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Writer's pictureKathryn Bechen

Dollarwise Pampering & Wardrobe Organizing Tips

Updated: Jun 8


Pampering


I don't know about you, but after all these intense pandemic-drama past months, I think we could all use a high-end spa day of pampering and relaxing and some new clothes. But if pricey spas aren't in your money-budget or in your time-budget, then never fear, since I'm sharing below today my fave at-home DIY dollarwise ways to pamper yourself and your wardrobe.



Kathryn Bechen facial care tips

I have used Devita facial products for awhile now. Recently I'm enjoying their Aloe Vera Moisture Cleanser and Perfecting Time Moisturizer. Ordinarily I use very unscented products due to allergies, but I have been able to tolerate their cleanser which has a very mild rose scent. The moisturizer has no scent, (to me anyway), and is wonderful for our Arizona desert air in case you also live in a dry climate. BTW, these two products are much cheaper at Vitacost, which is a dollarwise site for holistic products, foods, and supplements. They have great customer service and run super site-wide sales too. I have been using them for years and I love shopping online there.


Loving this makeup mirror which works great with my new eyebrow razor. I have never tried one of these for brows before and it sure beats a tweezer! I will never go back.


This new little pedi set works really well in spite of the low price and has many positive reviews on Amazon which is why I bought it. If you don't like the clear case, insert it into a pretty makeup bag which is more pleasant to look at. (Because we are dollarwise Duchesses, after all, my dears, so we like pretty, right? Yes, yes, we do!)


If you are cutting your own Covid-times hair, as I am, the Tinkle Haircutter works great for a short pixies, layers, and bangs that look more feather-y soft on the ends than harsh-cut-straight bangs. I've had some trial and error with cutting my pixie during this time, to be sure, but I have found the Tinkle Haircutter to be the absolute best after using this hair scissors which is my favorite.


The result ...




Okay, so I won't win any "Mrs. America" hairstyle contests, but it's cool in the desert heat and easy to just fluff up with my hands without a hairdryer with a little of this no-fragrance mousse for help. :) The mousse is not inexpensive, but for those of us with fragrance sensitivities and hair cowlicks too, it's a God-send!


Side Note: My dear-hearted and well-intentioned hubby Steve tried to cut my hair during Covid and since we both ended up crying, (seriously!), we don't suggest trying spousal haircuts on each other on the off-chance you have considered that. (The perm he tried to give me way back in our college dating days didn't go well either, nor did my trying to cut his thick curly coarse red Irish hair way back then. Amazingly, we still got married in spite of our college-days hair fiascos, and 41 years later, here we are!) :) Back to the hair present: Steve resorted to a hair trimmer for cutting his own hair himself during Covid. Looks good and is cool in 100+ temps. (He said to mention to you that his curly red hair is long gone, so it was not too hard to just shave his head!)





:) Ah well, with maturity comes ... resilience and a sense of humor. :)


Kathryn Bechen wardrobe tips

How's your months-of-Covid-culture wardrobe looking these days? I hear you.


I have made it my mission to be comfy, yet still look nice at home. I don't succeed every single day but I try and I absolutely love these "day dresses" or loungers or whatever you want to call them. (Ok, nightgowns, but not really.) They are like wearing PJs, but thick enough fabric that you can put on some sandals and a shawl or cape and run errands or such and it looks like it's a dress. One you can't see through. Easy. Did I mention these loungers are knit so they stretch so you can move well while housecleaning and doing laundry? Amen. Thank you, Lord. (And Amazon!) The floral prints are really pretty too. The solid color loungers are lighter fabric so I bought those for bed and they are really nice, and cooler, for sleeping.


I also like these jacket cardigans as they are PJ-soft too but cute to cover my now-chubbier arms. Can you relate? I like their 3/4 length sleeve too as you can still wash dishes etc. with that length of sleeve without having to push them up or fiddle with them with wet hands.


And this dress was my fave until I found these dresses which are now my current fave, and paired with these knit cardigans/kimonos you have a cute and comfy dollarwise outfit. The cardigans can be tied for a second look in front. Don't be fooled; you can wear these as everyday dresses and cardigans and not just nighties and coverups.


I also like fun slippers for around the house. And with these comfy inserts inside that you can cut to fit your size, they'd be great for a wedding dance! :) If I really want to wear "slipper-slippers" then these have great padding for standing in the kitchen for long periods of time. Steve compliments me when I wear these with the floral lounge dresses.


Don't like dresses? Latuza on Amazon has nice cool summer pants. Mine fit well and you can't really tell they are (shhhhh!) PJs. They are nice and lightweight for our hot AZ temps.


Side note: I shop almost all things on Amazon now as it's easy and efficient and I can find cute dollarwise items that are suitable for my current lifestyle. Read: soft knits. Delivered right to my house and hallelujah; I've found fashion heaven! If you prefer, you can also try before you buy on Amazon too. This may or may not work for you, but for me, I love it.


Kathryn Bechen wardrobe organizing tips

My 10 best dollarwise tips for organizing your wardrobe and your closet:


  1. Don't own more clothes than you really wear is the first thing. Sorry to disappoint you with that right out of the gate here, but it's true. A smaller wardrobe makes things easier to find and easier to mix and match outfits from the same color family. Saves you lots of time, and fewer clothes saves you money, too. Bonus: less laundry if you choose colors in the same color families. Think of your wardrobe closet like this: set up your closet like a little boutique with carefully chosen items, NOT like a huge department store filled with racks and racks of clothes so that you feel overwhelmed to shop there due to too many choices.

  2. Hanger heaven: these dollarwise hangers are all you need, and in my opinion they are actually preferable because they are lightweight, noise-free, move across the rod easily, and skinny in space-taking. With the shoulder grooves on the top they are great too for hanging tank tops/camis/tank dresses so they don't fall off the hanger. Be sure to buy the ones with shoulder grooves. Put a couple in your luggage for when you travel; they are lightweight and if you forget one in the hotel clos, it's not an expensive loss. Hanger heaven! Trust me on this; I have moved 15 times as an adult and had many varying closets and clothes styles for many varying jobs over the years. These work well so you don't need to buy high-end "designer" hangers.

  3. Clear bins and stackable drawers are your wardrobe BFF. Seriously. Not only that, you can take them with you when you move, they are SO dollarwise, and you can move them around and mix and match them to fit most any closet. Forget expensive celebrity-style custom organizers/closets and use these instead, and then fund your IRA or take a trip with the money you saved, my dollarwise lovelies!

  4. Keep a plastic basket for anything you need to mend and when it's full, pull out your little sewing machine or if you don't sew, take them to a tailor. Or, you can use one of your stacking drawers too, labeled "Mending."

  5. A label maker is your next best closet friend.

  6. A big drawer like this works great as a laundry "basket." If you have room in your closet, buy four of them and your laundry will be all sorted! Great for shoes or boots too.

  7. Hang your clothes by like items together, (all pants, all dresses etc.), and then by color within each category so it's easy to pull the bottom and matching top and jacket. That also fosters creative outfits too depending on what pieces you choose each time. Have fun with that!

  8. Go through your closet about four times a year, or minimum two times, and ask yourself if you will REALLY wear each item again. Will you REALLY wear it?! Come on now. Hello Goodwill!

  9. Keep your shoes minimal. I know; I know! Shoes are art. But in reality you only need a couple pair of sandals, two comfy walking shoes, one or two sneakers, one pair boots, two pairs heels maybe, and some cute fancy slippers for no-blisters dancing. If you buy them all in the same color, you could even get by with fewer pairs of shoes. (I love black shoes now. Boring? Maybe. Convenient and dollarwise? Absolutely!)

  10. If you buy solid-color dresses, pants, tank tops etc. in various colors, you can add a printed cardigan/coverup and jewelry for some quick and easy easy fashion "cute." When choosing your cardigan pattern/colors, choose prints and colors that can go with a minimum of two dress colors or better yet, three dress colors. That makes it easy to mix and match and you don't have to donate the dress, nor the cardigan, when one piece gets permanently soiled and it only matches one color dress.

Okay my "Dollarwise Duchesses" -- that's all for now.


Next time you come back here you'll be pampered, rested, and your wardrobe will be decluttered and organized, right?


Kathryn :)



P.S.S. Why do I enjoy being a "Dollarwise Duchess" and write about it? Because it's creative and fun to me to live a pretty and quality lifestyle while also saving money so that I have some financial security/savings and can therefore sleep at night. I love simple living, but with an aesthetic twist to it, rather than living in a blah dull home or environment or wearing blah clothes... hence the "Duchess" part is where my love of "pretty" comes in! I hope you'll join me.




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