Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without with Katy Wolk-Stanley (Bestie Ep) #1004

9 snips

Jul 2, 2025

Katy Wolk-Stanley, a writer and advocate for frugal living at TheNonConsumerAdvocate.com, shares her wisdom on living sustainably and economically. She reveals powerful tips for embracing a non-consumer lifestyle, such as prioritizing lower-tech solutions and repairing household items. Katy discusses the rewarding practice of thrifting and donating for tax benefits, highlighting the joy of mindful spending. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of resourcefulness in a consumer-driven world, encouraging a mindset shift towards valuing experiences over possessions.

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ANECDOTE

Splurging on Adult Kids

Katy enjoys splurging on her adult children as a way to help them financially.
She takes them out to eat and occasionally gives them money to ease their tight budgets.

INSIGHT

Timeless Consumption Motto

The slogan "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" originated in the WWII era to encourage conscious consumption.
Its timeless message contrasts sharply with today's easy and cheap consumer culture.

ADVICE

Buy New for Hygiene

Buy new personal care items like toothbrushes and floss for hygiene reasons.
Prefer used clothing, but avoid risky items like used mattresses due to possible bedbugs.

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Everybody has heard of a consumer advocate before- someone who helps to make sure that individuals are getting the best deal possible. Or to make sure that the quality of the products is up to snuff. For instance think of Consumer Reports and the countless reporting and tests they perform on the different items we use as consumers. But you likely haven’t heard of a ‘non-consumer advocate’ before and that’s who we’re talking with today; our friend Katy Wolk-Stanley! Katy’s site is TheNonConsumerAdvocate.com and she helps people learn to live on less, and to do so in a way that lessens their environmental impact. She’s an uber-frugalite who hardly ever buys anything new, and she uses that superpower to help others to live on as little income as possible. In this episode we discuss some of the different tactics that anyone can deploy: prioritizing lower tech solutions that last, how Katy easily fixes her broken household items, how minimalism and frugalism compliment each other, selling items on eBay, getting tax breaks for donating to Goodwill, and more!

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here.
Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
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During this episode we enjoyed a Cloudscape IPA by New Park Brewing- thanks for donating this one to the pod Matthieu! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

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