Wardrobe Challenge

I was really inspired by a recent guest post on MoneySavingMom's blog about simplifying your life. Although I am pretty good at getting rid of things, I still feel like I have too much stuff - especially when it comes to clothes. Part of this is left over from when I didn't have a washer and dryer and only did laundry once every few weeks. Back then I had to have enough clothes to get me through a few weeks. Plus, my job had a strict dress code so I had to be very dressed up everyday. As a result I ended up accumulating quite a large clothes collection. I've been good at getting rid of things here and there but when it comes to really giving my wardrobe a makeover, I really don't know where to start.

So, I've decided to see how I do with a limited wardrobe for the next 2 weeks. This is what I chose:

I have:
3 pairs of pants - 1 khaki, 1 black, and 1 jeans
2 cardigans - 1 purple, 1 brown
2 sweaters - 1 pink, 1 tan and black
2 button down shirts
1 long sleeved t-shirt
1 short sleeved t-shirt
This does not count workout clothes, pjs, etc.

So, this doesn't seem like very much but lets look at the combinations.

Pink sweater x (jeans, khaki, black)
White shirt & pink sweater x (jeans, khaki, black)
Tan/Black sweater x (jeans, khaki, black)
White shirt x (jeans, khaki, black)
White/blue shirt x (jeans, khaki)
White/blue shirt, purple sweater x (jeans, khaki)
White shirt, purple sweater x (jeans, khaki, black)
White shirt, brown sweater x (jeans, khaki)

For more casual:
White t-shirt x (jeans, khaki, black)
purple t-shirt x (jeans, khaki, black)
White and purple shirts x (jeans, khaki, black)
purple shirt, purple sweater x (jeans, khaki, black)

So all in all, with this combination of clothing items I can put together 33 potential combinations. THAT IS MORE THAN I NEED IN 1 MONTH!

Plus that doesn't count accessories. I don't have much but I do have a handful of necklaces that I can rotate in and out to change things up a little bit.

So I am going to see how this goes. I am actually pretty excited about it. I tend to wear the same things over and over again anyway so this won't be much of a stretch for me. I am thinking I will move everything in my closet that is not part of the challenge over to one side of my closet so it is clear what clothing items I have to choose from.

I think it going to make getting ready in the morning A LOT easier too! One caveat - I am allowing myself some leeway based on the weather. Since it has been a bit variable here recently I may need to swap in some warmer options. :)

Nothing to say...

It was bound to happen, blog world. After a good month and a half of almost daily posts, I find myself with nothing to say. I have no shopping trips to tell you about. I haven't done any recent home improvement projects. I have no motivating quotes. In short, I got nuttin!

I know you are probably feeling very sad and alone right now. But don't worry, I am sure I will do something blog worthy soon. :)

Grocery store deals without a coupon

Want to save money on groceries but don't want to bother with coupons? No problem! Check out the great deals I got on these products without handing over a single coupon.


How did I do this? Check the markdown section! My Kroger has a few bins in the back where they keep marked down items. Sometimes you get lucky and get there right after they fill it up.

The total list price for all of these items would have been $21.34. I paid $10.12. That is a savings of >50% and I didn't use a single coupon!

I always recommend checking out the markdown section just to see what is there. Often there won't be anything interesting, but every once in a while there are some great deals!

February Grocery Budget Challenge: Update

So it has been 2 weeks since I started my $20/person/week healthy eating challenge. So how is it going?

Well to be honest, not great. I think it is probably possible for me to spend only $80 for the entire month, but it would require me to cut back on my grocery shopping. Since I am trying to be realistic and spend as I normally would, I don't think it is realistic in the long run for me to stick with the $20/person/week budget.

I am going to continue with the challenge to see how far I get. I'll post another update at the end of the month!

Menu plan, week of 2/14/11

So what am I going to eat this week? Well that is an excellent question. I am getting low on some pre-made goodies so I might need to schedule a freezer cooking session sometime in the near future. Perhaps on Sunday?

Breakfasts
Oatmeal, fruit

Lunches:
Peanut butter sandwiches, leftovers

Dinners:
Chicken with steamed veggies, cous cous
Pasta with meat sauce and salad

Milestones

Ok yes I took a picture (but don't worry, I didn't take it while driving!)

My car hit a major milestone this week - 100,000 miles! Can you believe it?!? I got the car new in June 2003 so all of these miles were with me in the car. We've had some good times!

This is another example of how little steps can lead to something larger. Individual miles aren't much on their own but take 7 1/2 years worth of miles and you have 100,000. The same applies to nearly everything. Saving a few pennies here and there doesn't seem like much, but look at that savings over the course of a year - or even a decade - and it adds up to a significant amount. If you would have asked me 7 1/2 years ago where I would be at 100,000 miles I can guarantee you that I would not give you the answer that is my reality right now.

Anyway this got me thinking. For some reason, I am often asked when I plan on getting a new car. Because I can 'afford' to get a new car and 'afford' to have a car payment, it is assumed that I would want to do that. The thing is - I don't. My car is paid for. My car works just fine. I like my car. Why would I trade that for a monthly payment when I don't have to? I plan on getting a new car when this one stops working and I am hoping that won't be for a very long time! :)

Frugal Tip: Car Maintenance

I pretend to be 'handy' around the house but when it comes to cars, I can't even fake it. So I leave all major car maintenance concerns to the professionals at my friendly local Honda dealership. Because it is important to me to keep my car running in tip top shape, I consider this money well spent.

So how do you save money on car maintenance when you know NOTHING about cars? Easy - do the things you know you can do.

I can't change my oil, rotate my tires, or do any of the standard vehicle maintenance things that are necessary to keep my car running. But, I can top off the fluids, change the windshield wipers, and keep the car clean and vacuumed. All of these are very simple and require very little skill. And by doing these myself I save $$!