Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Planning Your Work Week Outfits

by Katie Haller


I know that there are some people out there who prefer to wear a uniform to work.  They enjoy the feeling of knowing what they will wear each day.  That’s not me!  I’ve had to wear a uniform in the past and I absolutely hated it!  I feel that a uniform takes all the fun away from putting together an outfit.  I feel that when I’m wearing something that I feel good in, I’m going to have a better day.  That’s why for me, planning out what I wear to work is important.

My job has a very casual, relaxed dress code.  It’s nice to be able to go to work and be comfortable, especially when working with little kids, but sometimes people can take a casual dress code a little too far.  That’s why I always try to put together something cute, casual and professional.

I sometimes find it challenging to put together my workday outfits because I always have to keep in mind that I work in a preschool classroom.  We do messy art projects, their little fingers are always in their noses and don’t even get me started about lunchtime.  This is why to save time during the week, I try to plan out my outfits on Sunday night.  It helps me brainstorm for the week ahead and saves me time in the morning.  I lay my outfits out and pick out my accessories on Sunday night, then I fold up the clothes and lay them out in my bedroom, making it easy for me to grab my clothes without having to search for them in the morning.  It works out well, and even saves me enough time to enjoy an extra cup of coffee if I want!
Here is an example of my outfits from last week.  I tend to stick with jeans on most days, but Friday’s are teacher workdays without the kids, so I get to wear something a little nicer on that day. 
Shirt- Old Navy/ Sweater- Salvation Army/ Jeans-Salvation Army/ Necklace-Target
Shirt-Old Navy/ Jeans- Meijer/ Necklace- Kohl’s
Shirt- Target/ Sweater- Target/ Jeans- Express/ Belt- Target
Shirt- Old Navy/ Sweater- Target/ Jeans- Salvation Army
Shirt- Target/ Sweater- Old Navy/ Maxi Skirt- Ross
 I definitely encourage everyone to plan out their outfits!  Try it this week and let me know how it goes!  Have a wonderful week!

Shopping Finds- Old Navy Super Cash

by Katie Haller

I’m slowly starting to stock up on lightweight summer dresses.  During the hot Las Vegas summer weather, I know that lightweight dresses are the way to go to stay cool in the heat.  Last weekend I decided to head over to Old Navy and look at their dress selection.  A few weeks ago, Kevin bought a few new things at Old Navy and got a Super Cash coupon.  I love coupons, so I made sure that I held on to it to redeem later.  Basically, it’s a spend $50 and get a $20 off coupon.  But if you’re not a big spender like myself, you can spend $25 and get $10 off.  So that’s what I did.

I ended up buying 2 dresses.  Both were on sale for $15.  I decided to stray away from my classic go-to color of black and branch out into some colors.

For my first dress, I found this T-shirt a pink and white striped dress (exact).  I’ve been wanting a casual dress like this for a while and I was excited when I found this one for such price.

The second dress that I bought is a white and blue cami sundress (exact).  It’s the perfect lightweight summer dress.  I might even go back and buy another one like it just to have a few on hand.

I ended up spending $21 on the whole purchase!  You should definitely check out some of Old Navy’s summer dresses soon!  I keep getting e-mails with sales all the time.  A good tip is to compare the online price with the store price.  Sometimes things are on sale at the store, but not online or sometimes it’s the opposite.  Always look for the best possible deal!

 Happy Shopping!

My Closet~ What I Wore

by Katie Haller

I’ve been off work this week.  I love having time off because I get explore my wardrobe.  I’ve been trying to pull out older clothes from my closet and mix them up with some of my favorite staples I wear all the time.

Here are a few of my outfits from the week so far.

Dress- TJ Maxx (similar)
Jacket- Meijer (similar)
Purse- Ross (similar)
Sandals- Target (exact)
Dress- Old Navy (similar)
Blazer- Target (similar)
Wedge Sandals- Kohls (similar)
Dress- Nordstrom (similar)
Necklace- Charming Charlie (similar)
Sandals- Target (similar)
Purse- Ross (similar)

Do’s and Don’t’s of Shopping at a Thrift Store!

by Katie Haller

I am a frequent visitor of my local Salvation Army thrift store.  It may sound strange, but there is just something about the smell of old clothes and Christian music playing on the radio that makes a trip to the Salvation Army the perfect way for me to spend a Saturday morning.  I’m the first one to admit that thrift stores can be a huge disappointment.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left empty-handed.  Just recently, I went to my local Salvation Army store here in Nevada and I was extremely disappointed, but not discouraged.  I’ll be back in a couple of months, but in the meantime, I’ll look at some other thrift stores in the area. 
Over the years, I’ve found some amazing deals at thrift stores.  I’ve bought a pencil skirt for 50 cents apiece.  I one time found a perfect conditioned Burberry purse for under $20.  Most recently, I’ve found some great basic pieces, like jeans and sweaters perfect for work, never pay more than $5.  I’ve learned how to find some great bargains at the thrift stores.

Here are some of my Do’s and Don’t’s for navigating the Thrift Store.

Do- Go often
Thrift stores are always getting new merchandise.  Just because you had back luck on your last trip, doesn’t mean that you’re cursed.  I try to go at least once a month.  I also like to hit up different stores in other areas.  Usually, the nicer the area, the nicer the clothes.

Don’t- expect to find one specific item
Don’t go to the thrift store looking for a dress to wear to a wedding next weekend.  You’re not going to find it.  The best idea is to go for fun without stress. This is usually when I have the best of luck.

Do- keep an open mind
It’s important to keep an open mind when shopping for used clothes.  For me, I’ll find the cutest skirt for $1, but it will be two sizes too big. This is when I might consider getting it tailored or hemming it myself.  You can always get creative with the clothes you find at a thrift store. 

Don’t- Look for new trends
You are not going to find the clothes that are in the department stores this season.  Remember these hand me downs.  I like to look at the clothes and think of how I can modernize them up a little.

Do- Look for name brands
I’m always looking for a brand that I know and trust. Express, Old Navy, Banana Republic, J Crew are just a few of the names I’ll look for.  Even better, look for the designers that you can’t afford at a normal store.  You never know when you will find a gem.

Don’t- Pay for something that you can get for the same price new
Tank tops from Forever 21 or pajama pants from Old Navy are an example of this.  I’m not going to pay $3 on something like this when I can go to the store and find the same thing brand new for the same price.

Do- Look for the sales and specials
Salvation Army and Goodwill always have some sort of 50% off special.  Each day a different color price tag will be half off.  On national holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and New Years Day there are always big sales with 1/2 off all clothing.

Don’t- Pay too much money

When you’re shopping at a thrift store, keep your in mind that these are all used clothing.  I say that you should set a budget for yourself.  I try not to spend more than $5 on an item. 

Do- Give yourself plenty of time
A thrift store is not a good place to go if you’re on a time crunch.  Don’t go on your lunch break or on your way to a dinner date.  You want to go when you have nothing else to do.  This will give you plenty of time to search the racks and look for those secret bargain hiding.

Don’t- Give up!
If you don’t have luck on your first try, don’t give up.  Go again. Eventually you will find something, then you will be hooked!

Those are my dos and don’t’s of thrift store shopping.  Hopefully you will all take the challenge and head to your local thrift store.  You will be surprised with what you might find.  Have you ever found an amazing deal at a thrift store or resale shop? 

Shopping Finds- Ross Finds

by Katie Haller

I realize that I just did a post last week about recreating your wardrobe and not spending money on new clothes, which I have been doing, but the other day, I just couldn’t help myself.  I had to check out some of the discount stores in my area.  I’ve been dying to stop in Ross.  I’ve shopped at Ross before while I was on vacation in other states and I remember loving it!  I was so excited to see that they have lots of Ross stores in Nevada. 
I was not disappointed with my finds.  I found that Ross has just as good of a selection of clothes as TJMaxx and Marshalls, but from what I found, their prices are much better.  I ended up finding a new navy maxi skirt for $7.99 and a crossover purse for $9.99.
Most of the maxi skirts that I find when I’m out shopping around are close to $20, even at Target.  I was extremely excited to find such a great section of maxi skirts at Ross for under $10.

I’ve also been searching for a small crossover purse for a while, but purses are not cheap, especially the ones I like.  I was thrilled to find this little light pink purse with a chain strap!  They had a lot of cute purses between $10 and $30.  I will definitely be back! 

Here is the look I put together with my new finds. 

5 Favorite Inexpensive Pinterest Recipes

by Katie Haller


I joined Pinterest in the spring of 2012.  Since then, I have pinned hundreds of recipes.  I’ve also tried the majority of the recipes that I’ve pinned.  I’ve pinned so many recipes that I’ve had to create more and more recipe boards just to keep up.  Pinterest has been a wonderful resource for me when it comes to cooking and baking.  This is a great thing, and it’s definitely saved me money by finding me some low coast recipes to make at home.

I like to keep it simple when I pin recipes.  I try to stick with easy recipes that have simple ingredients.  I also try to look for healthy recipes, at least somewhat healthy.  (Sometimes pictures can look so delicious, I just have to try them!)  And of course, I’m always keeping in mind price. 
I wanted to share with everyone 5 of my favorite Pinterest recipes! 

1.) 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta– This is by far one of my favorite recipes.  It’s so easy to make and delicious. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal!  I’ve adjusted the recipe a bit, leaving out the fresh basil and lemon zest, but you really could make it however you like.  I top mine with Parmesan cheese.
2.) Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic and Feta Cheese– This is another favorite pasta recipe of mine.  I tend to make a lot of pasta dishes because of the price of pasta.  It’s so cheap to by a box of whole wheat pasta.  Plus, pasta is so easy to make.  This pasta dish has a great Mediterranean taste to it with the black olives and feta.  It’s another great weeknight meal. 
3.)  Lemon and Dill Chicken– I forgot how good this meal was until I made it the other night.  It’s super low in calories and delicious.  I like to make it with mash potatoes and steamed green beans (I buy the frozen bag from Trader Joes for $1.99 and they last me a long time).
4.) Balsamic Roast Beef- This is a great crock pot meal.  I love using my crock pot!  Especially when it comes to cooking meat.  This is a delicious recipe if you are looking for some new flavoring for your roast beef. 
5.) Crock Pot Chicken Tacos- This recipe changed the way I make tacos.  It’s so easy and I love the way the meat turns out!  If you only try one recipe from this list, try this one for sure!

 Those are just a few great recipes I’ve discover. If you’re looking for more ideas, feel free to follow my recipe boards on Pinterest.

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