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Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Spring Fashion with ThredUp

May 9, 2018 by Katie Haller

I’ve always enjoyed thrift shopping, but it wasn’t until the last couple of years that I became addicted to it.  For me, I love the thrill that thrift shopping gives me.  There is nothing better than walking out of a thrift store with a bag full of new clothes that you spent under $20 for.  When I became a mom, it really changed the way I shopped for myself.  I started to feel guilty spending too much money on myself when I knew I could be using that money towards my family.  That’s why thrifting has become my favorite way to shop.  Not to mention, I really love the idea of recycling your fashion.  It can be so wasteful to go shopping all the time, and then only wear your clothes for a couple of months.  Why not buy second-hand clothes and donate your old clothes?

I know that thrifting is not for everyone, and I feel like the number one excuse that I hear from people is that “I never find anything good.”  I hear ya!  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a Goodwill or Savers and left empty-handed.  It’s hard to pick through and find the buried treasures.  Plus so many of the clothes can be very worn or outdated.  This is why I love shopping at ThredUP.
 
*This post is part of a collaboration with ThredUP.  It also contains affiliate links, which means by making a purchase through a link, I will make a small commission for this blog.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Thank you for your support! 
If you’re not familiar with ThredUP, it’s an online thrift store that sells name brand and designer clothes and accessories at up to 90% off of the retailed price.  ThredUP is the perfect thrift store for the people who say they can “never find anything good” when thrift shopping.  Their filter system makes it so easy to find what you’re looking for.  You can filter by size, style, prices, brands and more. Thrift shopping can be time-consuming, that’s why I love how convenient it is to sit on the couch and search through the clothes.  When I like something, I add it to my favorites.  If you want to hold something you like, you can put it into your cart for 24 hours.  The best thing about ThredUP for me is that every item that I have received from them has come to me in perfect condition.  You would never believe that it was used.  Unlike other thrift stores that take all the donations and sell them in the store, ThredUP only sells gently worn items.  Many of their clothes still have the tag on them.  
For this post, I’m sharing 3 outfits that I picked out on ThredUP.  I found 2 dresses, 1 top, 1 skirt and one pair of sandals all under $50!!  
 One-shoulder spring wedding guest dress
I loved this one-shoulder ruffle dress.  It came with the tags on it and was $7.99.  I don’t have anything like it in my closet.  It has very light material, so I know that it will be perfect this summer in the heat.  It’s the perfect dress for a bridal/baby shower or even a casual summer wedding.
Colorful Wrap Dress
I love the fit of an empire waist wrap dress, so when I saw this dress I knew I had to get it.  It was only $9.99.  I think that this style of dress is flattering on all body types.  It’s also a great style for nursing moms or early pregnancy.  I also found these cream-colored sandals for $6.99.  My sandal collection has been in need of an update lately.  I’m always nervous about buying second-hand shoes because you never know what kind of condition they will be in.  Every time I’ve ordered a pair of shoes from ThredUP, they have come to me in perfect condition.  You can’t even tell anyone had ever worn them.  
 Casual work look
Obviously, I can’t ever resist black and white stripes.  It’s such a classic look, so when I came across this Ann Taylor striped skirt for only $7.99,  I couldn’t help myself.  It has a stretchy waist, so it’s comfortable to wear casually.  I also found this white blouse from Target for $7.99, which I’m currently loving.  I never knew how great a white blouse can be.  You can wear it with almost anything.  I wore my sandals with this look.  I felt like this would be a great look for work, if your a teacher or want something a little more casual for the office this summer.  It’s also a great look for church.
I want to say a big thanks to ThredUP for sponsoring this post and letting me have a shopping spree!  This is not the last post you will see with my ThredUP summer clothes.  I’ve just had 3 more polka dot boxes come my way, so I can’t wait to share.  I highly recommend checking out ThredUP if you’re looking to update your summer wardrobe.  Happy Shopping to all of you!!!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, ThredUp, Thrifty Looks, Thrifty Tips • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Simple Spring Outfit

April 24, 2018 by Katie Haller

Hey guy! For today’s post, I’m going to make this simple and short.  There is nothing I love more in the spring than a cute sundress and a denim jacket.  I found this Target dress a few months ago at Goodwill and I could not wait for the weather to warm up so I could wear it.  I recently wore this look on Easter.  A simple sundress like this is such a great item to find at a thrift store.  They always have a great selection of dresses like this, plus a dress like this doesn’t really go out of style.  I paired it with my thrifted Old Navy denim jacket and an old pair of cork wedges.  I feel like you can never go wrong with a combo like this.  For similar options, be sure you check out the links below.


*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on them and/or making a purchase through them, I will make a small commission.  Thank you for your support. 
Thrifted green summer dress

Thrifted green summer dress

Thrifted green summer dress

Thrifted green summer dress

Thrifted green summer dress
Shop Similar Looks


Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Thrifty Looks • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Project Remade with ThredUp

April 19, 2018 by Katie Haller

Recycled fashion
It’s no secret that I love to thrift shop.  I save so much money on my wardrobe by buying my clothes at second-hand stores.  I am the kind of person who can’t enjoy my clothes unless I know that I got a great deal on them.  Besides saving me money, I also really love the idea of recycling my wardrobe.  I don’t think that most people realize just how much pollution the fashion industry produces.  It’s the second most polluting industry next to petroleum.  When I shop second hand, I’m not only helping my bank account, but I’m also making a small step to help preserve our planet for the future. 
*This post is part of a collaboration with ThredUP.  As always all opinions are 100% my own. 

In honor of Earth Day, I’ve teamed up with my favorite online thrift store, ThredUP, to help promote their campaign, Project Remade.  ThredUP has selected 12 artists to respond to the statement “Climate Change is Not Real”.  Their reactions were printed onto second-hand T-shirts and are currently up for sale at ThredUp HERE!  All proceeds are going towards the environmental non-profit organization Cool Effects.  I have picked a few of my favorite designs to share below. 
Recycled fashion

Recycled fashion
I’m definitely not perfect when it comes to living green, but I feel like if we all make small changes in our lives, we can do our part to preserve our planet for future generations. If you want to learn more about sustainable fashion you can check out the Top 20 Eco-Blogger You Should Be Following.

Happy Earth Day everyone!
Recycled fashion


Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Thrifty Looks, Thrifty Tips • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Thrift Store Look

January 24, 2018 by Katie Haller

I feel like ever since I moved to Las Vegas 3 years ago, my closet has been overtaken by thrifted clothes.  I’ve always loved to thrift shop, but now I have such a great selection of thrift stores in my area.  It’s so hard to go back to shopping at normal stores after you have just finished a shopping spree at a thrift store. 
On my most recent thrifting trip, I went to my local Goodwill store.  I’m a VIP member there and they always have great sales every day.  On Sunday’s they do a fill-a-bag sale, where they give you a bag and they pick a color tag that you can fill as much into your bag of that colored tag that will fit for $12.99.  I’ve never actually done a fill-a-bag sale, but on this particular day I ended up finding some really cute things.  I came home with 2 blouses, 3 dresses, 3 striped tops and a pair of jeans.  I probably would have stuffed more in my bag, but it was getting close to nap time and Jack was getting pretty restless.  Everything I bought rang up to $50 which is a pretty good deal for 8 different clothing items, but I only paid $12.99 which is even better.  It’s so addicting when you get sales like this. I should also mention that you don’t pay tax at the Goodwill, which also helps keep your sale price even lower!

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

Here is one of the outfits that I bought.  The top is Tart brand, which you can find that brand a lot at Nordstrom Rack.  I believe the jeans are from H&M, but the tag was cut out.  The jeans were super comfortable, but a little worn out, so I decided that I would distress them myself, the same way I have done it to my other jeans. (Read about how to distress your own jeans HERE.)  I accessorized my look with some of my fun designer jewelry from my Rocksbox. (Be sure to try out a free month of Rocksbox. Click HERE and use my code thriftywifehappylifexoxo)

Shop my Closet Styles

Are you a thrifter?  If not, I highly suggest checking out a few thrift stores in your area.  Find out what the sales are and I promise, you will have a hard time going back to the mall.

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

Christmas Look with Red Houndstooth Skirt.

December 20, 2017 by Katie Haller

Today I’m sharing my last outfit posts for this year.  Blogging has been hard lately for me to keep up with.  I’m surprised that I get out as many posts as I do sometimes.  I think that sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to get blog posts out and keep up with it all.  It sometimes overwhelms me too much and I don’t like that feeling.  I blog because I love it, but I do have other things in life that I need to tend to, and that sometimes comes first, especially when it comes to my family.  

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a small commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 
Before I take a little break, I wanted to share a Christmas look with this red houndstooth skirt that I’ve been dying to share.  This skirt is from Express, but it was a thrift find by my mom who passed it down to me.  I love it!  It’s the perfect winter skirt.  I just love how this skirt looks with all back.  To complete this look I added some sparkly accessories to make it perfect for Christmas.  I love this black satin clutch with the rhinestone buckle.  My statement necklace is from Rockbox. If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know all about how much I’ve been loving my Rockbox subscription.  That’s why I want to make sure and share my code for a free month of a Rockbox subscription. Go to Rocksbox.com and use my code thriftywifehappylifexoxo.  I’m actually getting ready to send back this box and get a new set of jewelry for January!  I can’t wait to see what new designer jewelry I will get next!
Christmas outfit with Red houndstooth skirt
Christmas outfit with Red houndstooth skirt

Red houndstooth skirt
Christmas outfit with Red houndstooth skirt

Christmas outfit with Red houndstooth skirt

Red houndstooth skirt
Skirt- Express (similar, similar, similar, similar ) || Top- Forever 21 (similar) || Booties- Kohl’s (similar) || Clutch- Jessica McClintock (similar) || Necklace- Rocksbox || Sunglasses- Glassesshop.com (exact)

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Thrifty Looks • by Katie Haller • 2 Comments

How to: Distress Your Own Denim

October 16, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim
Today, I want to share my latest obsession with distressing my own jeans.  I love the look of distressed denim, but I’ve had bad luck finding distressed jeans that I really love.  They are either too distressed or not enough.  I feel like the ones that I really like are way out of my price range.  I feel like you shouldn’t have to spend $70 + for a cute pair of distressed jeans.  That’s why this fall I started looking over some of the jeans in my closet that I never wear anymore and I decided that I would make them new again by adding some holes to them and distressing them a bit. (sounds weird to make something new by destroying them, but hey it’s the style.) 

I started searching on Pinterest for how to distress your own jeans and I was confused by some of the articles I found.  Some talked about using a cheese grader or sandpaper.  Luckily, I was able to find a good video on YouTube that broke it down for me. 
So here are the steps I took to distress my jeans. 
Step 1: Pick out a pair of jeans that you want to distress.  I would go for an older pair or a cheaper pair of jeans that you wouldn’t mind if you messed up.  The jeans I picked for this post are a pair of Express jeans that I’ve had in my closet for probably 10 years.  They needed a makeover!  I recommend that you do some research first on what style of distressed jeans you want.  I personally don’t like too many holes, so I kept it simple with 2 holes on the knee and a small hole on the upper leg on one side.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim

Step 2: I used a white eye shadow to mark where I wanted to make the cut.  (I read to use eye shadow instead of a marker or pencil because it washes out easily.)

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim

Step 3: Once you have your spots marked, start cutting.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim


Step 4: After you’ve made your cuts, use your fingers to fray the material a little until you see the white fibers.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim


Step 5: Once you’ve frayed the ends, you will be able to see the blue fiber ends.  Use a pair of tweezers to pull the blue fibers out.  This is the time-consuming part.  I recommend you do this part in your bathroom or somewhere you can easily clean it up because it gets a little messy.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim


Step 6: Once you’re done with one hole, move on to the next and do the same technique until you’re done.  I was very pleased with how my second pair of jeans turned out.  Now a pair of jeans that I was ready to put in my Goodwill bag a month ago are my new favorite pair of jeans.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life | How to: Distress your own denim

I hope that was helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I’d be happy to help!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Thrifty Looks, Thrifty Tips • 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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Affordable everyday petite (5’1) mom style
A mix of affordable retailers + thrifted fashion
👨‍✈️Wife + Mom of 2 💙💗
💌 katie@thriftywifehappylife.com

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
If you are over spending money this school year, b If you are over spending money this school year, but still want to send in a little end of the year appreciation gift to your kid’s teacher then this $5 gift idea is a perfect! 

@walmart has these cute little faux plants for under $5! I googled these free printable tags and used some left over Christmas ribbon to make these cute little end of year teacher gifts. 🪴

🛍️Comment TEACHER GIFT and I will send you the shopping links to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5emTs

#teacherappreciation #teachergift #walmartgifts #walmartfinds #giftsunder5 #affordablegifts
Field trips, field day, park day… if you’re lo Field trips, field day, park day… if you’re looking for a cute casual outfit to wear to any of these places, this is a great go-to! 

This top has a built in bra which is so convenient and comfortable! Skirt has built in shorts! Both are super easy to accessorize! 

🛍️Comment LINK and I will send you the shopping link to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5edIb

#amazonfinds #amzonstyle #fieldtripoutfit #momootd #momoutfits #momstyle
Amazon vacation dresses 👗 🌴 I’m loving al Amazon vacation dresses 👗 🌴

I’m loving all these beautiful dresses from @gracekarin_brand! These will all be coming on vacation with me this summer!! Which dress is your favorite? 

🛍️Comment DRESS and I will send you the shopping links to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5e77Y

#vacationdress #amazondresses #gracekarin #gksummer #gracekarinstyle #affordablefashion #amazonfinds #outfitideas #vacationstyle
I’ve been doing a lot of outfit brainstorming fo I’ve been doing a lot of outfit brainstorming for my cruise vacations coming up next month! That’s why  today on the blog I am breaking down some outfit ideas for all the different places you need outfits for on a Caribbean cruise! 

✨Comment CRUSE and I will send you the link to my blog post with all the outfit details! 
💻🔗https://thriftywifehappylife.com/2025/05/cruise-wardrobe-what-to-wear-for-a-caribbean-cruise/

#cruiseoutfits #cruisevacation #vacationoutfits #resortwear #momstyle #affordablestyle
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! 

This week we finally got some warmer weather which meant I could take my outfit pictures outside! But that was short lived because it’s cold and rainy again 😩

Let me know what day is your favorite! 

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

#dailyoutfits #momstyle #momoutfits #outfitideasforyou #momootd #sahmstyle
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