My grandparents lived through the Great Depression which took place between 1929 – 1939.
Several factors contributed to the Great Depression, the stock market crash of 1929, world trade collapsed in part because of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which raised taxes on imports. Unemployment skyrocketed, 15 million people were out of work and banks failed.
Many who were lucky enough to keep their jobs often did not earn enough money to support themselves.
This was a time of extreme hardship for most people and out of those hardships’ lessons were learned. One being people did not waste resources or money.
I was very close with my grandmother and her sister and I learned many lessons from them on how to save money and waste nothing and even though I did not experience the same struggles they did, living a frugal life makes perfect sense to me.
Here are some lessons I learned from them and some things I have implemented myself that save money and reduce waste.
Pay Yourself First
My grandma always said pay yourself first. I did not fully understand what that meant until I was older, but it means that you put money into your savings and investment accounts first, before spending money on anything else like groceries, entertainment and other expenses. Think of investing in your savings as a mandatory expense much like food, rent, house payment and utilities. Things you must have to live and not as a discretionary expense like entertainment, eating out, travel, TV, gym memberships and other things that you can live without. Those expenses should come after everything important is paid for.
Grow Your Own Food
While growing a garden is not an option for everyone if you can grow a garden, you will save money. I grow a vegetable garden every summer and save hundreds of dollars a year. Much of what is grown can be canned or frozen and used throughout the year. Not only will you save money, but you will be eating fresh, whole foods. Check with your local library. Many give away free vegetable and flower seeds.
Plant Perennials
My grandma loved to plant flowers and so do I. I plant some of the same flowers that she did. But flowers and other plants can be expensive if you plant them every year. Choose perennial plants, they regrow every year, annual plants live for just one growing season.
Hanging flower baskets can cost $10.00-$50.00. Instead of buying them, make your own. If you purchased hanging flower baskets in the past use the containers and add flower seeds which cost just a dollar or two. You can buy hanging baskets at the dollar or discount store if you don’t already have them. You could create 10-15 baskets yourself for the cost of purchasing one flower basket at the store. Then just save the containers for next season.
Save on Meat
Instead of buying a package of skinless, boneless chicken buy a whole chicken and break it down yourself. Do the same for other meats as well. Buy a large pack of burger and press your own patties, buy a whole ham and slice it down. You pay more for convenience items. And check weekly sales at the local butcher or grocery store and buy and freeze meat when it is on sale. And consider cutting back on meat consumption. Instead of having meat every day maybe replace meat with other alternatives a few days a week.
Don’t Waste Food
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approximately 1 LB of food is wasted every day by each person in the United States. In 2017 they estimated that 206 billion pounds of food was wasted.
Make a grocery shopping list and plan your meals for the week. For food items that expire quickly use them or freeze them. Bread is an example of something that might go bad before you use the entire loaf. Instead of throwing it away pack it up and freeze it. Then take out just what you need for the day. The same can be done with fruits and vegetables. Cut them up and freeze them and then use them in soups, casseroles, stews, veggie burgers and other recipes. You can also prepare meals ahead and freeze them. Find a use for all leftovers.
Don’t Eat Out Often
Eating out is not only expensive but unhealthy. Limit how often you eat out, make it a special treat instead of a regular occurrence.
Make Your Own Cleaning Products
Instead of buying expensive cleaning products use basic staples like dish soap, vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, castile soap and lemon and make your own. You can find recipes for homemade cleaners online. Not only will you save money, but natural cleaners are good for the environment and your health.
Use Every Last Drop
Growing up my mom taught us to turn all bottles and containers upside down to get every last serving out of a container. Do this for condiments, dish soap, laundry soap, fabric softener, liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and anything else that can be drained to the top. Once you have done that cut the container open and scoop out even more. This works with toothpaste as well, cut the toothpaste tube open and use a small rubber spatula to scrape out the remaining paste.
Be mindful about how much you are using. We tend to use too much laundry soap, dish soap, shampoo and other things. Try cutting what you normally use in half and you probably will not notice the difference.
Sew & Mend
My mom and grandma both knew how to sew and crochet. They made their own clothes, curtains, tablecloths, blankets, slippers and other items. Many libraries offer free classes on sewing, knitting and crocheting. And you can learn any of these skills on YouTube for free. Even if you don’t want to sew or crochet you can learn how to mend the clothes you have.
Save on Utilities
There are many ways to save on utility costs. Purchase energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, unplug any electronic item you are not using, most use power even when they are turned off. I connect all of my TV’s, video games, printers and other electronics to a power strip that I can turn off or unplug when not in use.
Install low flow shower heads and take shorter showers.
Weatherize your home to save on heating and cooling costs. Use a programmable thermostat. Change air filters regularly.
Reuse Items
Reuse or repurpose everything you can.
My grandma reused aluminum foil and sandwich bags and I do the same. Aluminum foil is expensive and can often be reused, for example if you use it to cover a casserole it does not get ruined, use it again to cover another casserole or line a pizza pan. I often store vegetables and other items in plastic zipper bags. There is no need to throw the bag away after one use, just refill it. Sandwich bags can be rinsed out and air dried and used again. Or better yet buy reusable food wraps and containers to store food.
You can reuse the mesh bags that produce comes in to store other food.
Wash glass jars and other containers that food comes in and reuse them to store food and other items.
You can use empty tissue boxes to store plastic bags or as a trash container for your car.
Old shoe boxes make great storage containers.
Buy kitchen towels and cloth napkins at the dollar store and use those instead of paper towels and napkins. Just toss them in the washing machine and reuse.
Save plastic grocery bags and reuse them to line garbage cans, store items, pack lunches and pickup after your dog.
Instead of throwing away old tee shirts and socks reuse them. Cut old tee shirts into cloth sizes. They can be used as napkins or cleaning cloths. Socks are great, they slip on your hand and you can use them to clean blinds, ceiling fans, windows and bathrooms. You can also use old socks to store game pieces, small toys, paper clips, batteries, charging cables and other small items.
You can use old shower curtains and sheets as drop cloths when painting, as a tablecloth for outdoor tables, under a highchair to catch spills and messes or as a pet blanket.
Make Your Own Gifts
Growing up we often made our own Christmas and Birthday gifts. Even if you are not crafty there is probably something you can make. Check YouTube and Pinterest for ideas. Even if you don’t want to make something there are other ways to give. Instead of purchasing a gift for someone plan an outing with the person, offer a service or just cook dinner and invite them over.
Do It Yourself
Don’t pay for services you can do yourself. Wash your car, change your oil, clean your house, cook your meals, mow your lawn, do simple home repairs yourself, pickup takeout food instead of paying for delivery. Maintain what you have, take care of your home and car so that everything lasts longer.
Buy Used
Estate sales, garage sales, thrift shops and the Goodwill are all great places to find used clothes, household items, furniture, books, video games, CD’s and DVD’s and a ton of other things. Always consider buying used when making a purchase.
Borrow
If you need to use something just once or twice borrow the item instead of buying. Tools, sports equipment, camping and fishing gear and other things can often be borrowed. Ask a friend or relative or check with your local library. Libraries today lend more than just books. You can find tools, costumes, prom dresses, tech items, sporting and recreational equipment, musical instruments, CD’s and DVD’s, video games, cooking and baking supplies, art & craft supplies, games and more.
Swap
Trade with friends and family. They may have something they no longer need that you might find useful and vice versa. This works well for children’s clothes, toys and baby items. You can also trade services. Maybe you have a friend or relative that needs technology help and you are skilled in that area and you need someone to repair your car and they are skilled in that area.
Don’t Pay for TV
Our grandparents paid nothing for TV. They used an over the air antenna. You can do the same.
I cut the cable years ago, saving close to $2,000 a year and that does not include the streaming services I was paying for.
I pay nothing for TV now.
Surveys show that most users who subscribe to cable or satellite TV watch just a few of the channels included in their package and most providers do not allow you to customize a package that includes only the channels you want. They are almost always bundled packages, so you end up paying for content you never use.
This is how you can watch TV for free after an initial investment in some equipment which will pay for itself very quickly.
Purchase an indoor or outdoor OTA TV antenna. There are many different models available. The one I purchased was less than $50.00. It is an outdoor antenna and I pick up over 50 local channels.
antennaweb.org is a website that is helpful in determining what OTA channels you will receive in your area and what type of antenna would work best for you.
You can purchase an Amazon Firestick or Roku to watch free streaming services.
Here are some free services to choose from
YouTube: YouTube offers a lot of free content. Movies, TV shows, music, documentaries, how to videos, comedies and more.
Hoopla and Kanopy: Both offer free movies, documentaries, TV shows, eBooks and Audio books, magazines and newspapers and more. All you need is a library card to log in and borrow content.
Linkedin Learning: Formerly known as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning provides how-to and educational videos from professionals on nearly every topic imaginable. You also use your library card for Linkedin Learning.
The Roku Channel: One of the best free services out there. It offers a wide range of content from old and new TV shows, movies, documentaries and more and you don’t need a Roku device to watch. The app is also available on Amazon Fire TV.
Crackle: Crackle is owned by Sony and Chicken Soup for the Soul productions, so it has access to movies associated with those companies. Crackle features films and TV shows, some of them on an exclusive basis, mainly from Sony Pictures and its subsidiaries, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Crackle also features “Crackle Original” series such as On the Ropes, Going from Broke, Hidden Heroes, The Oath, and Snatch. Crackle’s content changes each month as titles are added and taken down.
Peacock: A lot of great content from TV shows to movies. Their free service is more than enough but they do offer paid options as well.
Tubi: Tubi offers thousands of TV shows and movies. They are arranged into categories which includes a “Not on Netflix” collection to help you better appreciate what you’re not paying for.
Amazon Freevee: Also offers free movies, TV shows, comedies, documentaries and more.
Plex: Choose from movies, shows, sports, music, documentaries, AMC series, Live TV and more.
Pluto TV: Offers a lot of recognizable content from brands such as MTV and Comedy Central, plus local news stations programmed by CBS affiliates. Also offers dozens of categories from DIY, Anime, Classic TV and movies and more.
STIRR: Offers TV shows, comedy, news, talk shows, game shows and other content.
Xumo: Very similar to Pluto TV has over 200 channels. Xumo says they have over 10,000 movies to choose from.
DistroTV: Offers a lot of unique content from news to documentaries, movies and more. Lots of foreign movies to choose from.
CW Seed: Watch full seasons of dramas and comedies that are not currently in production. You get access to 56 long-running series and limited series. The network is home to television series from a wide range of genres, from thrillers to action series to dramas.
PBS Video: The free service provides access to thousands of hours’ worth of on-demand programming from flagship PBS series, such as PBS NewsHour and Frontline, tons of documentaries and more.
Popcorn Flix: Offers tons of free movies and TV shows.
Sling: Sling is a paid service, but they also offer over 5,000 movies and TV shows totally free of charge.
NewsOn & Haystack News: Tons of news content.
Shout Factory TV: Watch classic films, TV series, live streaming and Shout Factory original content. You can watch on Samsung Smart TV’s, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Firestick and more.
Scream Factory: Watch cult classic horror, sci-fi films, new movies and original content.
Comet: Watch science fiction TV shows and movies including horror, thrillers and science fiction classics.
Court TV: Watch live coverage of court trials, a library of iconic trials from the past, true crime documentary series, legal analysis talk shows and more.
Documentary+: Numerous categories of documentaries including documentary series.
Globi: Offers numerous foreign films from over 20 countries. Not all are in English but most that are not include English subtitles.
Free Movies Audio & eBooks
Why pay for movies, audiobooks and eBooks when you can borrow them from the library for free? Many sites offer eBooks and audiobooks but almost all charge a monthly fee. Use apps like Hoopla, Kanopy, Libby and Flipster to borrow content. All you need is a library card and you can easily apply for one online at most libraries.
Libby lets you to borrow eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers.
Hoopla offers video streaming, audiobooks, comics, eBooks, newspapers, music and more.
Kanopy has an extensive collection of movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic films and other content.
Flipster provides access to digital magazines including National Geographic, Conde Nast, Meredith, Bloomberg and others.
All of the apps are free. You can use them on your smartphone, tablet, computer and streaming devices.
Free or Low cost Books
Once a week when I was growing up my mom took us to the local library to pick out books to read. We also had a library at our school. We never paid for books.
I do the same thing today. I also shop for books at the local thrift store, Goodwill, Salvation Army and garage sales, paying just a few cents or a few dollars for each book. Then I trade books with my friends.
Free Books for Kids
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high quality, age-appropriate book to all registered children, addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Free or Low-Cost Entertainment
There are plenty of opportunities to have fun for free. Some examples are, visit the local or state park in your area, plan a day trip that is close to home and pack a lunch to take along, play a game, take a hike, go fishing, go thrift shopping, borrow a movie from the library, visit a farmers market, attend local festivals and fairs, go camping or have a picnic.
Free National Park Admission
Several days throughout the year National Parks offer free admission. Visit their website to learn more.
Free Museum Admission
Many museums offer free admission.
Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. They offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve.
Smithsonian Museums
Smithsonian Museums and the zoo offer free admission, except the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Bank of America Museums on Us
Museums on Us is available to Bank of America, Merrill or Bank of America Private Bank (U.S. Trust) credit or debit cardholders during the first full weekend of every month.
Museum Free Days
Check with any museum you would like to visit. Many have free entry on certain days. Also check with your local library as many offer discounts, coupons and free passes to museums and zoos.
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