Building a new wardrobe

So many things have changed sine we moved from Arizona to the Pacific Northwest - one of them being our wardrobe. My oldest daughter did not even have a long sleeve shirt when we moved and I had to buy her some warm clothes the day after we arrived. Our shorts and flip-flops are not going to see much use here and we need almost a whole new set of cothes for this new climate but we are trying to recover financially from the move. I have had some success finding a few pieces at Goodwill, such as winter coats for the girls and some light sweaters that will work well for me in the spring. So utilitizing Goodwill works for me, are there any other inexpensive ways to build a new wardrobe?

Making a happy home...in a new state

So just as I was getting into the swing of blogging, life got flipped upside down. In a wild turn of events we wound up moving from the desert to the Pacific Northwest. It all happened rather quickly and was a very emotional and physically draining yet exciting time. It was so neat to watch how God orchestrated things, and just made everything work out for us.

I am finally feeling somewhat settled in our new home and would like to give this blog another go. Hoping that recording our adventures in discovering our new surroundings will give me the motivation to write :)

Thrifty Thursday - Keep a tally

As we are saving up to purchase a new home, I have been keeping a detailed record of our monthly expenditures so that we have a very accurate figure for what we can afford, and how much we truly do spend each month. I have found this to be especially helpful in the grocery category. That is one of the few areas of most people's budgets that is not set it stone, leaving it easy to overspend. I have gotten in the habit of adding my total to the grocery column as soon as I get back from a shopping trip. Seeing the toal amount spent as we go through the month is helping me stay on track in this area.

What thrifty tips do you have to share?

Make This Monday - Cheese Enchilada Chowder

This got rave reviews at my house and is so easy to put together.

1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp chopped jalepeno
Several slices of onion
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
1 cup each of shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses


Add vegetables to crockpot. Combine enchilada sauce, soup, and milk in a bowl and pour over vegetables. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve over polenta or with tortilla chips.

Thrifty Thursday - Rotisserie Chicken

Our family likes to have roasted chicken. But I don't like cooking it, and most rotisserie chickens from the store are small and pricey. I recently tried one from Costco and was impressed. $4.99 for a good-sized chicken. I don't think I would be able to buy a whole roaster for much less than that, and they do the work for me. We prefer the white meat, so I shred that up along with a little of the dark meat to stretch it a bit further. Then I use the bones to make my own chicken stock, further increasing our savings. I have also found that I can make gravy from the drippings at the bottom of the container. For all that I am able to make from one chicken it is really a good value.

Please feel free to share any of your thrifty tips!

Mini-Sweeper

Our dining room is carpeted. Not sure why the builder thought that was a good idea, but that's what we have to work with. Not the ideal set-up with two young kids. My youngest is still in her high-chair with a big rubber mat underneath to catch the spills. But it was still a pain to clean up after mealtimes until I bought a mini hand-held broom and dustpan at Target in the dollar section. Makes clean up much easier and my four year old can help. Works for me!


More WFMW here

Make This Monday - Cherry Cheesecake Muffins

Batter: 1 box white cake mix, 8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 2 eggs, ¼ cup sugar

Filling: 8 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg

Crust: 2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup sugar, 6 Tbl. Melted butter.

Additional: ½ cup cherry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat batter ingredients for 3 minutes. Beat filling until smooth.

Make crust mixture. Pour batter into muffin tins and top each with 1 tsp cherry preserves.

Top with some filling and sprinkle with crust mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.