55 Frugal Living Tips from the Great Depression | Grandma's Frugal Hacks

~ITEMS MENTINOED IN THIS VIDEO~
Grow your own food
Be conservative with what you have
Develop new skills
Don't use Credit
Thrifty with Utilities
Change your own oil
Borrowing is powerful
Shop Used
Use the Library
Replacement is a last resort
careful with Laundry
Control emotional spending
Side hustles
Turn the temperature down
cut back on bills
Protect/mend clothes
Save your clothes
Stay close to home
Skip the coffee shop
utilize your freezer
Minimize landscape expenses
Trim the cable
Portion control
Be creative with your stuff
Fix stuff
Don't compare
Limit dishwasher loads
be creative with gifts
Short showers
compost
rent a room
Vegetarian dinners
Reusable water bottles
be okay with your technology
free exercise
simple cars
pool your resources
consolidate trips
print on both sides of the paper
create your own entertainment
versatility
cook in batches
time your days with the sun
Build a savings habit
consider downsizing
plan ahead

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00:00 Intro
00:55 Frugal Tips

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#frugalliving #greatdepressiontips #frugalfitmom

[kimberlymason]

I got off of Facebook because I found myself, for the first time in my life, comparing myself to others! guess what? I am happier now!

[jodydix]

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
There's good reason these sayings came about!!!!

[kimt]

I remember when my Mom got a job after having me; then she had to get a car to go to that job. She discussed with my Dad that her job pays for her car. So she ditched the car and stayed home with us kids all through high school. Always appreciated.

[bonitaquandt]

My parents were children during the Depression. My Dad tried to (and often succeeded in) fix everything that broke, I once asked him how he learned to fix things. His answer was, if it is already broke, trying doesn't hurt. And if you fix it, you still have it. Seems to me a lot of Depression life included being resourceful and curious about what can be done.

[frenchparents]

My grandma would save the Sunday comics from the newspaper and use them to wrap gifts. She’s tie them with string so we could read the comics after opening the presents.
I miss her.

[geraldinelucas]

I was born at the end of the depression that my parents grew up during. The one thing you didn't cover that I remember was we had schools clothes but we changed into old play clothes when we got home.

[carolhewett]

I'm 72 and live alone. I always cook several portions when cooking and eat the prepared poortions later which some regard as leftovers. So I'm cooking that dish once and using electricity just once and washing that pot just once. It saves both time and money. So double or triple the food item and save the extra portions for later be either freezing or eating it a day or two later.

[hancadam]

100% agree with the comparing. I tell my kids all the time don’t be impressed with someone else’s debt.

[fyourfeelings]

I was raised up in a poor family. All of these things were our normal day to day life. I still live day to day like this. There is a big difference between a want and a need

[kateharrop]

While living over 20yrs in Alaska, I had a moto.
"If I can't buy it, I'll make it, if I can't make it, I'll wait until it comes on sale."

[susanrolstad]

The bundt pan can be used for stripping corn for freezing. It holds the cob in the center and the kernels fall into the pan.

[speak]

We went on picnics when we were young. It was a perfect, inexpensive outing.
They are perfect for outings during the pandemic. Try it!

[janeroth]

One sensible thing I have done is based on my mother’s advice. My wardrobe is limited and classic, but my clothing is all good quality and versatile. The colors are from a related palette of my favorite colors. And I repair any problem while it is still small and easy to take care of.

My dad instilled a habit of shoe care. Polish, oil, saddle soap, or launder your shoes as needed and appropriate. Use shoe trees to keep shoes in shape. Stuff smelly shoes with newspaper to rid them of odor (actually works!). Alternate which shoes you wear when possible so each pair can completely air out and dry inside; this controls bacteria, thus lessening or eliminating odors. Shoes that can be re-heeled or otherwise repairs should be.

This sounds burdensome, but when it is habit, it is a matter of minutes each day.

WEAR AN APRON WHEN COOKING!

[HmRmxx]

If thrift stores aren't plentiful in your area you can always try yard/garage sales & estate sales to buy gently used items. I do it all the time 👍🏻

[rhondatallent]

Back then stuff lasted longer because there was craftsmen that wanted to be proud of what they made!

[reenie]

I rarely buy new clothes, I always go to thrift stores, I use the library for DVDs, I keep everything untill it's worn out. I cook at home, I reuse plastic containers as much as I can before recycling. I don't know how to can preserves but when I buy pickles I keep the juice in the jar. I've put grated carrot and thinly slice fennel. Both are great in salad.

[anniepeach]

I thought about the “not comparing yourself to others” too because I was recently reading a book that discussed how everyone made their clothes before shopping came. You weren’t a size, you weren’t switching out wardrobe, you just made your clothes and wore things that fit your body perfectly

[kathleen]

I heard someone recently say, I'd rather have a $10 bag with 10k in it than a 10k bag with only $10 in it. Made a lot of sense. The absolute best way to save money is buy nothing on credit and budget everything. I have no credit cards and keep my debit card in a safe, not in my purse. Cash is king. I have bought 2 cars and everything I own with cash. I don't have payments except rent and utilities. I rent because I don't want a mortgage or the expense of repairs right now, and no it's not throwing money away because I have a good home, below my means and if something breaks I call a landlord and he pays all the taxes. It works for me right now. I'm saving for a house, that I can pay cash for. My granny who was born in 1898 taught me how to save and be frugal. I am so blessed to have had her!

[susanma]

My grandparents also lived during the depression and their habits affected my dad a lot. Whereas my mom wasn't as much of a penny pincher. My dad ALWAYS worked on the cars, and they needed it--they were total jalopies. When he passed away the first thing my mom did was go buy a car. My dad did so many things around the house himself--he re-roofed our house, he remodeled the inside, he built a roof for our patio, he built a huge two-storey storage building in our back yard. We had a big vegetable garden too. I had to help him do a lot of things--most girls in middle school probably don't have to sit on top of a ladder holding up pieces of wood for their dad to nail to the ceiling, or help guide 8 ft long lumber through a table saw. Or in college I had to sit on the roof, pull nails, and push the old shingles off the edge. At the time I did NOT like doing this manual labor, but now that I have my own house I'm glad that I have at least a working knowledge of things. And I'm sort of a cheapskate myself...and proud of it.

[JenMarco]

My Grandpop was born in 1906 and lived through the depression. He always said “you have to economize”. Best advice that applies to every aspect of life.