Clothes Shopping the Frugal Way Part 2

So I went through my closet and the checklist. I determined that I really, really lack a lot of basics and truth be told, I never owned most of these basics ever. Which I think ( I hope!) has solved my dilemma of having tons of clothes but nothing to wear.

Now that my closet is clean, it's time to shop! Here are the items I'll be looking to add to my wardrobe based on the check list)

Black Tank
White and black T's (short sleeved and long)
Black turtleneck sweater
Crew neck sweater
Black pants
Heavy sweater
Cashmere hoodie
Gray Flannel pants (I might choose another fabric aside from flannel)

I also decided to add a few things to the checklist:

Black round-toe pumps
Black knee high boots
1-2 additional pairs of neutral pants such a pin stripe
1-2 dressier blouses

I have to admit the first thing I want to do is run out and buy all of these items and then some more items i "need." Of course that would be incredibly expensive. Because the next important step in this wardrobe re-hash is buying quality. Now quality does not necessarily equate to expensive, although they typically will be pricier. Some items you don't necessarily need to spend on as no matter what, they will eventually wear out, such as white T-shirts. Here's another great guide from Real Simple which details what to save on and where to spend.

For those items where it's worth it to "spend" eHow has a great article which helps you determine quality. This is a must read. And of course most important is that the fit is impeccable on you. If you have a hard to fit body, it might be worth it to invest in a tailor for a few key pieces such as black pants.

I'm determined to have a complete and classic wardrobe eventually and I'm well aware it make take a few years to eventually save up all of the money I need. Therefore I am prioritizing items. I'll start by purchasing the cheaper items such as the t-shirts and tanks. This will immediately allow me to create several different outfits at a relatively low cost. Next I really need a pair of black pants and black boots. So I will be on the hunt for those and splurge on them instead of 5 new tops that I'll rarely wear.

Next week we'll examine how to save money on these quality items.

Friday Deals

Hello Friday! Enjoy the deals and have a fabulous weekend!

- One of my favorite deal finding sites, Fantabulously Frugal, posted about this offer from Coach Factory stores. Save an additional 20% now through November 15th!

- If you have a birthday coming up, register your Starbucks card and get a FREE drink on your birthday!

-FREE entree at Applebee's for veterans on Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11th). Just show proof of military service. And thank you for your service to our country!

- $1 scarves at Old Navy tomorrow (Saturday, November 7th)! Saw this on TV last night, so I don't know all the details, but sounds good enough to check out.


- J. Crew is beginning their Fall Online Sale - take an additional 20% off, plus FREE shipping on orders of $150 or more. Woo hoo!

- If you have a Gap Family (Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta) card, shop this weekend and save 30% on your order! There's also FREE shipping for orders over $75 and other good sales (50% off outerwear at Old Navy, 15% off at Gap when you order a child's item).

- Bath and Body Works is having a buy 3, get 3 free sale on their signature body card items (soaps, lotions, creams, etc). You could save over $65!

If you want to get a jump on holiday shopping, this weekend might be a good time!

Remember to become a fan on Facebook for other tips and discussions on how to save money and look good doing it!

Slow Cookin'....

The slow cooker. A lazy person's kitchen accessory or a smart person's essential kitchen item? Since I love my slow cooker with all my heart, I will select the latter. My friends and I actually got in a debate - if you could only select one cooking source, which would you select from a grill, a stove/oven, or a slow cooker? While there's obviously merits for all of them (nothing tastes like a grilled burger or cookies fresh from the oven), I think the slow cooker is convenient, versatile, economical, and green!


For those of you who are new to slow cooking, welcome! Basically, a slow cooker cooks food at a constant and low temperature for hours, making food more flavorful. Ever notice how people sell things by adding taglines like "slow-cooked"? Yeah, because it's delicious. And it's also great because you can take 10-15 minutes chopping and prepping your food, throw it in the slow cooker, leave for work for 8-10 hours, and when you come home, your dinner is ready. How awesome is that?!

You can cook just about anything in a slow cooker, making it a super versatile piece of equipment to have in your kitchen. Just some quick glances at my slow cooker cookbook and here are some of the recipes: hot artichoke dip, butterscotch fondue, beef bourguignon (I'm sure Julia Child is not thrilled about this), Jamaican jerk pork sandwiches, pasta with sun-dried tomato sauce, rosemary chicken and potatoes, and decadent raspberry brownies! YUM!

A slow cooker also helps you get more bang for your buck in your grocery budget. You can buy cheaper, tougher pieces of meat, and put it in a slow cooker for a few hours. What you end up with is a tender, flavorful piece of meat (sorry vegetarians!).

And something I definitely love about slow cookers - they're an energy efficient way to cook. Now, this probably depends on a few factors - is your oven energy efficient? Do you have a low-wattage slow cooker? How long will you leave the slow cooker on? In most instances, your typical slow cooker is going to have a lower wattage than your oven. Surprisingly, it will even use less energy in 8 hours than an oven would in an hour! Check out this planet green post on the author's research on slow cookers v. ovens.

If you are interested in dusting off your slow cooker, the recipe book I love is Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes. Anyone else out there in love with their slow cooker like I am? Anyone inspired to give it a try?

Oh, and PS - dinner tonight: slow-cooked white chicken chili with corn bread muffins.

How the Recession Changed Us

I read a really interesting article in Parade on Sunday about how the economic crisis over the last year has changed Americans. You could probably guess that there was a lot of negativity:

-79% of people had been personally affected by the recession
-68% of people had lost their job or had their pay reduced, or they knew someone who had
-Over half of people had trouble paying their housing costs or knew someone who had

It talked about people cutting back on vacations, holding off big ticket purchases, postponing home additions or renovations. People are feeling cheated because they "played by the rules", and many are losing faith with elected officials.

I, like many of us out there, was personally affected by the recession. Three weeks after my husband and I returned from our wedding in September, we realized his bank was being purchased by another bank and he'd most likely be out of a job. By December, it was official, and by February, he was unemployed. He recently was hired by a great company, but for months, we lived in uncertainty.

But what I learned, and what millions of others are learning, is that through the challenging circumstances, there's still so much to be grateful for. First off, we made saving money our priority. We hosted game nights and potlucks instead of going out and spending money on food and drinks, and 46% of people said they're forming better relationships with friends as a result of the economy. In July, I started volunteering for the Humane Society - 30% of those surveyed began volunteering for a charity or cause. And my husband and I are definitely have a stronger marriage because of everything we had to go through - 52% said their relationships are stronger with their spouses.

The recession has enabled people to get more creative. More people are learning new skills or becoming do-it-yourselfers. More people are reading for pleasure. People report being healthier and more active. Frugal Femme and I started this blog!

I do tend to look on the bright side of things, and while this recession has been incredibly painful for millions of families, I think it's helping us remember the important things. It's not about big houses, fancy cars, or the hottest clothes. It's about family, friends, taking care of yourself, giving back, and helping out.

I don't know if I could have said that in February when my husband lost his job. But we both gained a lot of knowledge and lessons that many couples probably don't learn until years down the road. Many of the things Frugal Femme and I talk about in this blog are tips and strategies that I'll continue to use. After what we went through, I'm passionate about saving. I try to save at least 10% of my paycheck. And I've become better about gift buying - I now prefer to give gifts that are more personal, like a batch of homemade cookies, than going out and spending a lot of money on something meaningless.

Anyone else out there that was personally affected by the recession who feels like sharing? Do you feel like you're better off in life because you've struggled?

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What's On the Menu?

For the most part, my husband and I are pretty healthy eaters. I get a lot of great recipes from Eating Well, Cooking Light, and Women's Health. As you probably know, it's more expensive to get fresh produce instead of canned or frozen, and you can greatly increase the costs when you buy organic produce. However, I don't consider produce a luxury - I consider it an investment in my health and well-being. And I just love unloading my cart - I have apples, bananas, lettuce, carrots...so colorful and it definitely gets me excited about eating well. I especially love unloading my bags from the farmers' market!

The worst thing about having all of the luscious fruits and vegetables in my house is they have a short shelf life, especially my organic produce from the farmers' market. Nothing is more sad than putting beautiful peppers in your fridge, forgetting about them, and a couple of days later, they're mushy. I have filled up my compost bags with more forgotten fruit than I care to admit, and I realized I had to do something to stop wasting money and great, healthy food.

My solution? A small dry erase board on my fridge. And how does that solve the problem? It serves as a reminder to me what EXACTLY I was going to do with those tomatoes. If I can plan even further ahead, I like to arrange my meals for the week in order of how long the produce will keep. Plus, I love it when friends come over and are impressed with my meals! Someone sees I have "blue cheese turkey burgers and sweet potato fries", we might get into a discussion of how to get the fries to be crispy rather than soggy. It's amazing how many good conversations I've gotten in because of my menu.

My menu for this week:

Besides remembering what to do with the food you buy, knowing how to store produce is key. Check out this article on how to store produce from Martha Stewart. What doesn't she know?

Clothes Shopping the Frugal Way Part 1

So this begins a series of posts on how you can create a killer wardrobe on a budget. And the short answer, which isn't necessarily easy, is spend more on fewer things.

WHAT??? A money saving blog is suggesting you spend more money? Essentially yes. But overtime it will save you a lot of money. Now this does not give you permission to go spend $150 on the latest "it" pair of shoes. But if you don't have a quality pair of basic black sling backs, it's worth making the investment in those.

But stop. We're not to the buying phase just yet... This series of posts will walk you through steps to creating a wardrobe that looks fabulous, will stay current and you won't be re-buying black pants and a white blouse over and over only to have them fall apart next season.

I realized that one of the reasons I never have anything to wear is because I don't have solid basics, and the basic pieces I do have, don't necessarily fit right or look well-kept. They are pilling or stretched out or the color is fading. I mean honestly it is a lot more fun to buy that funky dress, than a plain old button down. But you'll get a lot more wear out of that button down, than the dress which will very likely be out of style in a few short months. And if you have quality, well-fitted garments you will be satisfied knowing you always look sharp.

For instance, for years I decided to boycott "designer" jeans, I was certain I could find jeans that looked just as nice at a much cheaper price. So I spent three years and bought close to 15 different pairs of jeans. I always thought I had found the perfect pair, only to realize I was compromising on fit, or the fabric was scratchy, and they would inevitably shrink. Then I broke down and bought two pairs of jeans from Nordstrom and had them hemmed. I am very content with my jean wardrobe. They look fabulous, I feel great in them and no one notices that I might wear the same pair in a week. Bottom line, less can really be more.

Now this isn't to say you'll never buy a trendy piece again. But the key is to get a basic beautiful wardrobe and then each season sprinkle in a few trendy pieces.

So I know I'm already really really overwhelmed by this process. But that's why I'm going to follow my own process as we go and give feedback.

Step #1 this week take inventory of your wardrobe. Here is a link to a fabulous check list from Real Simple which I think has a wonderful take on what the basics should be, even though it is quite a long list, this wardrobe building is a process that takes year to cultivate. And feel free to modify based on your needs. For instance, a black cashmere wrap just isn't something I need to have in my wardrobe at this time. So I'll probably by pass that one. Same for the fleece vest, it's just not something I'd like to wear. However, keep an open mind on some things. For example I never thought I had a need for a black t-shirt. But then I thought about all the things it could do for my wardrobe and decided it could be a great piece to have.

Now as you take inventory keep in mind things that should be replaced. For example I have a white t-shirt. It's totally see through and doesn't fit right, so I should indicate I have it and it should be replaced. This will be useful as we prioritize items for purchase.

I'm going to focus on the always in-season, fall and winter checklists and do spring and summer later in the year.

Next week we'll focus on Step #2 which will include some potential shopping!