St. Petersburg, Florida

Live really well on very little.

Hi, I'm Katy. I furnish my life from thrift stores, cook dinners that cost less than a bus fare, and eat better than I ever did when I spent more. Come see how.

See the $2 dinners The St. Pete Thrift Map

A sunlit kitchen full of thrifted treasures — enamel pots, mismatched vintage plates, and fresh vegetables on a wooden counter

Fresh from the blog

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White bean and greens skillet with golden garlic breadcrumbs in a cast iron pan

Cheap & Good

White Bean & Greens Skillet with Garlic Crumbs

The dinner I make when the fridge looks hopeless. Ready in 25 minutes, tastes like a restaurant did it.

$1.62 a serving

A flat lay of thrift store finds: cast iron pan, wooden spoons, linen napkins, glass jars and a vintage mixing bowl

Thrifting

12 Things I Always Buy at the Thrift Store

My never-skip list — the stuff that's better secondhand, from cast iron to picture frames.

A weekly grocery haul laid out on a counter: beans, rice, seasonal produce, eggs and a receipt

Thrifty Living

How I Eat Well on $60 a Week in Florida

My actual grocery receipts, my actual meals, and the five rules that make it easy.

Start here

A pastel-colored Florida thrift store front with palm trees and a hand-painted sale sign

Local Guide

The St. Petersburg Thrift Store Guide

Every store worth your Saturday in St. Pete & Pinellas — ranked, mapped, and honestly reviewed.

A bowl of black bean and sweet potato chili topped with lime, cilantro and a swirl of yogurt

Cheap & Good

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

One pot, eight servings, freezes like a dream. My most-requested recipe.

$1.48 a serving

Sunlight falling across a colorful thrift store aisle of glassware and ceramics

Meet Katy

Who is Thrifty Katy?

The short version: I got tired of "cheap" meaning "sad." So I made it mean something else.