Thrifty Wife Happy Life

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

March 31, 2015 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

March 28, 2015 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

March 26, 2015 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.

Recipes

Healthy Meals

Crock Pot Cooking

Fall and Winter Recipes
Appetizers
Yummy Treats
Happy Hour

Recreating Your Wardrobe

March 22, 2015 by Katie Haller

With it being the beginning of a new season, it’s the perfect time to head out to the stores and stock up on some new spring looks. Well, if you’re trying to save money, you might want to rethink that idea. For me, I’ve definitely been feeling the urge to go shopping lately. I have a new job and the weather keeps getting warmer and warmer. I’d love to go drop a bunch of money on a new wardrobe, but I can’t do that on my budget. One thing that I have always found helpful to keep me out of the stores when I get that itch to go shopping, is to reinventing my wardrobe. It’s time for me to get creative and take a deeper look at my clothes to find new ways to wear them.

One way I’ve been recreating my wardrobe lately is by taking a second look at older pairs of jeans. I have too many pairs of jeans to count, yet I always feel like I need a new pair. This is probably because I don’t wear all of them. I still have jeans that I wore in college sitting in my closet. Instead of buying new jeans, I’ve been trying to wear my old ones, but just style them a little differently by rolling them.

Here are a couple examples.

I’ve had these American Eagle jeans for a while. I bought them at TJ Maxx for a really great price about 6 years ago. They have escaped my clothes donation bag a few times, mostly because they’re my only pair of ripped jeans. I’m not really feeling the flared jean look as much anymore, so instead of getting rid of them and shopping for a new pair of ripped jeans, I decided to style them a little differently by rolling them and making them look more tapered. Now I have a cute casual pair of jeans to wear.

Give your jeans a new look by rolling the bottom

These jeans are from Express. I bought them on clearance a few years ago. I really haven’t gotten a whole lot of use out of them until now. They are cute straight-legged jeans, but they’re a little long on me. So I’ve been just rolling them a bit. They have been a great pair of jeans to wear during the week to work.

Another way that I have been reinventing my wardrobe, is by mixing my winter clothes with my summer clothes. I really like the look of mixing my winter tops with shorts and dresses.

Here are a few examples.

I wore my navy blazer (Target) with a striped navy tank top (Target), light khaki shorts (Old Navy) and white sandals (Target).

Black sundress with red boyfriend cardigan and leopard scarf

For this look, I wore a black sundress (Target) with a red boyfriend cardigan (Target). I accessorized with a lightweight leopard scarf (Charming Charlie) and leopard flip flops (Express).

LC Lauren Conrad black blouse with shorts and wedge sandals

This look is great for a warm summer night. I wore a black LC Lauren Conrad blouse (Kohl’s) with my khaki shorts (Old Navy) and my wedged sandals (Kohl’s)

If you’re bored with your clothes, the best advice I can give to you is to accessorize them up! Accessorizing can take a simple outfit you wear all the time and turn it into something brand new.

Here is a great example of what accessories can do for an outfit. This is one of my favorite black sun dresses. I bought it at Express when I was in college, so it’s been in my closet for awhile. I usually wear it in the summer with a simple necklace and some flip flops. I decided to try it out with my coral necklace and wedged sandals. Now I have a great new look perfect for a summer night or even a tropical vacation.

I bought this dress last spring at Target. It’s super cute on its own, but when I accessorize it with my green bead necklace, silver belt, black cardigan and wedge shoes, I have a new outfit! It’s perfect for work, church or even a shower luncheon.

It really doesn’t take much to make your old clothes feel like new again. You just have to get creative. Before you do your spring shopping this year, look in your closet first and try something new. You never know what you will find!

My Closet~ Weekend Wardrobe

March 15, 2015 by Katie Haller

Here are a few of my outfits from the past 2 weekends!

Last Sunday

Denim Jacket- Jessica Simpson (similar)

Red Jeans- Kohls (similar)

Black Lace Top- Express (similar)

Shoes- Target (exact)

Saturday

White Pants- Target (similar)

Striped Tank Top- Old Navy (similar)

Sweater- Old Navy (similar)

Leopard Flats- Old Navy (similar)

Sunday

Maxi Dress- Target (similar)

Sweater- Old Navy (same as above)

Belt- Target (This belt is from a dress I bought for $2.06, you can read about it here)

Shopping Finds- Searching for a Bathing Suit on a Budget

March 7, 2015 by Katie Haller

It may not feel like it for most of the country, but summer is right around the corner. With this in mind, I’ve been searching for the perfect bathing suit. I’ve been in desperate need of a new bathing suit for a while now. Since I don’t have a body like a Victoria Secret model, bathing suit shopping has never been fun for me. Yet I still love a great swimsuit. If you can find something that flatters your body, you’ll feel great!

Now that I’m 30, not 21, I wanted to find a 2 piece that would be flattering and age-appropriate. I also wanted to find something affordable. Usually, I’d wait until late summer when bathing suits get marked down, but with 80-degree weather in the forecast for next week, I couldn’t hold off that long.

Before I buy anything, I always go right to Pinterest to get an idea of what I want. Here are a few of my favorite bathing suit pins.

Top Left: Victoria Secret Top Right: Victoria Secret Bottom Left: Revolve Bottom Right: Anthropologie

As you can see, I love a black bathing suit. Black is classic and flattering, plus it goes with everything. I like that I can mix and match my black tops and bottoms with other bathing suit tops and bottoms that I have in my drawers. This way I don’t only get 1 new bathing suit, I get 3 new bathing suits. I also wanted a bottom that would cover my backside and acute top that also had decent coverage.

If money was no object, I’d probably buy all 4 of these bathing suits above, but since I can’t really afford to buy even one of them, I had to look around for a suit in my price range. I always try to stick to a $30 budget for all my clothes, including my bathing suits.

I ended up finding a cute bathing suit last weekend at Target. They had a buy one get one 50% off sale going on. Target bathing suits usually run between $12.99-$24.99 per piece. Because of the sale, I was able to stick to my $30 budget.

Push-up Halter Bikini Top (Here) Keyhole Side Tie Bikini Bottoms (Here)

This bathing suit is the perfect suit for the summer. I’ll be able to keep my eyes open for some cute clearance tops and bottoms to mix it up and also some cute beach cover-ups. Target is still having their BOGO bathing suit sale, so I’d definitely check it out! They have a great selection and I’ve always had good luck with Target bathing suits. Happy Shopping and don’t forget, summer will be here before you know it!

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