Putting together a fall wardrobe economically is easier than just about any other type of wardrobe. The season’s short duration, combined with its varied weather, make it a cinch to pull a fashionable fall wardrobe out of a few inexpensive purchases and the current inhabitants of your closet. Just follow these easy steps:

Pair your favorite summer tanks with simple lightweight cardigans. Fall weather can be so unpredictable that you’ll quickly learn to love the flexibility that comes with these combinations. For unexpectedly hot days, you can easily shed your outer layer. However, on cooler days, you’ll be glad to enjoy the warm feeling of your sweater.

Ditch your strappy sandals for a pair of hardworking flats. Cute flats can be paired with full-length pants or your favorite Capri pants. Just take care to select shoes that will go with all or most of your existing clothes so that you can wear them with everything.

Mute the bright colors of your summer clothes by combining them with more staid, traditional clothes. Your bright orange t-shirt will fit right into fall when you pair it with a dark pair of jeans. Likewise, a sturdy black skirt is perfect for wearing with a hot pink blouse.

Browse consignment shops for a lightweight trench coat. The rainy weeks of fall can cause even the neatest person to feel slightly soggy and messy. A sleek trench coat will protect your clothes from unexpected puddles and keep you looking stylish.

Give your old clothes a new life by adding a few new accessories to your wardrobe. Inexpensive costume jewelry can give your favorite sweater a whole new look. Pair a silver-toned necklace with a solid-colored t-shirt. Another option is to try wearing a pair of beaded earrings with a lightweight turtleneck sweater.

Don’t forget to check out great sales on fall clothes in late September and October. After the rush of back to school shopping is over, retailers need to quickly move their fall stock to make room for winter apparel. You can add a few new items to your wardrobe for a fraction of their regular prices.

If you are like us and drive your car until the wheels fall off, then you know how important it is to have a reliable car mechanic. Just thinking about a visit to the mechanic is enough to strike fear into the heart of any car owner. You may think you’re taking your car to the shop for a tiny, insignificant thing and then find out that there’s a real problem with your car. Before you know it, you’re spending hundreds of dollars to fix something you didn’t even know was broken.

To make matters worse, unless you’re mechanically-inclined, you may not even be sure what was wrong with your car. Sure, the mechanic said you had a problem, but do you know that there was a problem? And how do you know that your mechanic will have you back on the road as quickly as possible? Finding a reliable mechanic can be the answer to all of your concerns.

Finding a good mechanic is easy if you know where to look. You just need to do a little research to find a mechanic that will meet your needs and will work with your pocketbook. Here are a few suggestions to get your started on your search:

Ask your friends about their mechanic. Odds are they all have an opinion. Some may have a love/hate relationship with theirs, while others may have a more positive outlook. Find out what they like and don’t like about their mechanic to decide if you’re ready to try him out.

Check out neighborhood bulletin boards. These bulletin boards can be a great way to find an unfiltered opinion, especially if you’re new to an area. If you can’t find a thread related to this topic, don’t be bashful about starting one just for this. Chances are you’ll find plenty of people willing to share about their experiences.

Take a mechanic on a trial run. Before you totally entrust the well-being of your trusty car to a total stranger, take your potential mechanic’s shop on a test drive. Make an appointment for some routine maintenance to facilitate your research. Then, while your car is being looked after, take a look around the shop. Is it clean? Are the employees nice to you? With a relatively small investment of time and money, you’ll be able to make certain that this is the mechanic for you.

photo credit: CoreForce
Like seemingly everything else these days, food costs have gone through the roof in recent months. Between the rising cost of transporting food from the growers to the market and the increased expenses related to manufacturing foods, it’s no wonder that your food expenses have started to take up a larger and larger share of your monthly budget.

Fortunately, there are some foods that seem unfazed by the crazy inflation that is invading our lives. Working these foods into regular rotation in your meal or snack plans will allow you to insulate yourself from price increases that could wreck your budget. Here are a few examples, as well as some suggestions for how to incorporate them into your family’s diet.

Chips – First of all, snack chips are great additions to your children’s school lunches. But you can use them as more than snacks. You can also add them to dinner dishes like casseroles like Betty Crocker’s Chipotle Red Beans and Rice Casserole to give your dinner a little extra crunch.

Potatoes – While many different types of produce have become increasingly expensive, the price of potatoes has remained pretty flat. Potatoes can be used to make many different dishes such as mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, baked potatoes…you see where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Pasta Noodles – Pasta is one of my favorite foods, so I was thrilled to see that it hasn’t really been afflicted by rising food costs. Adding an inexpensive jar of sauce (caught at a sale price) will help you create a dinner your entire family will love.

Chicken – Unlike expensive beef, chicken has experienced a relatively stable price. There are as many ways to prepare chicken as there are stars in the sky. Add mayonnaise to baked chicken to make chicken salad for sandwiches. Or bake in a creamy sauce for a lip-smacking entrée. And, who doesn’t love friend chicken? Peruse your favorite cookbook for more ideas.

Flour/Sugar – Staples that are used in baking are very economical choices while you’re grocery shopping. Forget spending tons on pre-packaged desserts. Instead, you can bake your own cookies. Flour will also stand in as an inexpensive breading for meats.