Stacey Nguyen

I’ve been in a real John Prine phase lately, and one of my favorite discoveries is “Souvenirs.” One reason why I love the thrift store is because I am constantly fascinated by the history of the objects that end up there.  Objects can never be experiences, of course, but it stirs something in me to … Read more

At the end of South and West, Joan Didion writes, “The particular flat expanse of the Central Valley comforts my eye…I am easy here in a way that I am not easy in other places.”  The Central Valley is known for being somewhat flat and beige — some might even say dull and bland. But … Read more

I approach thrifting like a treasure hunt, staying open to all of the wondrous possibilities that the thrift store holds. That said, I do find it useful to go into the store with some kind of mental framework for picking out pieces. It helps me avoid the all-too-common pitfall of hoarding stuff just because it’s … Read more

My overarching ~thrifty~ goals for this New Year are to shop secondhand whenever possible and to cut down spending on things that don’t serve my lifestyle. As a self-employed writer, my income can really go through feast and famine cycles, so I like to be frugal even when I have ample savings. Shopping secondhand is … Read more

Merry Thriftmas! Christmas is simply the most wonderful time of year at the thrift store. Christmas paraphernalia pops up at secondhand shops like clockwork after Halloween. I think this happens because holiday cheer is mostly concentrated in November and December — by mid-January, everyone is pretty much over the yuletide spirit and desperate to declutter … Read more