass up.

I have plenty of spinning fiber in my stash, but there was no way I was leaving this behind! Sometimes, you just have to trust fate. :-) I wonder what this will become... it's already on its way to becoming yarn. So far, no real felting issues with the fiber either. 

What's been your favorite crafty, thrifty find?

*A note on donating: If you're donating items that go together, help the thrift store employees out and bag the items together or use a rubber band to hold them together. It may seem clear to you that they go together, but it's not always to them. This helps them not to get separated and increases the odds the items will sell and not end up in the landfill. :-)

the paradox of choice

There's been a lot of discussion the past several years that supports having a lot of choices doesn't truly make us any happier. Having more choices actually more often results in dissatisfaction. Being faced with a lot of choices can paralyze us as we try to weigh out which is the "best" choice. Which features are most important? Is this brand better than that one? Did I pick the wrong one?? Even after we make our choice, we're less likely to be happy with it if we chose from a wide variety of options. Faced with only a few options, our choice is quick and simple and we're much more likely to be satisfied with the choice we made.

I'm finding I really enjoy having fewer choices in both my food and my other purchases. By avoiding packaging, I'm limiting myself to foods sold in bulk which (very happily) cuts out most brand name choices. For most food items, my biggest choice is whether to buy organic or not. If there is a brand name item in bulk, there's likely only the one choice anyway. Food shopping is quicker, easier and costs less too. Always good! Most trips to the co-op, my biggest choice is which flavor of locally brewed kombucha to try (there are 3 on tap and change from visit to visit). To make it easier, I bring two bottles now. =)

Only shopping for previously owned items limits my choices there as well. While I could have many more choices using online forums like eBay and Amazon to find secondhand items listed from all over the country, so far I'm leaving it up to fate (and avoiding the shipping costs and packaging too) by only looking locally. The best part? If I find one good secondhand option, I'm happy with it. No time spent comparing brands and features, no hunting for the best sale price, no wondering if I made the right choice. One good option at a reasonable price? That works! And again, it's a lot more budget-friendly too. Who wouldn't love that?! =)

Check out this TED talk for Barry Schwartz's ideas on the subject:

vegan comfort food

Are you ready for some Monday munchies? :-) To avoid packaging waste, I'm cooking even more from scratch so I thought I'd share some of my favorite waste-free recipes with you all.

Buying food without waste (or as little as possible) doesn't mean it's all veggies and grains all the time. It does mean that "comfort food" might take a bit more time and effort than popping a frozen dish in the microwave though. ;-) So out came one of my favorite cookbooks - Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C Simpson.

Okay, technically, I have this in digital format, but anyway... I quickly assembled all the ingredients, most of which were sourced from the bulk bins, of course. =) 

All the makings for yummy vegan mac & cheeze!

Since I don't keep a ton of food on hand, I've managed to use up most of the trash-producing foods I had on hand prior to swearing them off. I finished off the little bottle of organic lemon juice with this recipe so it'll be fresh lemons from here out! The garlic will be around awhile, but once that's gone, I'll be buying fresh cloves. I really should use my garlic press for more than making hair for gingerbread men. (Yeah, you read that right.)

I've tried quite a few recipes for vegan macaroni and cheese over the years. Some get their cheesiness from nutritional yeast or packaged vegan cheeses. This one is by far my favorite! The "sauce" is nut-based, a combination of macadamia nuts and raw cashews (both of which my co-op has in bulk!). There are also veggies blended up in there. =) Once combined, it's finished off in the oven with a crunchy topping of bread crumbs. And yes, it's creamy!

I can't recommend this cookbook enough! Check it out from your local library and let me know if you give any of the recipes a try! =)

Leftovers went great with homemade black bean burgers too:

 Yummy vegan black bean burgers with homegrown sprouts on a ciabatta bun from my local co-op.

The recipe for the burgers can be found here. The original recipe calls for canned beans, but you can avoid the plastic-lined cans and get bulk dry beans and cook them yourself like I did so making this recipe can be trash-free. :-) A can of beans is about 1.5 cups of cooked, rinsed beans. I also don't use my food processor for these. The processor results in too little texture for my preference so I simply use a potato masher to mash the beans and combine everything. So good!

I've been buying bulk bagels so when I saw the "Bagel Biter" in the pic above at Goodwill, I happily took it off their hands. It works great on buns too! It wasn't on my list, but it's getting lots of use here. :-) If you see one, snap it up! I picked this one up for only $3 (vs $20+ for a new one).

I've also used my new popcorn popper a couple of times. I LOVE it!!

Yum! Fresh popcorn!

Whoever donated it has no idea what they're missing! Super fast and so much better than what I recall microwave popcorn tasting like. I even made a little batch of kettle corn. Yum!

I'm so glad someone decided they wouldn't use these items and donated them! This is one reason I love donating my unneeded items. The money will go to support those in need and someone will get a great deal on something they will love. So much better than things winging up in the landfill or collecting dust at the back of a cabinet or hidden away in the basement. That's definitely a win-win to me. =)

practicing patience

I've been a little surprised at times just how quickly I've found secondhand items on my list! Sometimes, it's been almost like shopping in new stores (just with fewer options). A couple of times, I've added an item to my list and was able to take it off after my next shopping trip, but occasionally something takes awhile to find. That's when my patience and resolve may be tested.

Last year, I kept an eye out for a great deal on a weaving loom for about 6 months before finding the right one. Not a big deal. It's not like I use it everyday, right? It was something I knew I'd enjoy having, but certainly not a necessity. But what about something I do use almost every day that I suddenly no longer have the use of? Would I cave and buy it new if a good used item didn't turn up quickly? A couple weeks ago, my toaster oven went belly up. It was fairly inexpensive many years ago and I've used it almost daily for baking small batches and reheating leftovers (I don't own or want a microwave) without having to heat up my big oven so I'm certain I got my money's worth. Even so, it was a real disappointment to turn it on and... nothing. Boooooo. I played around with it to see if any settings still worked. Nope. Dead.

I discovered my sad, still-cold dinner when the timer went off. =(

I'd been on this path of not buying new for not quite a full month when this frequently used appliance took a permanent vacation, but my first instinct? Check craigslist. Not Amazon. =) I suppose my new way of living has officially stuck! I did check craigslist and found a couple of fairly reasonably priced options, but by the next day, I was reconsidering that route. I know I've seen plenty toaster ovens in the thrift stores in the past and at less than half the price these new ones are selling for on craigslist so... I decided to exercise my patience and wait for that great deal to come along. I'll keep an eye on craigslist too just in case. Until then, the stove top will just get a little extra work.

I'll admit, I love the empty space on the rack!

Would it be easier to hop on Amazon and order a new one? Yep! But easy isn't always the best way. =)

January craftiness

How is it February already?! January just slipped by me. I didn't do much crafting the past month, but I did have a few of finished projects and another project started.

First up, a shawl design by one of my favorite designers using a skein of indie-dyed yarn that's been in my stash far too long:

Trillian by Martina Behm

The yarn is 100% organic merino dyed by Gynx Yarns in the Cancun colorway. I love how this yarn worked up and the design is super simple to knit without referring back to the pattern much at all. The garter stitch makes this fingering weight shawl nice and squishy but the border adds a bit of interest to an otherwise simple design. The pattern is written so that any amount of yarn may be used, designating the minimum percentage you must have remaining to complete the shawl so you can resize the shawl to fit the yardage you have. I had only one skein of this yarn and was happy I could use nearly all of it without fear of running out and having to rip back. :-) I've knit several of this designer's pattern now and can certainly recommend them! They are simple, fun knits and perfect when you don't want something complicated.

My second knitted item finished in January was a scarf:

Gallatin Scarf by Kris Basta

Another simple knit using less than one skein of worsted weight yarn. I chose a basic wool in a tonal green from my stash and am really happy with the result. Knit on larger needles (US 10.5/6.5mm), this scarf practically flies off the needles! This was another design that required minimal pattern checking as I knit. The result is a fun, reversible scarf with lots of texture. This works up into more of a scarf than a shawl, but the design would be easy to adapt if a shorter, deeper shawl were wanted. I think it's great as is though and hope whoever receives it enjoys it. I'm adding it to my bin of shawls to be donated this coming Fall.

My batch of bulk bin bags were the only sewing I did this month, but I have plans to spend more quality time with my sewing machine soon! I did start a new weaving project:

warped and ready to go!

"Start" is about as far as I got. I got my loom warped with this bright, summery cotton/acrylic blend (you can't see, but there's sparkle too!) and then realized I needed two pick up sticks to make what I'm planning work. Yeah... I really should have read some directions first! lol I refuse to pay $10+ per stick and since I'm not buying new, those were out of the question anyway. So for now, the project waits patiently on my loom while I hunt for secondhand yard sticks. ;-)

Were you wondering what my last "new" purchase was last year? Wait no more!

a second heddle kit for my secondhand loom

Of course it was craft-related! I bought this (along with the 2nd heddles to match the two that came with my loom) on December 31st when my local yarn shop had 25% off for their year end sale. I knew these had the potential to help me burn through a lot of my stash yarn and I also knew they'd be tough to find secondhand, especially for the price I paid. So I splurged a bit. Nice way to end the year, I think. Once I find those yard sticks, expect much more weaving! I'm super excited to try double weaving! :-)

I'd get more accomplished if I stuck to one craft, but what fun would that be?!? ;-) Everything will get done when it gets done. No pressure. I craft what (and when) it makes me happy. :-) Are you multi-craftual too? Or more disciplined than I am? 

(links for fibery projects will take you to my Ravelry project pages - if you don't know, Ravelry is free... and awesome!)

intentional thrifting

Something became pretty obvious early on this year. Even though I'm not shopping for anything new, my thrifting needs to be very intentional. I don't want to end up buying anything (no matter how good the deal is) if it's something I don't really need or won't significantly improve my life in some way. My solution? Go in with a solid plan!

I downloaded a grocery shopping app on my phone awhile back and added a new list just for the thrift stores so I can refer to that before I even start to browse. It's great as a reminder of exactly what I'm hunting for so I can really look more closely at those areas of the stores and just quickly browse the other areas since things do get misplaced fairly often. If I find a great deal on something not on my list, I really question myself if it's something I need before I dole out the cash to bring it home, no matter how great that deal is. I'm not saying I never buy off-list, but I keep it to a minimum. The funny thing is, once I made a list, I started quickly finding exactly what I needed. It's almost like I'm shopping in a regular store!

I decided I wanted a stovetop popcorn maker. I don't do microwave popcorn because for one, I don't have a microwave, but also because I wouldn't want the extra packaging. It was only on my list a couple weeks before I found this:

Whirley-Pop! And just in time for National Popcorn Day!

Excellent! New, these run $25-35 depending if you catch a sale. I snapped this one up in new condition for $4.79. I stopped in the grocery on my way home and picked up some bulk popcorn using one of my fabric bags.

I've seen a lot of crafty folk using salad spinners to aid in drying newly washed knitwear and handspun and since I didn't want to use the spinner I use for food, I decided to look for one secondhand and found this nice, larger one:

I checked Amazon.com and it sells for just over $37 new. My price? $3.99. Sold! If I don't love it, I'll happily redonate it but I have a feeling it'll be pretty handy. Who knew these things were so expensive new?! The smaller one I use for greens was a gift.

I often use my cell phone while shopping for secondhand items. Since Amazon has such a wide variety of items and usually pretty decent prices, I use their app to check new prices to see if the used price is reasonable or not before I decide to buy. I love buying secondhand because it saves resources, but I love saving money too! :-)

Do you shop thrift stores with a list? Or just stay open to what you might find?

nothing new here

I hope the first week of 2016 is going well for you! Did you make resolutions? Are you sticking to them? Odds are good if you did, you still are at this point. ;-) I've been thinking a lot about what I want 2016 (and forward) to look like. There are some definite changes, but a lot more of what I've already been doing too... just stepped up a bit.

I love challenging myself. Last year, I swore off buying yarn again in favor of using my stash. I love knitting and weaving, but I have a yarn stash and I certainly don't need more coming in. Even after a couple years of intentionally not buying (and selling and donating too), I have plenty to choose from when the creative bug bites. The only new skeins that entered my stash last year were either ones I handspun myself (4 1/4 pounds worth) or bought secondhand (only 2!). This is my eventual goal for my stash. With the new (to me) loom (see my last post), I plan to make a large dent in my commercial yarn stash this year and be well on my way to an only handmade/secondhand craft stash!

I also spent time last year sorting through everything I own and keeping only what I love and truly use. I think the guys at the Goodwill drop off started to recognize me. I've found the less I own, the less I need and definitely, the less I want. The house lost a lot of clutter last year and I don't miss a thing.

So what's in store for 2016? Nothing new. Literally. These days, it's hard not to be aware of the impact our shopping habits have on the world, both environmentally and socially. I've been making more effort to lighten my own impact, but I know I can do more. So my new challenge for myself? Not buying new. Manufacturing new products uses resources that are quickly running out while many pre-owned items that still have a lot of life in them make their way into our landfills. Buying secondhand, I'll also be avoiding all the packaging and yes, saving some cash along the way as well. :-) This still leaves me plenty of options for finding the things I need - Freecycle, Craigslist, bartering, borrowing or at times, realizing I just don't need that thing after all. I discovered there's a whole group of people making this same choice for various reasons and lengths of time. Check out The Compact article on TreeHugger. There's also The Compact Yahoo! group. I do have a couple of caveats: home/car repairs (pretty sure I need a new car battery this week), sewing needles/thread (can't buy used) and a new pair of walking shoes before it warms up enough to resume our daily doggie walks. I'm also working to reduce my waste connected to food, but more about that later. I made my final new item purchase on December 31st. It'll be interesting to see just how long I can make it before buying new!