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Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Red Striped Dress

August 28, 2017 by Katie Haller

Hey everyone!  Happy Monday!  I’m going to start off my week with an outfit post.  I think that by now most kids have started back to school and if they haven’t then they will be starting next week.  That means teachers are back to work.  Now I’m a teacher, but I do work summers because our program is year-round.  It has its pros and cons, but now that the new school year is back in session, I’m trying to put together some new fun teacher looks to wear in the classroom.  I teach PreK, so I usually have to modify my looks so that I can wear them around my little ones, but for my other fellow teachers who can get away with wearing a little cuter outfits, these looks are for you.

For today’s look, I’m sharing this red and white striped dress that I bought at Walmart for under $8 while buying school supplies for my classroom.  I think it’s a perfect dress for a teacher.  It has a high neckline and it falls at a perfect spot on your knee, plus with that price tag, it’s okay if you get a little dirty.  I’ve been wearing this dress to work with my tan slip-on Roxy shoes (similar) to make it a little more casual for my classroom.

*This posts contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchasing through a link I will receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  Thank you for your support.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Red stripe dress with denim jacket
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Red stripe dress with denim jacket
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Red stripe dress with denim jacket

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- teacher outfit

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- congac tote for fall

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- teacher outfit
Shop my closet
Dress- Walmart (similar, similar, similar) || Denim Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Kohl’s (similar) || Purse- Neiman Marcus Last Call (similar) || Sunglasses- GlassesShop (exact) || Necklace- Kohl’s (similar, similar)

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Casual Work Wear, My Closet, outfits • by Katie Haller • 1 Comment

Casual Sporty Look

August 25, 2017 by Katie Haller

Hey everyone!  Today, my family and I are headed to a baseball game.  Each year, my husband’s company gives their employees free tickets to a Las Vegas 51’s game, and since it’s one of the few events that are family-friendly, we always look forward to it. 

Now I’m no expert on sports, but I am married to a huge sports fan, so many of our outings together in our marriage and dating years have revolved around sports.  I always say that I like the social part of sporting events.  I like hanging out with friends, drinking beer and eating food.  I also like to put together cute sporty outfits.  Whether it’s tailgating or a baseball game, I always like to dress down, but also look cute. 
For today’s outfit post, I decided I’d share the outfit that I put together for the game tonight.  I’m wearing my thrifted Abercrombie shorts with my thrifted Gap navy stripe t-shirt.  Since not many people are from Las Vegas, everyone seems to sport their hometown team at the 51’s game, that’s why I’m wearing my Tigers hat.  For my shoes, I went with my Convers, because I think that they complete the sporty look perfectly.
*This post contains affiliate links.  By clicking and/or making a purchase through a link, I will make a small commission with no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Casual sporty look
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Casual sporty look
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Casual sporty look
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Casual sporty look
Shop my closet
Top- Gap (similar, similar) || Shorts- Abercrombie (similar) || Shoes- Convers (exact) || Purse- Coach Outlet (similar, similar) || Hat- Lids (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar) || Sunglasses- Smith’s (similar)

I hope you enjoyed the look!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, My Closet, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

The Perfect Mom One-Piece Bathing Suit

August 21, 2017 by Katie Haller

*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will receive a small commission.  Thank you for your support.
I know that summer vacation is coming to an end for most people and fall fashion is on the brain, but here in Las Vegas we still have a few more months of summer weather left.  That’s why I felt like now would be a good time to talk about bathing suits.  Unlike most people who typically buy bathing suits early in the season, I like to wait until August to do my bathing suit shopping.   You can usually find some really great prices on bathing suits in late summer.  

This summer, I spent a lot of time looking for the right bathing suit, for the right price.  I wanted to find something different this summer that was a little more conservative than my other suits.  I only own 2 piece bikini’s, but now that I’m a mom, I wanted to find something that was a little more practical.  I browsed all my favorite stores this summer, looking for a one-piece that I could easily wear while swimming with Jack, but also wouldn’t make me look like an old lady, but I could not find anything.  
After no luck in the stores, I decided I had to look online.  I don’t shop online very often, but sometimes it can be very convenient for a working mom.  After searching for lots of online stores, I ended up going with Amazon.  I always underestimate shopping on Amazon for clothes.  We buy a lot of things from Amazon, but I always forget that you can buy almost anything there, including bathing suits.  I found that Amazon had the best selection and the best prices.
I ended up buying2 bathing suits for under $30 for both.  Today, I’m focusing on this black scalloped halter one-piece bathing suit. (I’ll save the other bathing suit for a later post.)  This suit was everything I was looking for in a one-piece.  It’s conservative, yet youthful.  I love the scallop look and I went with black because it’s always a safe color choice.  I like how this bathing suit has a high neckline because that was a problem I was running into with my other bathing suits.  Jack was always pulling at my top.  

So far I’m happy with my purchase.  It had been so long since I last wore a one-piece, that I forgot how much I liked them.  Now I feel like I’m all ready to enjoy the rest of our pool season!

If you’re looking for a new mom-friendly bathing suit, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money, I’ve rounded up 12 great bathing suits for you.  All of them are under $30!  I wish that I could buy them all!  

One || Two || Three || Four
Five || Six || Seven || Eight
Nine || Ten || Eleven || Twelve

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Mom Style, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • 12 Comments

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- Year of Color

August 18, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Making the most of your wardrobe- 3 ways to wear a bright pink shirt
I’ve been dreading writing this Year of Color post for a while.  I always like to do some kind of outfit post with the color of the month, but this month’s color theme is neon. 
When I started to brainstorm outfits with neon colors all I could think about was an 80’s theme party outfit.  I felt completely stumped on how I could incorporate neon colors into my wardrobe.  But then I remembered that I do wear neon colors.  I typically stick to neutral colors when putting together outfits, but when I do dress in color, it seems that I always gravitate to bright neon pink.  I have a cute hot pink cold shoulder top that I’ve been wanting to share in an outfit post for a while, so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity.  Today I have 3 looks for you to show how you can easily incorporate a bright color into your wardrobe.

*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I will receive a small commission.  Thank you for your support.
For my first look, I wore my bright pink top with white pants, then I accessorized it with some gold and turquoise accessories.  I really love how the turquoise looks with the bright pink.  The two bright colors go well together.  I also love how the white pants help keep the whole outfit bright.  It’s a great look for summer.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with white pants and gold and turquoise accessories
Pants- Target (similar) || Clutch- hand-me-down (similar) || Shoes- Kohl’s (similar)
I’ve always liked pink and black together, that’s why for this next look I wore black shorts, black wedge sandals and a black satchel purse.  I accessorized with a turquoise necklace.  I figured that this would be a cute look for a summer date night out.  
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with black and turquoise accessories
Shorts- Forever 21 (similar) || Purse- Last Call (exact) || Shoes- Target (similar)
The last way that I wore my pink top was with my distress jeans and I accessorized it with a cognac bag and sandals.  This is a more casual everyday look for me.  I like keeping the accessories simple, because the bright pink is a big enough statement.  
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with distressed jeans and congac accessories
Jeans- Target (similar) || Purse- Last Call (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar)
Shop my closet
Here are some similar pink tops I found that you can style in similar ways.
One | Two | Three
Four | Five | Six
Do you incorporate neon colors into your wardrobe ever?  If so, how do you wear it?
Don’t forget to leave your link below with your neon post.  Next month our color theme will be blue! I hope to see you there!  

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Making the Most of your Wardrobe, outfits, Year of Color • by Katie Haller • 1 Comment

What I Wore- Weekday Wardrobe

August 5, 2017 by Katie Haller

 This past week was my professional development week at work.  I always look forward to this week every year.  It’s not because I love sitting through the same boring trainings that I’ve sat through for the last 3 years.  It’s because I look forward to planning out my outfits for each day and wearing something fun and different than my normal work clothes.  I have a lot of restrictions in the classroom working with the kids every day, so when I’m sitting at a training all day, I can wear some of the things that I’d like to get more use out of in my closet.  This week I was able to wear wedge sandals, blazers, white pants and dresses that I typically wouldn’t wear in the classroom.
Here’s a look at my outfits from the past week.
*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I will receive a small commission.  Thank you for your support.

I’m going to start with last Friday because it was our last day of school funfair for the kids.  I wore my pink maxi dress with my denim blazer. 
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits.  Pink maxi dress with denim vest

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits.  Pink maxi dress with denim vest

Dress- Target (similar) || Denim Vest- Savers (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar)

On Monday I wore my white pants with my burnt orange cardigan.  I liked the color combo with the turquoise accessories and white pants.  I also decided to wear my cognac wedges, because I never get the chance to wear any kind of heal in the classroom.
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits.  Orange cardigan with white pants and turquoise accessories

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits.  Orange cardigan with white pants and turquoise accessories

Top- Old Navy (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Cardigan- H&M (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (exact) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Tuesday was my favorite look.  I found this swing tank top at Target in the clearance section last weekend for under $7!  I have a similar tank in navy and it’s one of my favorite tanks this summer.  I wore it with my grey LC Lauren Conrad blazer that I love, but rarely get to wear.
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Grey blazer with stripe swing tank top

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Stripe swing tank top with jeans and wedge sandals

Top- Target (similar) || Jeans- Hollister- thrifted from the Good Will (similar) || Blazer- Kohl’s (exact)|| Shoes- Target (similar) || Purse- Last Call (exact) || Necklace- Savers (similar)

Wednesday I went with a dress.  I haven’t worn this pink stripe t-shirt dress since I was pregnant and I’ve missed it.  I always think it looks nice with my denim jacket.
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Pink stripe dress with denim jacket

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Pink stripe dress with denim jacket

Dress- Old Navy (exact/ similar) || Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Target (exact) || Necklace- Kohl’s (similar)

Thursday was a repeat of my white pants and denim jacket.  I wore my Gap navy and white stripe t-shirt with my lace up faux suede flats.  I figure I never get a chance to wear my white pants, so I’d get good use out of them and wear them twice.
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Navy stripes with white pants
Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Navy stripes with white pants

Top- Gap-thrifted from Goodwill (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Ross (similar) || Purse- Savers (similar) || Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)


Those are my outfits from training.  Next week I’ll be in my classroom getting it ready for my new class.  I hope all the teachers out there have great start to the new school year.  I’m sure I’ll be sharing more of my daily outfits on Instagram, so look for them there!


Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Daily Outfits, outfits • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Summer Favorites- Wardrobe Essentials

July 28, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- 5 summer clothing essentials

We are officially in the dog days of summer.  Don’t get me wrong, I love summer.  Who doesn’t?  But sometimes I get really bored with my summer wardrobe.  The heat can really limit you on what you can wear.  In the spring I get so excited for shorts, sandals, and dresses, but by the end of July, I really start missing my jeans and cardigans. 

To help me pull through these last few weeks of summer, I’ve decided to do a 3 part series to focus on all my summer favorites.  I will be sharing all my favorite summer wardrobe pieces, beauty products, and accessories.  Today I want to start off my series by talking about my favorite everyday summer wardrobe pieces.

As I said before, getting dressed in the summertime can be challenging when it’s 110 degrees outside, but I have narrowed down my closet to 5 must-have clothing items that I’ve had on repeat this summer. 

*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I will receive a small commission.  Thank you for your support.

LBD-  If you’ve been reading along, you know I love a great black dress.  I live in these dresses during the summer.  I really just love how versatile black is.  It can be accessorized in so many ways.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest


Denim vest-  I bought my denim vest for $2.50 at Savers a couple months ago and it might have been the best 2 dollars and 50 cents that I spent all summer!  The sleeveless style makes it perfect for layering in the heat.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest

Jean shorts-  I prefer to wear long jeans, but when it’s really hot, jean shorts have been my go-to bottoms.  I bought this Abercrombie pair of shorts (seen below) at Savers for $5 this past January.  They are a little on the short side, but they’re super comfortable and have quickly become my favorite pair of shorts.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- jean shorts

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts

Loose-fitting tank tops-  I am just loving to lose tank tops that you can tuck into your shorts.  I’m loving this look because it’s much more flattering and comfortable than a fitted tank. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts with converse


Maxi dresses-  The hardest part of getting dressed in the summertime, is figuring out how to dress for work.  I can’t wear shorts, sandals or thin tank tops.  I find maxi dresses a great summer clothing item for work because they help me stay covered up, but they are also comfortable to wear in the heat.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-stripe maxi dress with denim vest
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-stripe maxi dress with denim vest

Those are my 5 go-to favorite pieces of clothing this summer.  Stay tuned for next week when I will be sharing my favorite beauty products of the summer!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

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Hi I'm Katie! Welcome to my blog! I am on a mission to help women build a wardrobe that they love without spending a lot of money doing it. I believe that everyone has the right to feel good in their outfit, no matter what your budget is! I am excited to have you here!
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thriftywifehappylife

Affordable everyday petite (5’1) mom style
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👨‍✈️Wife + Mom of 2 💙💗
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Wear to wear this $18 dress from @walmart! This Wear to wear this $18 dress from @walmart! 

This dress is so cute and comes in other colors! It’s great to wear anywhere this summer! 

🛍️Comment DRESS and I will send you the shopping link to this post! 🔗https://mave.ly/thrifty-wife-happy-life/post/walmart-dress

#walmartfinds #walmartfashion #summerdress #howtowearit #wheretowear #momstyleinspo
Best Sellers from May!! 🌸 Here are the pieces Best Sellers from May!! 🌸

Here are the pieces you have been shopping on the @shop.ltk app! 

🛍️Comment MAY and I will send you the shopping link to my best sellers! 🔗https://liketk.it/5f0Ht

#maybestsellers #bestsellers #ltkbestsellers #ltkfindsunder100 #ltkpetite #ltkstyletip
What I wore then vs. what I wore now! Today I’m What I wore then vs. what I wore now!

Today I’m updating a longtime favorite look with a maxi dress that has a little more shape and structure—but still has all the things I loved about the original. Same formula (maxi + denim jacket), just a bit more refined.

🛍️Comment UPDATE and I will send you the shopping link to this outfit! 🔗https://liketk.it/5eYBg

#whatiworethenvsnow #updatingmillenialoutfits #millenialmom #millenialstyle #updatingoutfits #outfitideas #maxidresses #styletips
My favorite bathing suits as a 40-year old mom of My favorite bathing suits as a 40-year old mom of 2! 👙

What mom-friendly bathing suit means to me:
✔️ Good booty coverage
✔️ Hides my stretch marks + tummy support! 
✔️ And I can actually move, swim, and chase my kids without worrying about anything falling out 🙃

Swipe to see some of my favorites!! 

🛍️ Comment BATHING SUIT and I will send you the shopping link to this post! 

#momfriendlybathingsuits #bathingsuits #swimwear #affordableswimwear #amazonbathingsuits #amazonfinds
Mom-Friendly Summer Capsule Wardrobe: 20 Pieces, 9 Mom-Friendly Summer Capsule Wardrobe: 20 Pieces, 96 Outfits!! 

All the shopping details are LIVE on the blog!! Comment CAPSULE and I will send you the link to the post!! 

🔗https://thriftywifehappylife.com/2025/05/effortless-summer-mom-capsule-wardrobe-2025/

#capsulewardrobeblogger #capsulewardrobe #summercapsulewardrobe #momcapsulewardrobe #momstyle #summerstyle
What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! 

The weather had been terrible this week 😩 So I basically wore my go-to comfort outfit combo all week long— thrifted jeans + cardigan/sweater + ballet flats. 

How is the weather where you live this spring?? 

🛍️Comment OUTFITS and I will send you the link to all my daily outfits! 

#dailyoutfit #realoutfit #thriftedstyle #momstyle #momoutfits #momfashion #wiwtw
My Mom-Friendly Summer Capsule Wardrobe is LIVE on My Mom-Friendly Summer Capsule Wardrobe is LIVE on the blog! ☀️

✨See all 96 outfits in blog post!! Outfit reel coming soon!! 

🛍️Comment SUMMER and I will send you the
link to the blog post!! 🔗https://thriftywifehappylife.com/2025/05/effortless-summer-mom-capsule-wardrobe-2025/

#capsulewardrobe #summercapsule #momoutfits #momstyle #summerstyle #effortlessstyle #affordablefashion
What I wore then vs. What I wore now I have alway What I wore then vs. What I wore now

I have always loved cardigan sweaters. Lately I’ve been wearing them buttoned up, which is an easy way to update the style and wear it in a new way! 

🛍️ Comment LINK and I will send you the shopping link to the updated outfit! 🔗https://liketk.it/5erRV

#whatiworethenvsnow #outfitideas #updatingmillenialoutfits #updatingoutfits #whitepants #cardiganoutfit
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