Frugal suggestions to economize from older generations

For these with nice grandparents, grandparents, and oldsters from the Greatest Generation (these born 1901 to 1927) and the Silent Generation (these born 1928 to 1945), a lot might be realized from the right way to reside a frugal way of life. These two generations lived by means of the Great Depression and World War II, two occasions that forced Americans to become more resourceful as a consequence of difficult financial situations, food scarcity, and rations.

Today, individuals who contemplate themselves frugal are at all times on the lookout for extra methods to economize. To glean frugal knowledge from older generations that will nonetheless be relevant right this moment, one frugal individual posed the question on Reddit: “What frugal lesson from your parents or grandparents you still use today?”

And many frugal folks provided their greatest money-saving suggestions from their kinfolk that they nonetheless use right this moment. From the right way to save on cash to utilities, these are the best frugal tips from Redditors: 

Reuse out of your kitchen

“My grandma rinsed and reused foil until it crumbled. I rolled my eyes then, now I catch myself doing it. Funny how those ‘silly’ habits end up smart. Mine also saves glass jars, labeled lids with tape, turned t-shirt into rags, and froze veg scraps for stock. :)” – YourxCherry

“I save butter wrappers in the fridge to use for greasing baking pans. To get everything out of empty condiment bottles, I pour a little vinegar, milk or whatever is fitting, then shake it up and use that for salad dressing or other cooking needs.” – so-many-cats

“I love Tostitos salsa jars. Whatever I cook, such as soup, ground beef, pasta, the extras, or leftovers, everything goes into these jars. They are so perfect for portioning. One jar = one person’s meal portion. I literally have more than 30 jars, and they are incredibly convenient!” – Proud_Possibility256

“I do not go grocery shopping until my fridge is empty including my freezer zero food waste. I have become very creative with recipes. Saves me money. Always take lunch to work.” – Samantha-the-mermaid

“My grandmother took care of her five siblings during the depression after her parents died on .45¢ an hour. I make more money in an hour than she made in a week. She never wasted ANYTHING. She taught me to save bacon grease for seasoning, bread ends for bread pudding, leftovers for soup, and coffee grounds and eggshells for the garden. We didn’t carve our pumpkins- we painted them and made pumpkin pie out of it after Halloween.” – That-Response-1969

“I sometimes hate it that I am like this, but one of the first odd things that come to mind is labeling bottles of home goods like dish soap, body wash, bars of soap, hand soap, etc. so you know which one lasts the longest after purchase. Keep in mind, my grandmother grew up during the Great Depression. I also spent a majority of my days with her making food (predominately just standing around doing nothing useful). All of the meals we hold dear to our hearts are actually just frugal meals to stretch out. She would get extremely nervous if she came to your home and there were not canned goods. This is winter in the upper Midwest during the Great Depression to put it into perspective, along with canning and preparing for everything. This is a person that lived by candle light basically. When she finally had a icebox, every last meal had to be frozen. No matter what you made, it had to be able to sit there when necessary. You make no meal that cannot be eaten for three days or frozen solid for the next month. I still live by this routine.” – WideRoadDeadDeer95

Make your cash go additional

“My mother taught me how to compare prices per item or ounce rather than by the package.” – Chicpea09

“My parents always framed purchases by how much time I would have to exchange for the item. So when I was in 6th grade and I wanted a TV for my bedroom and it was $120, I would have to do 6 to 10ish baby sitting jobs – then ask myself is it worth that exchange. This is still how I frame most purchases.” – BagNo349

“My grandfather told me as a teenager that debt is how other people control you. I didn’t realize how true this was until my early 20s when I got into mild debt problems. Since then I have been majorly debt averse.” – Egon88

“Mine told me if you cant pay the milkman 6pence this week, how will you pay him 12pence next week? Lesson learned. I pay my bills on time ALWAYS.” – Mundane_Sail_4155

“My dad always said it’s not a deal if you can’t afford it. Of course he didn’t have slickdeals either lol.” – JasonG5

“My grandpa always said ‘Pay yourself first.’ Even when money was tight, he’d stash $5–10 in savings before paying bills. I thought it was silly but that habit built a nice cushion over time.” – samdaz712

Save on utilities and residing bills

“I hang dry my clothing whenever possible. I find it strangely relaxing to stand outside and carefully hang everything up so it has good airflow. It reminds me of helping my grandmother hang out laundry on their farm. The only thing I changed was painting the tips of my clothespins so I can see them better and don’t forget them on the line accidentally.” – SpecificSkunk

“MAINTAIN and REPAIR what you already own. Lubricate, tighten, clean. Change filters. Replace belts. Flush. Air out. Condition. Resurface. Store properly. Take care of your stuff.” – i_know_tofu

“I patch and repair clothes that can be repaired instead of immediately buying new. For instance, we have a comforter that has gotten holes from the washing machine – cheap materials. I’m learning the Japanese art of Shashiko to patch it over my Thanksgiving week break. I find a used item instead of buying new immediately, when our dryer went out, I bought one from an estate sale for the same price as repairing the old one would have cost (and since it was on it’s 3rd repair – heavy eye roll on cheaply made crap – I don’t feel so bad. I line dry a lot of things. Not everything but a lot.” – LeftwingSH

“I put on hoodies and blankets and refuse to turn the heater on until the outside temps are about 45 degrees.” – thedoc617

“How to drive in order to maximize your miles per gallon and reduce wear and tear on the car. Accelerate slowly and try to keep under 2 RPMs. Leave a wide berth between yourself and other cars. Anticipate traffic/stopping, then let off the gas and cruise. Don’t ride the brakes.” – OrdinarySubstance491

The knowledge holds up, all these years later

There’s a motive these habits caught round lengthy after the Depression ended and the rationing stopped. They work. Not as a result of they’re intelligent tips, however as a result of they mirror a basic shift in the way you relate to the stuff you personal, treating them as sources to be revered fairly than conveniences for use up and changed. Our grandparents didn’t have the posh of waste, and in studying from them, we’d discover that neither will we. The excellent news is that the majority of the following tips price nothing to start out. Pick one, strive it this week, and see what occurs.

This article initially appeared final yr. It has been up to date.