Meet a Reader | A Frugal Spinster
Today, we're meeting The Frugal Spinster, who, last week, encouraged a hesitant reader to submit a Meet a Reader interview.
And then the Frugal Spinster thought, "Hmm, maybe this means I should encourage my hesitant self to submit one as well!"
So, she did:
I waited a long time to volunteer for a Meet The Reader post. I tried blogging myself, but it was a sorry blog with only a handful of subscribers.
I began the blog because I was thinking there was a niche for frugal singles, but after a couple of years I didn’t have anything to write about.
So now I’m wondering if FG readers will want to hear about my life….
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am a never married single. My FB name is Frugal Spinster.
I’m a retired cake decorator and baker and I live in the Pacific Northwest.
I enjoy bird watching; I lead field trips for The Audubon Society, Nature Walks at a neighborhood park, and teach children about birds at a summer camp.
I’m a dog lover. I don’t own any myself, but I walk 3 dogs daily.
With pandemic-induced retirement, I’ve started a garden and learned several new food preservation techniques (I learned canning and freezing from my mother but never put up things like soup, or meat.)
I also did some dried foods using my thrifted dehydrator.
I enjoy sewing and crafts; here's a potholder I made:
Thrifting is a favorite pastime. I believe almost anything can be found second hand. It may take a long wait, but I have perfected delayed gratification.
I’m a “Trust Fund Baby Adult” thanks to a rich uncle who named me beneficiary of a charitable remainder trust.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
Since Kristen appeared on The 700 Club; I don’t remember how long ago that was.
(Kristen here: this was in 2010. So the Frugal Spinster has been here for 12 years!)
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I live frugally by up-bringing, conviction, and necessity.
a) I came with frugality installed in my DNA. My parents were children of the great depression. Both of them knew how to use it up, wear it out, make it do, and do without.
b) I am very grateful that I was fortunate enough to be born in America, a country where our poorest would be considered rich by a great number of people around the world.
I choose to live simply so others can simply live. I get great delight from sharing with less fortunate both here and abroad.
My lack of consumerism eases the stress on our planet.
c) All my working years were spent in retail and food service jobs.
Neither are known for high salaries, so I had to stretch every dollar I made.
4. What’s the “why” behind your money-saving efforts?
See part b of the previous question.
5. What’s your best frugal win?
I’m not sure it’s my BEST but, joining my local Buy-Nothing group comes to mind immediately. It’s helped me declutter my home and at the same time fill the needs of neighbors.
I don’t often ask for things; however, one of my favorite pieces of art came from the group.
The giver is the manager of a large apartment complex in my neighborhood. They were redecorating the leasing office; all the furnishings (desk, chair, lamps, book case, etc.) were posted on Buy-Nothing.
I asked for and received a lovely picture to hang over my fireplace.
When I got the picture home, I noticed a gallery label on the back, and realized it was an original watercolor. The gallery price? $305.00!
That painting ended up inspiring the color palette when I remodeled my home in 2016.
6. What’s a dumb money mistake you’ve made?
As the old song goes, “What’s too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget”. I’m sure there have been plenty of dumb money mistakes that I’m blocking from my memory.
One big one does come to mind. In 1984 went shopping for a used car, and a very skillful salesmen spotted a naive single woman. Before I knew what was happening, I was signing on the dotted line, committing myself to 60 months of car payments that I could barely afford.
To top it off the car was a lemon. One thing after another went wrong with it. Still, I drove it for 15 years.
7. What’s one thing you splurge on?
I bought a $2500.00 pair of binoculars. I still have a hard time believing I did that.
Probably 90% of my possessions are second hand. When my $300.00 binocular broke, the repairman said they weren’t fixable. Since much of my spare time is spent birding, I decided to go for the best available binoculars.
(Later another store was able to repair my broken pair for $50.00, so now I have a pair to share.)
8. What’s one thing you aren’t remotely tempted to splurge on?
1. Entertainment. I’m easily entertained. My favorite activities involve free or low cost outdoor activities. I also consider thrifting recreational.
2. Fashion/makeup hair products. I’m a plain Jane kind of girl.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Give it to charity.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers.
Shop second hand & choose delayed gratification.
Sure, online orders can arrive the next day but almost anything you’re looking for can be found at a thrift store if you’re patient enough.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
There is an abundance of thrift stores in the area. Nationwide chains such as Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Deseret Industries, Value Village, and independent stores that support Sr. Centers, pet rescue, foster care, etc.
Every once in a while I take an entire day, drive a 50 mile loop and visit then all.
The Pacific Northwest is full of natural beauty. There are so many frugal ways to entertain yourself/family/friends in the great outdoors.
- Drive to the mountains or beach.
- Go for a walk in a park.
- Listen to the birds sing.
- Look for wildflowers.
- Discover mushrooms.
- Sit by a stream.
In the summer there are lots of free outdoor concerts and art shows (it doesn’t cost anything to look)
___________
Frugal Spinster, thanks so much for being brave enough to join in and share about your life! I am so happy that I now know more about you. 🙂
I am curious about the trust fund you mentioned; how does that work? Did the trust fund help make it easier when the pandemic caused your job loss? I have realized that I always think of trust fund recipients as people who do not have to work, but I'm guessing that is an erroneous perception on my part!
Also: do you miss your cake-decorating job, or are you just enjoying all of your extra free time in retirement?
One more question and then I will stop: you mentioned you love birding, and I'm wondering: What's your favorite bird?
Hi Frugal Spinster!
"I choose to live simply so others can simply live" - I really like this sentence. In my eyes that simply sums it up! Those of us who are lucky enough to live in a rich and well organized country do carry a responsibility for the less fortunate ones.
You are so right - the great outdoors do provide for so much joy, peace and entertainment.
Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life and your outlook on life.
@Lea, That sentence resinated with me as well.
It’s wonderful to meet you! I agree that almost anything non-consumable can be purchased secondhand. I believe almost anything we could want or need has already been produced. Just take coffee mugs for example. There are hundreds at any given time in a thrift store. Save money and save the planet.
@Bee, I like to say that we as a culture could just stop producing coffee mugs for the next 20 years and we'd never miss them. Ditto decorations for holidays like Christmas and Halloween. We just don't need to produce any of it.
@Battra92, Amen! (I'll bet the mug population exceeds the human population.)
@Battra92, I realized the extent of the problem with Christmas-themed coffee mugs when I went to my thrift store in November/December and they had multiple tubs of them with a FREE sign, with no quantity limit. You're right: we don't need to produce any of it. We are certainly no happier or better for it.
@Battra92, amen brother!
@Battra92, I agree! In fact, I was so motivated after reading Kristen's blogs about all the mugs and glassware in the abandoned house, I went through my kitchen and came up with two large boxes of mugs for Goodwill! It felt good to do a little de-cluttering. It's just the tip of the iceberg.
@Bobi, Another Amen for Battra92 suggestion that we stop making mugs or holiday decorations!
This was delightful to read! Thank you for sharing with us. Your outlook on life is inspiring to me.
It was so neat to read about you, Frugal Spinster! You've inspired me to check again to see if any Buy-Nothing groups have popped up in my community. I've looked before and there haven't been any (my city is pretty small) but it's been a while and it's worth checking again. I'm not going to start one, but it'd be great to join one! I'm putting that on my To Do List for the week.
I think it's neat how you're a dog lover but you walk dogs instead of owning one. Our dog passed away last month and we're not ready to get a new one, but my kids ask almost everyday. I'm thinking that dog sitting or dog walking may be a good option for the meantime. Thanks for sharing with us!!
Also, thanks for sharing that little tidbit about Kristen being on the 700 Club! I was able to easily find it on YouTube and it was so fun to watch!
@Ruth T,
I hope a Buy-Nothing group has been started for you. I avoided being on Facebook for a long time but when I learned about Buy-Nothing I had to sign up.
@Ruth T, check with a local animal rescue or shelter - they are always looking for people to walk and socialize the dogs that are waiting to be adopted!
@Miranda, Great idea!!
It was wonderful to meet you Frugal Spinster. Your life sounds wonderful.
I saw bluebirds for the first time yesterday. We were visiting my BIL in VA and there were bluebirds by a cedar birdhouse he has.
I want to be very Eco-conscious as well. We have given away a lot of stuff using Freecycle over the years and it feels good when you find a new owner for items you no longer need/want. My BIL showed us items he'd curb picked. He has lights that are on discarded fan bases and a bunch of other things he's found and used or repurposed.
@K D, Enjoy the bluebirds for me. They are not common where I live. I have to go to the other side of my state to see them but then there are two species to see, Western Bluebirds and Mountain Bluebirds Mountain are my favorite. They are electric blue all over (no red breast).
@Linda, We have a pair of bluebirds who frequent our feeders. I specifically bought feeders that prevent squirrels and heavier birds from quickly emptying the feeders, but the bluebirds have figured out how to get around it and help themselves. They're beautiful but I'm not a fan because they are mean to the finches (they all leave when the bluebirds show up) and make grating screeching sounds that are not exactly pleasant to hear. Songbirds they are not!
It sounds wonderful spending time leading nature walks and bird watching. I love watching birds, which is why I feed them. 🙂
Oh man, I forgot about the 700 Club interview. I remember the kids were all so tiny then.
I know!!! And now Zoe is 16.
@Kristen, I know they say the baby is the baby forever but that is just so weird to think about!
Hello Frugal Spinster! I love your watercolor. You have a great eye.
@Maria Zannini, Thank you. Finding that piece made me realize original art could be found second hand. I have since thrifted several other beautiful paintings. A couple of weeks ago I saw two ink drawings of NYC scenes. $3.99 each. I bought them for a friend who loves New York.
@Linda, So cool! I guess I never really think about art in thrift stores, garage sales, etc. Now I will keep my eyes open!
Hello, Frugal Spinster! I do remember reading your blog a while back, but unfortunately I was doing a lot more lurking than commenting in those days. My apologies.
And it's good to meet another somewhat older, eco-aware, "plain Jane" woman reader who lives alone. As a de facto widow because of DH, I'm still getting used to frugal single life, so I could probably learn a lot from you about that in particular.
@A. Marie, Every once in a while, I give thought to starting the blog up again.
@Linda, I would read your blog if you restarted it. I’m happy you shared your story!
Hi Frugal Spinster. Believe it or not, I read your blog many years ago and was disappointed when you stopped writing. Glad to see you are still our there.
@Ava, Thank you for reading my blog. Occasionally I still get ideas I think would make good blog posts. Maybe someday I'll start it up again.
@Linda, I am a single, retired woman on Long Island, NY and would love to follow you and your journey!
@Dottie, Hey homegirl! I'm on the eastern tip of LI. Divorced, not retired yet.
@Ava and Linda, It is so nice to see you here! I used to read your blog and was sorry when you stopped posting. I always enjoyed your thrifting posts. If you start blogging again, I'd read!
What an inspiring read! I'm so glad you finally decided to be featured on "Meet A Reader," Frugal Spinster! Thank you for sharing. Birding is one thing I'd love to get more into when I have the time...it sounds like you have quite an interesting life!
@Julie, Watch out, birding can get progressively more involved. For me it started with a feeder in my yard. Then I wanted to identify the species I was feeding. Then I noticed birds in my neighborhood that didn't come to my feeder. Not all birds eat seed. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was paying $2500. for a pair of binoculars. Honestly it can be a pretty affordable pass time.
@Linda, I am fortunate to live near a major estuary. Therefore, I enjoy bird diversity. When walking Rescue Pup today, I saw a Bald Eagle that lives by my house.He hunts for fish in the salt water lagoon. This is one of my favorite sites. Curious, do you photograph birds? If so, what kind of camera and lens do you use? This majestic bird looked like a Brown spot in the sky when I took a photo with my iPhone.
Thanks for sharing! I love that you own the term "spinster," younger readers might have to Google that! ; -) I enjoy cake decorating but have never really done it professionally; I'm in awe of good cake decorators. Also, like you, I love dogs but don't have one, we feed the neighborhood dogs on our daily walks. We know very few of our human neighbors, but know every pooch by name.
@Bobi, People have actually thought that was my real name. I've learned to start every PM with "Hi, my real name is Linda". Walking dogs in my neighborhood walk has been the means of meeting my neighbors. There is a real community associated with the park and the dogs.
Hello there, Frugal Spinster! I was wondering, as a professional baker, what your favorite treat to eat that you bake is? Also, what is the rarest bird you've ever spotted? And I can say I'm super jealous of all your thrift stores! I too thrift almost everything I have, it's both rewarding and a way for my husband and I to make extra money (we resell as well). Also, I only like vintage objects/furnishings/art, so the only way to get those items is to find them (or buy them from a reseller, and that can be very pricey). I admit, I am kind of a snob to "new" things, the rarely appeal to me at all.
@Sarah C., I don't spend much time chasing rare birds but if one turns up nearby, I go take a look. A Swallow-tailed Gull was reported on one of Seattle's beaches. I decided to try to find it. How a bird that breeds on the Galapagos Islands and is highly pelagic for the rest of the year turned up on Puget Sound is a mystery. Birders from all over the country came to see it.
Naming my favorite baked good is like trying to name my favorite bird. I will say I really miss the sour dough rolls hot out of the oven. I had one for breakfast every day when I was working at the bakery.
I still want to see a live albatross. I've seen them stuffed but it's not the same.
I have invited Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird, via social media to fly by my house for cocktails on my deck and complaining about our offspring, but so far, Wisdom hasn't bothered to make it to this hemisphere.
I started calling myself a spinster in my teens; I remember meeting the feminist writer Mary Daly who called defined the term as "a woman whose occupation is to Spin, to participate in the whirling movement of creation; one who has chosen her Self, who defines her Self by choice neither in relation to children nor to men; one who is Self-identified; a whirling dervish, Spiraling in New Time/Space."
And now my daughter actually does spin her own yarn. More prosaically.
I love bird watching too. And dogs.
@Rose, what a great definition!
This was so fun to read! I actually hate shopping so I don't think I could spent the time to thrift shop. I try to make up for it by wearing my things for years and going for more classic styles. This post made me nostalgic for my single days. I have a family now and there are days when I think back to how peaceful it was to live alone in my apartment and not having to coordinate/deal with anyone!
@Ally, Good for you, choosing classic styles and wearing your clothes for a long time. Typically, I hate shopping too. Somehow thrifting isn't the same as retail. In a retail store there is the expectation that you will find the thing that is on your shopping list. When I can't find it or the color isn't right or it doesn't fit (I'm tall, finding sleeves that actually come to my wrists, and pants that don't end 6" from the ground has gotten better but frustrated me for years) I leave the store very disappointed. Thrifting is time consuming but since there is no expectation there is no frustration. It's cheap entertainment. Like visiting a museum, Library and a trip down memory lane all at one location. Sometimes I find this or that to purchase.
@Linda, I severely dislike shopping but for some reason thrift shopping is fun. It must be the thrill of the hunt!
I really enjoyed your post. We are kindred spirits in many ways. And we are lucky girls, too - in my "Meet a Reader" post I also said that I would give away the $1,000 dropped in my lap. Thanks for sharing your beautiful life!
@MB in MN, In my poorer days I never knew how much fun giving money away could be. I try to think of ways that will truly benefit the recipient without creating dependency. Recently I went to a school and asked the secretary if there were any families behind on their tuition. I was able to cover the back tuition for three families. That was very fun!
@Linda, what a wonderful thing you did for those families!
Hi, Frugal Spinster!
I love that painting. That was a good find. I have found a couple of signed prints and two original paintings at thrift stores. They aren't gallery-worthy paintings, but they really please me and I paid no more than $10 for each of them. Free is even better!
I don't go birding, but I watch the ones in my yard. They can be addictive to watch.
I agree that being able to delay gratification is a valuable skill, and one that I'm still learning. I also like your thoughtfulness in why you live simply.
Thanks for posting!
@JD, The only criteria I have for artwork is that it be pleasing to me. It can be an original oil-on-canvas or a mass produced print. If I like it, there is a place for it on my wall.
Nice to meet you frugal spinster. As with most of the respondents in this series I love your life. So simple and so full.
I love the pictures of your art and the tomato. I have learned from this series that many people take pictures of their tomatoes, myself included.
@karen, I want to second all of what karen said - reading about each person's simple, abundant life has been so fun. (And also the tomatoes - I don't even take many photos but you will find tomato pictures on my phone)
And Frugal Spinster, thanks in particular for mentioning how you found FG, which led me to listen to FG's interview. It was fun to hear Kristen's voice! (And I'm glad she kept blogging and didn't go the reality star route : )
@karen,
Thanks Karen, That was my first ripe tomato I was so proud of its plump round goodness I had to photograph it.
So nice to meet you!
I live Finches. Not fancy but cheerful colorful birds.
What is the most rare bird you have seen?
Kristen,
My uncle willed his fortune to the UW in the form of a Charitable Remainder Trust. They are currently managing/investing the money. Dividends on the investments go to the beneficiaries. When the beneficiaries pass, the UW will have full control of the money. Yes, having Trust income meant I didn't have any financial worries when the pandemic hit.
I do miss the creative outlet a cake decorating job provided. I also miss the comradery of my co-workers. I watch for opportunities to offer my cake skills to neighbors and friends.
The bird that is in my view at the time is my favorite bird. There are so many, all beautiful, all interesting, picking a favorite is impossible. A few high on my list are Cedar Waxwings, Bewick's wren, Snow goose, Rufous Hummingbird, Stellar's Jay, Cooper's Hawk, American Widgen, Red-breasted Sapsucker... the list would go on and on.
Thrifting is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I fantasize about taking a leisurely cross-country trip, visiting thrift stores in tiny towns and big cities all along the way. Oh, the treasures to be found!
@Mary in VA, I dream about winning the lottery and getting a "yard sale mobile" (one of those vans that is small and close to the ground that you see on the road for delivery purposes or something) and traveling to different flea markets. I'd have to have considerable wealth to do that, but I can dream. I'm in south central VA, so not a ton of flea markets here, not that I know of anyway. I know, if I won the lottery, why would I need to travel around to flea markets? But you get it!! 🙂
@Sarah C.,
Have you tried any portions of the "World's Longest Yardsale?" It's something I've wanted to do for a while, at least the southern portions closest to me.
@JD, I don't think that is near me, but we have the 100 Mile Yard Sale, which I have faithfully went to each time (twice a year) that they have had it! It's relatively new, but it seems to have caught on. I wouldn't travel from out of state to go to it, but since it's local to me, I happily hit all the stops I can.
@JD,
I did this about 9 years ago. I started in Chattanooga and went south for about 20 miles on Friday. On Saturday, I went north. I found some treasures, but it was crowded near the city.
@Sarah C., I totally get it! It's in the blood. I've joked with a friend that if I won the lottery, I'd pull up to thrift stores in a chauffeur-driven limo. ;-D
Thanks for your contribution to the series, Linda.
Love that your splurge is good binoculars. I am a very casual birder, but our location in the Central Flyway in Nebraska makes it easy to see fantastic things. This time of year it's huge flocks of sandhill cranes, snow and Canada geese, sometimes some whooping cranes. A bald eagle has taken up residence just down the road, and I don't know if it'll ever feel commonplace to see it. We also have a group of maybe two dozen goldfinches who visit our feeder almost every day (among many other small and smallish birds up to the size of grackles, flickers and mourning doves).
@Karen.,
I'm in the Pacific Flyway so I have the same experience each spring. Bald Eagles have become commonplace here in fact the population is so healthy that they are now a threat to other species. They love to raid the nests of our local sub-species of Great Blue Herons. I live about a mile from a good-sized Heronry and Eagles are always hanging around looking for eggs & soon chicks. Sandhill cranes are less likely to be seen on my side of the Cascades but I'm thrilled when I do see them. Am. Goldfinch is the state bird of Washington. They do come to my feeders but I get more House Finch & Pine Siskins. I love this time of year, I saw spouse feeding taking place this morning.
Thank you so much for sharing about your life, Frugal Spinster! I really enjoyed reading about your bird watching and dog walking. I live in Arizona and love to watch the many types of hummingbirds that we have here. It is so fun to see them at rest, which is pretty rare! I enjoy other peoples' dogs and cats via pet-sitting. It's a fun side hustle and I love to visit with the pets.
@Beth B., In the PNW we have one resident (Anna's) and one migratory (Rufous) Hummingbird species. I envy people who see multiple species in their yards. Pet sitting/walking is a great way to experience the love without the responsibility & cost.
Hi Frugal Spinster- I love your post. I can relate to a lot of it even though we have lived very different lives. I love birds though I don't know much about them. Our current house is on the edge of a lake and the water brings us so many cool birds - herons, ducks, geese - our feeders bring all sorts of tiny creatures that I enjoy watching but don't know the names of. Thrifting - I am borderline obsessed with it. Just yesterday I was looking at sets of dinner dishes on line and my college age daughter called. I told her what I was doing and she was astounded. "mom - how many dishes do you look at and admire when we are in thrift stores??!?" So I closed the laptop.
Mostly I wanted to say my husband and I are moving to the Port Orchard area in WA in three weeks. We can't wait for the change - we have been collecting a lists of beaches to go to. I also have a list of thrift stores in the Gig Harbor/Port Orchard area that I am excited to check out. Where (in general) are you in the PNW? Thanks for the post here and letting us get to know you!!
@Bernadine,
Welcome to Washington! I've only driven through Port Orchard a few times but its a lovely area. I'm just a bit north of Seattle.
Nice to meet you, Linda. I often wonder what my life will look like after my children are grown, and many of your activities sound so appealing. I like the idea of taking care of others' dogs. I have some children that really miss having a dog (ours died unexpectedly in 2019), but travel is so much harder with a dog because I just couldn't bring myself to leave him in a kennel. Maybe we could look out for opportunities like you have. Thanks for the idea.
I agree about buying secondhand. I have loved having an Etsy shop because I fell into selling vintage items, and I really enjoy connecting thing that might have been trashed with people who really want them. Alas, I haven't had enough time recently to list the things I have bought to sell. I keep telling myself, "Sometime!" I am trying to teach our children to buy at thrift stores/auctions/yard sales for household items because they are so much less expensive and why fuel unnecessary production?
@Jody S.,
I recently opened an Etsy shop. It has yet to make me any money but that's OK. Hopefully your children will appreciate the quality & uniqueness of second hand items. Americans donate so much good stuff.
How fun to meet you! Your comment about birding caught my eye. My son and a friend of his have started a bird watching club on their college campus. Over the weekend they had the opportunity to observe owls being banded. I enjoy seeing birds but I have discovered that I don't have a good eye for wildlife details. I'll just let my family members tell me what I'm seeing (my husband is amazing at doing that .... then again, he's a biologist).
@Kris,
There are some cases where subtle differences are all that separate one species from another. Gulls and shorebirds are notorious for that. In those situations, I like you, let someone else tell me what I'm looking at.
This was a lovely read to start my day. I love the quiet intentionality that comes through when you describe your life. It sounds peaceful and fulfilling.
As for those $2500 binnies - they must be kickass! It’s so excellent to have a very fine of one’s trade.
@Jem,
Yes, I love my binoculars. In our cloudy PNW low light can make seeing the bird difficult but my new(ish) binoculars let in so much light, it's no longer an issue.
Oh I want to be frugal spinsters neighbor! We love so many of the same things & have some background in common. Thanks for sharing.
@Jenny Young,
I'd be honored to be your neighbor.
@Linda, I love your first pic as I have a collie! Collies are my favorite breed. They aren't that common to see so I get super excited when I do spot one. Nice to meet you too!
@Molly F.C.,
Arrow belongs to my sister. We call her our time-share dog. She is the latest in a long line of collies in our family. My mother owned Speedy before my parents married and it's the only breed ever considered as a family pet. Sadly, in the Lassie Days they were so popular that Collie genetics suffered. I can't remember Speedy, but I've been told that I used to hold on to him for support when I was learning to walk.
Linda, thank you so much for sharing your life with us. I found reading about you made me feel peaceful after a very hard work day.
I just have to mention this… when I opened this blog post and saw your picture, I said “Whoa, Joni Mitchell!”
Wow. You have mad cake-making and decorating skills.
Do you do this as a business?
That cake is gorgeous.
I have a question: How did you start getting into birding with other people? I enjoy birdwatching but I don't really know much, nor have I ever done it any kind of focused or organized way. I've been wondering how to find some kind of "birding group" in my area so I can learn more and meet others who are interested, but I'm not really sure how . . .