20 Frugal Living Habits From the Great Depression Era | Frugal Living Tips | JENNIFER COOK

[@lindamcdermott5475]

Regarding the value of saving pocket change: My uncle recently passed, my cousin found in the recesses of his closet, buckets upon buckets of coins. My uncle, who grew up during the depression, saved his pocket change for his whole life. My cousin examined each coin for value, she had a list, then took the rest to the bank for deposit. She had enough money to remodel the house, adding another room, kitchen, deck, flooring, etc.

[@lovecats6856]

My gramma lived through the great depression. A trick she passed to Mum is to save the butter wrapper and use it to grease pans. It is surprising how much butter you can get off it.

[@texasstardust6010]

....my grandmother also lived through the Great Depression and I was taught this when I was about 11 or 12 ....I am in my 60' s now and we, as a society, need to get back to doing things that make sense and stop all this " more more more " mentality .

[@jacquelynejohnson9127]

Done that, worked in a pizza parlor we put oil on pieces of wax paper to grease the square pans we made pizza in

[@debbiee6535]

I didn't know that I will try that

[@Alex-gr8lv]

My mom does this and she was born in 1944...my grandmother and my great aunt taught her some great tips...my great aunt was born in 1900

[@lesleythomson2823]

I just pop mine in a bag that I keep in the freezer , simple .

[@lynhanna917]

back in the day you had good clothes and work clothes. If you went to school you came home, hung up your good school clothes and put on your play clothes. And those only got washed when they were actually dirty. My parents would buy "cheap"things but my aunt bought quality, cashmere sweaters, fancy towels, she also had her couches recovered when they were worn. I helped move her from her home to an apartment and the fancy towels I remember when I was a kid were still being used, the fancy satin binding was worn so she carefully removed it from the towels. The cashmere sweaters were still being worn and they were 40 years old and still in style. I was gifted my grandma's silver and rather than save it for "good" I use it every day and I enjoy using something that belonged to grandma.

[@martiejohnson9376]

I had forgotten about the good clothes and the work clothes . Thanks for reminding me about this one.

[@catharineinniss9906]

I still like the good clothes and work clothes. And I work from home!

[@littlesongbird1]

I kind of still have this. Now that I work remotely: I have clothes I wear when I know I am not leaving the house (not pj's or sweats but maybe older jeans and t-shirts) and then I have clothes for leaving the house in (non ripped jeans and a non stained shirt) and nicer clothes if say I am going to visit friends or family. Since I mostly need things from the first two options and I can buy the last one second hand, I save a lot on clothes.

[@Willettee]

Thanks for this trip down memory lane. We did the same thing growing up. I still do it today.

[@annarodriguez9868]

@@littlesongbird1 Same here! I have 2 pairs of very comfy old baggy jeans. I kept my husband's pocket t-shirts after he passed away and wear them around the house and for gardening. I donated all his good clothes and suits, but I kept a couple of his long sleeve casual shirts to wear on cool days instead of a sweater. His stretched out athletic sox were always good dust rags so I kept those, too. It's kind of nice to feel he's still helping me when I use the things he liked.

[@sharenshoemaker1982]

I am 72 years old and I still do all of these. We are out of debt and have savings and food storage.

[@denasharpe2393]

So peaceful....

[@joannhaun6599]

Same here. I'm 63 and grew up with little (but enough : )

[@patwagner9308]

So am I ! And I still do all of these, too. When she said hang laundry outdoors, I smiled. I love hanging ALL of our laundry outdoors during the mild weather. Everything lasts longer (dryers are hard on fabric...all that dryer lint is not surface lint) & smells wonderful. Pulling a top over your head that's been dried outdoors, breathing in that scent, is so nice !

[@martiejohnson9376]

I am proud of you. You should see just how few people can say this. You must be doing something right. Keep up the good work.

[@gingereaves4097]

@@patwagner9308 One summer I started hanging clothes outside to dry to save electricity. My 4 year old told my 75 year old neighbors that his mom had invented a new way to dry clothes. We all laughed as they had grown up doing that as had I.

[@agneseigaune8338]

Glad there are still people in the world who aren't sucked in the consumerism trap

[@karengreen2437]

My grandparents on my moms side were born in 1911/1917. My grandfather had to quit school in the 3rd grade (yes 3rd) to help support his family. When he married my grandmother, he was a foreman on a farm. They made very little. They had a farm, raised crops, chickens, hogs, cows and they canned their own food and butchered their own meat. I recently found my grandmother “budget”-she just wrote out where everything went per paycheck on a piece of paper. She did it to the penny-literally. Because they made so little it was things like .35 to church, .15 to missions at church, 1.15 grocery. They also bartered for what they didn’t have. My grandfather had the contraption to make their own syrup/molasses and they would do that and take the excess to barter. My grandmother washed clothes once a week-it was a big day. Monday she would boil the water, wash the clothes, wrong them out (eventually she would have the hand crank wringer), hang them on the line to dry. Bring them in and iron them on Tuesday. She had her system. She made 3 meals a day (lunch she would have to make enough to feed the farm hands too). They were very frugal with what they had but they always shared with others. There is so much we could all learn from them (I wish they were here to ask them all the questions).

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Karen thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story! I absolutely loved hearing all about your grandparents. ❤🤗

[@rao433]

These were frugal people with a rich heart.

[@a11px6]

Sounds like my great grandmother, who was born during that time. What a woman!

[@sharonh.harris1924]

Karen, I could have written this about my Grandparents. I remember spending a week or two in the summer with her and helping her with wash day. She had a wash house beside the well house with clotheslines between the two. Papa would get the wood up and fill the huge iron pot with water and start the fire. Then she started. She shaved lye soap into the iron pot. She had the wringer and two rinsing tubs. Then starching, hanging out and, finally, after lunch, she started ironing while watching the soap operas. She set up in the den with the black and white TV and watched As The World Turns and Guiding Light as she ironed through everything and put away. She had a candle on the end of her ironing board that she rubbed the iron over to make it slick. She used a Pepsi bottle with a corked sprinkler top to sprinkle the clothes to create the steam. She didn't have closets, but wardrobes. I still have her cedar wardrobe. I still miss As The World Turns and Guiding Light and so many other soaps.........

[@karengreen2437]

@@sharonh.harris1924 oh my goodness-sounds identical to my grandma and papa. She had the same water spritzer snd all.....and soap operas. It was hard work but I know it was better times in some respect. I know I look back with great memories. And I never heard her complain, ever

[@merlehester113]

Give God the glory for those blessings. I am 79 and believe me we were very hard workers on the farm. We had cotton, tobacco and every tree you could think of for fruits to can or to dry for winter. We had a milk cow and hogs. We had a smoke house full of cured out pork for breakfast, etc 5 gal cans of lard, cracklins and the list goes on and on........Thank your Lord cause I bet they did.

[@dottief6057]

I'm a 78 year old great grandmother and I practice most of these habits on a regular basis. My dryer doesn't run often if the weather is decent. I am concerned about the younger generations when the going gets rough again, and I think it will.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

I agree 👍

[@SpecialtyNetworking]

The younger generation age about 30 down can barely read. They dont even bother teaching most subjects anymore. Try asking a 20 year old to do a math problem without a calculator.

[@martiejohnson9376]

I am with you. There are so many reasons that the younger generation will suffer . One they seem to only know about electronic devices . The government has a lot to do with this. The government didn't let parents correct their kids when needed, it was always, Go to time out. Two the government gave less money to the schools for programs like Home Ec., Wood shop , Automotive and such. And they actually stopped teaching History as it really did take place. Yet , if these kids had parents that took the time to teach them things like cooking, how to work with wood, and things like this they might know some skills to survive . Yet they have missed a lot.

[@eileenmarie1652]

@@SpecialtyNetworking agreed, and I’m a 17 year old girl. I am so lucky to have parents who took the time to teach me to do things myself. While I haven’t needed to do them, it’s very useful to know. And I’m always striving to find more things I can do. My mom has so many books on how to do things yourself and I love reading them to learn more things that I didn’t know.

[@gingereaves4097]

@@SpecialtyNetworking I am a retired teacher (43 years), and many do try to teach, but parents (even those of college students) don't expect their children to get bad grades even if they didn't do the work. They expect teachers to give bonus points and to continue to extend deadlines for them. I have taught grades 7 through college, and I even had another college professor write her daughter's term paper. When I gave the daughter and F, the mother called me and said her daughter "helped!" Administrators often don't back the teachers, so many quit teaching or quit trying. My 3 granddaughters can do math without a calculator as well as are reading 3-4 grades above their grade level. They let their children run the show. It's sad! My adult children are shocked at the ignorance of their peers and colleagues!

[@christinebutler7630]

I still have my mother's and grandmother's cast iron cookware, Revere cookware, Corning Ware and Pyrex...my kitchen spans 1890-1955. I'll never replace it!

[@timvandermey4792]

❤

[@mariemiller8740]

Christine Butler that is wonderful you have that.Big blessing as you have memories attached to the people who used them

[@kich6172]

Yes! I go to resale shops looking for these before buying new if I need to replace a pot or dish also.

[@martiejohnson9376]

I would never replace it either. I tell you, my mother really knew how to cook the best food in her cast iron pans.

[@Vera4962]

@@afunlife9601 Your son must not know how much the Pyrex is going for now !

[@laurenromeo]

I am an apron advocate 😆😆! I wear them every single day. This is one of the best & most affordable ways to preserve your clothes.

[@jbtpa895]

I have a separate closet that I rehang clothes that I've only worn for a few hours. Don't need washed yet but I don't put them back with the clean ones.

[@gracewillow6632]

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[@brittanysophie6917]

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[@graysonnickolas8772]

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[@pablosmith1747]

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[@margretpreston5614]

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[@lauriem2053]

I like watching Great Depression Cooking with Clara here on KZbin. She passed in 2013 but I love her personality, and her frugal cooking tips. We always grow at least tomatoes every year, and they are so easy. We usually save change over the course of the year for a mini vacation, but this last year with very little travel we bought a new mattress with our change we cashed in.

[@jonnaborosky8836]

I love those videos of Cooking with Clara. She was a true gem!

[@denaboyd8058]

I love Clara so much!!!

[@sharonh.harris1924]

I love garden fresh. But, unfortunately, it is much more expensive compared to the work involved. When I can buy a can of corn for $1 or 4 ears for $2 I might was well buy it than go to the trouble to grow it. By the time I buy the seeds, the equipment such as hoe, tiller and make a fenced in garden (due to deer and pests), it's already too expensive. Then there is the work. In SC, it's HOT in the summer! Only if you really love it, is it worth it. Thank God for farmers and those who grow, process and transport our food!!!

[@LizaBeckerman]

me too! She was so cute

[@martiejohnson9376]

Thanks for the tip. I will have to look u[ Great Depression Cooking with Clara.

[@ninakoinz8477]

I bought an old lab coat at a thrift store. I wear the lab coat instead of an apron. Best fifty cents I've ever spent!😁

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Great idea! A lot more coverage to prevent stains too!

[@silviamonz2062]

Makes your cooking look like an experiment 😉🌸

[@TourPace]

When my kids were babies/toddlers, I wore a lab coat in the morning over my work clothes. No more showing up to work with goober stains on my thighs and shoulders. I kept it on from the moment I got dressed and didn't take it off until I was walking out of their daycare.

[@bettychesna2165]

I wore my husband's old shirts over my regular clothes to keep from getting spots and stains while working in the kitchen or cleaning.

[@janeyd5280]

@@bettychesna2165 at school we were told to try to get hold of an old white shirt so we could make a white apron for cookery.!!

[@mariemedeiros5672]

Many of these tips are great for the environment. Recycle, and reuse

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

🤗❤

[@deborahroper3694]

Jennifer, I love this video. I can totally relate to everything on this list . I was born in 1959. I remember my mom being do big when she was pregnant that I would , at 6 years old, go out to the clothes line and I would bend over and get the cloth diapers out of the basket and hand them to my mom. She would give them a good shake out ‘till they popped and pin the on the line with wooden clothes pins. She cleaned and boiled glass baby bottles. And she used cloth diapers with safety pins. I loved the smell of clean laundry to this day. There was something about the sunshine that gave those white wavy diapers blowing in the wind. And The HoneySuckle was awesome. I now purchase wax melts that are HoneySuckle scented. Also, those aprons might be made from an old dress, but they were there to protect the dress they were wearing that day. One last thing, I think people not only think everything is disposable these days, but they think marriages and relationships are disposable as well. We took care of those and maintained them as well. Big 👍 on this video.

[@donnawilkerson7038]

TRUTH! We just have to be a good example to them all, that this world is not disposable, nor the people or relationships in it!

[@sharonh.harris1924]

I too love honeysuckle! I remember all the same things. I don't like to hang clothes outside today worrying about pollution. I'm glad I have a washer and dryer since I remember the old ways. They worked so hard!

[@meleenabradley3017]

My dryer has gone out twice since I've been married, almost 25 years, and I had no problem making a temporary clothesline, but the reaction of my coworkers and some acquaintances were 😱 and then asking me about when I was going to buy a new one! Nope not in our house we buy till it's Really Dead!

[@mygoodlife204]

I think the rest of the world are still hanging their washing on lines! Only America😒

[@bonniematthews1080]

I’ve got to say those cloth diapers were horrible. I was so grateful to Mr. Pampers, but they were so expensive that I only used them for the babies when we went on a trip. I have such vivid memories of my aunt ( she had 6 kids) taking the diapers off the line in the Conn. winter and they would be frozen stiff. She would stand them up vertically and struggle to get them back in the basket.

[@christinebutler7630]

My mom always had a pot of soup on the stove, and soup was made of any and every little leftover bit that wasn't enough to go back on the table by itself, but was perfectly good. Soup and bread made many a meal!

[@annarodriguez9868]

One time my dad had bought a little roast chicken for his dinner and I saved the skin and the bones for soup. I simmered them and added a diced potato, a couple of carrots, an ear of corn and half a head of cabbage. He said that was the best soup he had ever had since my mom passed away. My dad is not big on compliments so that was pretty special considering I'm not an especially good cook, that's my sister's department.

[@bonitajanssen745]

@@annarodriguez9868 GOOOD IDEA!!!!!!💖

[@annarodriguez9868]

@@bonitajanssen745 Thank you! Now I have to share my mom's emergency hot dog stew. Mom hadn't been grocery shopping yet and she was just going to make a couple of hot dogs for my sister and me while she finished the laundry. My aunt had an emergency and dropped off her 4 kids. Not enough hot dogs! Mom thought for a moment. She took out the little soup pot and diced a large potato in 2 cups of water to simmer. She slit the hot dogs the long way and then cut them into circles, added a can of peas and a small can of tomato sauce. All of us kids loved it, including one of the kids who hated peas! Lol! That was in the 1950s. Fast forward to early 80's and my kids call it Pac-Man stew.

[@bonitajanssen745]

@@annarodriguez9868 I just wrote down that recipe! So easy!!! THEY FORGET HOW TO COOK BECAUSE THEY EAT OUT TO MUCH! I’m German, WE KNOW OUR SOUPS ! Thank you - it just takes some imagination?

[@annarodriguez9868]

@@bonitajanssen745 Add a little pinch of desperation to create wonderful stews and soups! 😉

[@yvonnejohnson2109]

I opened my first saving account with pennies, I had $30.00 in pennies.

[@heatherm911]

On my first date with my husband - next to his car in the restaurant parking lot there was a bunch of coins on the ground. I started to pick them all up. He says that's when he knew that I was "the one" haha

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

That is the best story! I told my husband and he laughed. He would have done the same thing!

[@petersack5074]

@@THEJENNIFERCOOK i would, too. why not? all reasons for picking are +++++++

[@createelegance6792]

Lol

[@virginiawango3968]

Wow! That's something to think about 🤔.

[@lynhanna917]

I would go for walks with my son and his friends and it was amazing there was always coins on the ground (pennies, nickles and dimes) what I didn't know was these brats would walk ahead tossing coins on the ground because I would stop and pick up everything I saw. Might have only been 40 cents in total each time but man, I was making money.....

[@elizabethbednarcik3311]

My dad always said, “turn the lights off” or “shut the door, we’re not heating the whole neighborhood!”

[@oldgeezer2780]

"Turn the lights off" was drilled into us in our youth. I kid my partner that his parents were rich. He looked at me funny. At 60-something, he's *just starting* to get the habit of turning lights off when he leaves the room. We've replaced the igniter in the oven, and one of the burners on the stovetop. It's 18 years old. Reading *how* to do it took longer than doing it. Both toilets have had innards replaced - by us. I think part of the "throw it out mentality " is because people have zero idea how simple some of these things are. In contrast, calling someone to repair a washing machine could well cost more than a new one.

[@petersack5074]

@@oldgeezer2780 yup...handymen are in short supply, as most people, (guys) can only work their phones, and tv in their 'man' cave......what the hell is that....a lazy persons' couch, to drink beer and get fat n' lazzy....

[@mrslhaldane306]

my dad used to yell "were you born in a barn"

[@jeanniecollier6763]

Use chalk to get out grease. Chalk the area of the grease inside and outside of the garment, Let it sit for 30 minutes then chalk more inside and outside, let it sit for 2 hours. Next put (BLUE) Dawn dishwashing liquid on the stain and scrub the Fabric together at the stain. Place in a warm wash setting and air dry . If the stain did not come out completely, repeat the process. I have never had anything not come out by the 2nd try.

[@holly5791]

Sprinkle corn starch or baby powder on a grease stain overnight. Wash as usual. It works.

[@factsoverfiction7826]

Good to know!

[@jolenethiessen357]

I find just wetting it and going at it with a bar of Sunlight laundry soap does the trick. Occasionally it needs 2 treatments. I learned that trying to get lipstick stains out of purificators for church - between the dye and the fats in the lipstick it was tough to get it out of the white linen. But the Sunlight took it right out. Now I use it for all my stains, but especially grease.

[@brandyhoward6136]

You can apply dawn dishwashing liquid, Dr. Brother's or Murphy's oil soap without the chalk. Works just fine. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@EverglowMoon]

My dad still wraps our gifts in the colored Sunday "funnies". It just wouldn't be a gift from him without that. If I got the newspaper, I would do the same for others. Thanks for the tips!

[@lynhanna917]

I never have tape so presents get duct tape. I had a real chuckle when my son sent me a box and inside was a gift sealed with duct tape.

[@marilehtinen1495]

You just described my life style. I'm 45 years ole gal from Finland. Many finns share these frugal habits even today.

[@makingsense8738]

My friend from Finland used to tear plastic bags into thin strips, braid them and then sew them into a circular rug for the kitchen. She wasted nothing.

[@marilehtinen1495]

@@makingsense8738 my aunt made these rugs when I was little.

[@victoriathomas721]

I spent 4 hours researching and watching KZbin videos yesterday and fixed my vacuum! It was such a great feeling knowing that I saved hundreds of dollars, plus I was pretty proud!

[@cherylT321]

That’s great!

[@debgordon6542]

My daughter and I have fixed our AC and replaced all of our toilets by following KZbin videos. Can't tell you how much money we've saved :-)

[@brendasparks6234]

Loved the tips. I’m 61 so I have lived most of what you where saying but have gotten caught up in the world. So this new year my goals were to become more of a minimalist and meditate more with the Lord and God brought me your channel. So thank you for sharing

[@rachaelt3294]

I repair everything since I don't have a large income for our family. The other day I busted out the sewing machine and fixed towels, curtains, underwear, and pieces of clothing.. ❤️

[@janicew6222]

My Daddy was born in 1908, he use to say watch the pennies and the dollars will follow, also if you can live on a little you can live on a lot, but if you can't live on a little you will never live on a lot. Great tips. I always wear an apron, can't imagine not wearing one. I hang clothes out on the line whenever possible.

[@lindapowell2397]

Not everyone is blessed to be living in a house...I'm in an apartment so hanging laundry outside isn't an option.. I use a clothes rack to dry many thing's on. Laundry room in the building...$1.50 a load. I definitely reware clothing & handwash several things.

[@bghbgh6643]

I am an 80 yr old who really loves your tips. Have used a lot of them most of my life, raised by depression era parents, and have also learned a lot of new ideas too! I raised four Grandchildren with the idea that the more you do for yourself the better off you are. All four are in College that they earned the money to pay for and earned the scholarships & grants the Government offered through their hard work at their studies. Keep up the good work you are doing, it is helping a lot of future generations that you don’t hear from. God Bless you and your family!

[@normagilbert5310]

My family wanted a down payment for our home. We had everyone, including young children of school age, must write down everything they buy, even a nickel bubble gum. My children became aware of what they were buying and chose not to buy, as well as the parents. It surprised me how much we saved. I am now 74 and both my children have told me that this experience really made an impression on them and both kids pay with cash and never in debt. We made our goal and had our house built.

[@laurasimmer9612]

I was raised by my great grandmother (until I was 9 years old - when she passed) & then my nana raised me (she passed last year 💔) The older I got, the more grateful I became for the both of them ❤ They taught me so much. I'm now 24 years old. I cook in their cast iron skillets & I would say I'm extremely frugal... I've been an extreme couponer for over 2 years now. I find all of these things normal. It was how I was raised 🤷‍♀️

[@chiaralistica]

Hold on to that cast iron skillet, I have my grandma's and they don't make them like that anymore.

[@deborahsilva3847]

Yeah, my parents were depression era children so I remember the turn off the lights, stop running the water, tin foil , having to learn how to sew and my mother telling us that she wasn’t a short order cook. You know what, they were right and I learned a lot from them. Glad to see you doing a channel on frugality. There are a lot of people who need to learn these skills.

[@wandatonkin2065]

Yes, never called aluminum foil in Southern Ga. called tin foil because the tin looked like a tin roof, therefore, covered a dish like a roof.

[@inbedduringcovid3005]

Thank you. You may be surprised how many people still hates grandmas ways but the still praise her giving and cooking. They don't seem to realize how everything grandma and grandpa did went hand and hand. "If you take care of the pennies the dollars would take care of themselves" 👏🙏

[@gerarda8182]

At the age of 63 i use most of your 21 tips for years. Saved/saves a lot of money. Inspiring to hear them from a new generation. Thanks and greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

[@vajee5]

I utilize so many of these tips. I didn’t realize it was frugal. It just seemed smart.

[@TheNinnyfee]

Newspapers are also great in damp shoes to soak up the water. I remember cleaning cloths made out of old clothes like shirts or undershirts that weren't wearable any longer.

[@avanellehansen4525]

I cut up thrifted flannel sheets for toileting. The clean ones are folded in a basket and used ones go in a diaper pail or any pot with a lid

[@jacquelynejohnson9127]

Living with Dad now who is 87 , there are rags all around made from various material.

[@alanbirkner1958]

Never use a credit card unless you can pay it off completely by the end of the month. Tina

[@gingereaves4097]

I tried to teach my math students about that. I pay for groceries, gasoline, etc. with a card that earns points to get cash back and another that earns airline miles. I paid for 2 airline tickets this past year (one cost $369 and the other was over $1,000) just by using my card to buy my everyday purchases and paying my bill in full every month.

[@monicas2269]

That's how I use mine.

[@pbear7814]

Always!

[@ShirasongMusic]

Credit cards make good scrapers...I😅

[@user-tk7kz1fl2r]

I pay it off automatically each month. Surely we should just use a debit card?

[@bruce5895]

Tip # 37 for saving your money, learn how to grow your own garden and preseve what you grow.

[@jturtle5318]

I've gardened for 50 years, now with a focus on permaculture and raising the herbs I use as an herbalist. Next project is a lilac path for my disabled grand niece. I drove 60 miles for yellow lilac saplings.

[@bruce5895]

@@jturtle5318 I call that pure devotion to the art of gardening, good for you !!

[@janinedear-barlow]

I will be getting a garden soon and can't wait to grow my own veg. I have started dehydrating foods for my pantry. I want to learn to can but the price to get one in the UK is ridiculous so will have to wait a bit before we can afford one.

[@lynhanna917]

@@janinedear-barlow go to farming communities that have seniors retirement or seniors meetings and put ads on their notice boards saying you are looking for used canning supplies and canner. Watch you tube videos to know what you want. This is also where I go for good used cars. A woman who can no longer do canning would like to see her supplies go to someone just starting out and she may not even want money in exchange.

[@janinedear-barlow]

@@lynhanna917 ok I'll try that. Do you mean on Facebook?

[@73cidalia]

My grandparents never went through the Great Depression because they lived in the Azores (Portugal). They did, however, do a lot of these things and more because they were poor their whole lives and the island they lived on was technologically behind (lagging behind continental Portugal). No running water, no In-home electricity, no hot water heater nor furnace, kerosene lamps, outhouses, no gas stoves (wood stoves made of concrete), etc. Think Little House on the Prairie but it lasted until almost the 1970s for most people if not longer.

[@martiejohnson9376]

Both of my parents were married at the time of the great depression and a lot of the things you mentioned were things they did. For instance we always hung our clothes to dry . Yup , I also helped with that task. They repurposed everything that could be repurposed . Glass jars were one of these also empty cans were washed and dried and used for pencil holders ( I still do this one ). They kept everything that could be used later for something or other. They canned a lot of stuff. If they didn't have a garden they would go to the packing houses and buy crates of seasonal fruits and vegetables, not many people had freezers back then. Women knew how to sew, quilt, knit or crochet, embroder and such. Men knew how to hunt, fix just about everything like cars, electrical and could build a house if needed. And our new generation wants to blame our grand parent and parents generation of the things that are going on today. I always say "Excuse Me, but is that your adult reasoning for todays' problems? " I just had to say that. ; ) Thank you for letting us visit memory lane. I really miss my parents and Grandparents. They were the generation that knew how to live. It seems to have been harder in some ways yet they were always closer to their families .

[@poodlegirl55]

Great tips. I just put a baking sheet on casseroles if I need a cover, I haven't bought tin foil in 20 years. I save the wax bags in cereal, cut open and wash. It is much better quality than roll wax paper. I use glass jars to store leftover paint, it seals better and you can still use it for touch ups years later. Best to use a jar that fits the paint so no air in it. It helps you maintain your home better if you store them in the room you painted and keep up with touch ups. I got a pkg of artist brushes at Dollar tree and I keep one rubber banded to the jar.

[@kich6172]

Never thought about reusing wax cereal bags instead of rolled wax paper. Thanks for this!

[@poodlegirl55]

@@kich6172 it is so much thicker! I also use it in my craft room for different things.

[@markhedger6378]

Great tip !Thanks for that

[@lynhanna917]

if you are having to take baking to someone's house cut a flap on the empty cereal box (the long flat side) line it with the empty cereal bag with a matching flap) you now have a great covered tray and you don't need to worry about breaking a glass container or having to leave a tupperware container behind.

[@7kikkertjes]

My greatgrandmother was born in The Netherlands in 1912. During the hunger winter of 1944 she had what they called ´sliding cheese'. You would put a little slither of cheese on the end of a slice of bread and ´slide´ it down while taking small bites of the bread. The idea was that the smell of cheese would make it easier to imagine the taste. Needless to say no one in my family would ever have dared to throw food away in her presence.

[@danielaandres6981]

Schiebewurst! I read about it in a novel about WW II.

[@prayersquad3391]

My dad screwed the lids of the glass jar on the top of the wooden shelf. He would screw it in and it would hold for a long time. Daddy loved it when there were babies in the family because of the little Gerber jars. He also used tin coffee cans. His workshop was immaculate. He and mother grew up in the Great Depression.

[@FoodieBeautyStan]

My grandfather did the same thing.

[@marynewman2457]

My Dad does the same thing! He loved the baby food jars!

[@LisjeVal]

Does anyone have a source for baby food jars? I'll soon be buying my 1st home and babies are LONG out of the picture for me, but I would like that in our eventual shed, since I also learned that as a child.

[@bonniematthews1080]

Yup, My dad had lots of glass jars with the tops screwed into the bottom of the shelves in his work shop. He got such a feeling of pride when he could find whatever screw he needed with a quick glance at that “ army” of jars. Boy life was filled with simple pleasures then.

[@cynthiahumphrey1718]

Yes on the apron! Use everything up and wear it out. I remember quilts made out of scrap fabric from dresses and backed with feed sack or flour sack material. There really was no trash!

[@justmepraying]

I have the last one that my grandmother made it's about 150 year's old I get it out once in a while just to look at it and I love it so.

[@cynthiahumphrey1718]

@@justmepraying what a treasure!!

[@nativevirginian8344]

I am so proud to have quilts that two of my great-grandmothers sewed. And I have my grandmothers’ aprons, one everyday, one good one for family dinners, and a Christmas one sewed by one grandmother. Means so much!

[@katherinerichardson1767]

"THE APRON" is a must at my house! Never fails that something will escape and try to get on my clothes. By the way IF you do get something spattered on your clothes, try using blue dawn dish washing liquid. It does miracles on grease stains!!!

[@donnawilkerson7038]

Any patterns out there for reusing old men's dress shirts to create an apron, I saw some in a shop, but thought if I had a pattern I could do that myself.

[@chedderbug2820]

@@donnawilkerson7038 google it or search for it on KZbin. I'm certain someone out there has made a video for it. These days there is a video for just about anything you need or can think of. 😃

[@sherlynpatterson4304]

@@donnawilkerson7038 Make the shirt into a vest buy cutting out the sleeves. Use the sleeves for pockets. Any material leftover make into rags.

[@cyndirienstra945]

Thank you so much for the Dawn dish soap trick. My husband and I both got axle grease on our good jeans hooking up his trailer and i squited Dawn on the spots and let them sit overnight. Washed them the next day and absolutely grease freeeeee woo hoo! 🥳

[@amyhellerford9422]

DAWN also works on really greasy hair lol !

[@catherinemcgill3004]

I used to live in the country and always line dried our clothes, even though I owned a dryer. Now I live in a city and I still line dry my clothes inside. Clothes last longer this way. Aprons are also a must!

[@lettyzane2720]

I recently fixed my paper shredded.I haven’t felt so proud of myself in a long time. Thanks for the reminders

[@lynhanna917]

I live you tube. The windshield washer pump quit on my car, with you tube, a $10 new pump and 1/2 hr of my time it now works and I figure I saved $300 (that's what I would have been charged to get it fixed).

[@jeanlilley4149]

Hi Jenny. I’m 73 next month and I’ve been doing all 20 things all my adult life. I was bought up with my mother and grandparents in same house. Very good video. Thank you xxx

[@abc123xyz-q2p]

My parents were married in 1929, and for a while had to live in a tar paper covered cardboard box. They had three children to provide for. I came along in 1952, and remember everything you are talking about, and still practice most things. One of my fond memories is pasting S&H green stamps into books, to shop for items.

[@aintnoreason1480]

I can still taste them LOL

[@debratorntore9539]

I find that when you use a lot of these great ideas , you don’t have the want to go to the store as often. Because your always looking to see what else you can salvage from the garbage. It gives you a great feeling , and your helping the family by not spending as much.

[@deborahhuffman3231]

So true my grandma washed all windows on her house with news papers. Hung all laundry always on clothes lines. Aways grew a garden every yr ate from it all summer and fall and in winter with what was canned or frozen. Meal planned out followed grocery lists didnt run to the store all the time. Aprons allways for clothes saftey and big pockets works great for clothes pins. Home made oatmeal and homemade kettle made popcorn for snacks. Nothing instant. Always real potatoes peeling away. It amazes me no one has time enough in our time today and everthing is prepackaged and instant and microwavable. Makes you think. Love your videos.

[@sharonh.harris1924]

My grandparents were born from 1898 to 1914. So same thing. One pair of grandparents were small farmers and the other pair were a minister. My Grandparents went through the Great Depression, WWI and WWII, the greatest generation. My parents were most affected and then my generation. The next generation have no idea! LOL! I remember my grandmothers deconstructing clothes and saving everything. They had button jars. They re-wound thread on wooden spools. They kept zippers and snaps. Then they used the fabric to make smaller clothes such as children's clothes, or use the scraps to make pot holders, quilts, rags, rag rugs. You didn't let anything go to waste. My Grandma bought my Daddy overalls 3 times his size and roll the legs up. She let them out as he grew. I actually still have his first two pairs of overalls. I remember them re-using mail. For instance, replying by writing in the margins and steaming the envelopes open and turning them inside out and re-gluing to re-use the envelopes. Any paper that still had space, could be used for notes, recipes, quilt patterns, etc. I still always pick up coins. My husband won't use coins but it's MONEY! We used to help our grandmothers fill the stamp books (my first couple of years of marriage, I also saved and cashed in green stamps). They still made their own lye soap for cleaning and washing clothes. I hung clothes as a kid and teen (I remember my Grandma's wash day on the farm with the wringer, drawing water from the well, the iron pot on the fire, the starching, the hanging) but I haven't since I got our first dryer. They saved bread bags and twist ties! My generation is the last one that has memories from those who actually lived the Great Depression. All I can do is tell stories to the next generation but they didn't live it. I still hate wasting food because I can hear my Grandparents in my head.

[@dazita]

I'm Colombian and my grandma always taught me things like these, love her for that 😂💖

[@hepzibah5773]

I laughed at your opening line. My father used to call out something about shutting the lights when you left a room! I'm 90 and I still remember to shut the lights when leaving a room! (No jokes please. I'm talking about electric lights, not candles.)

[@JustFollowHim]

Yes my grandma folded up foil, plastic bags, reused any containers-especially cool whip containers and that was her “Tupperware”.

[@LisjeVal]

My mom called it "Polish Tupperware" - not as a slur, but because mostly they were the newer and frugal immigrants then and not part of what would later become called "yuppies" who surrounded us. I still don't spend MONEY on plastic storage containers!

[@hopesmith7214]

Cool whip containers are the best! That is my tupperware as well, I love the way she thinks!

[@martiejohnson9376]

Sounds like my Mom. Nothing was wasted ever.

[@17topaz]

I run errands once a week only to save on fuel costs .

[@oldgeezer2780]

My Mom taught Home Ec. I remember back in the day (mid seventies!) when the cost of gas started to go up, Mom started calculating the cost of going to various stores to buy things on sale. She found (and Amy Dacyczyn of Tightwad Gazette confirmed) that driving to too many stores negated the savings one might accrue buying veggies one place and chicken someplace else. Gosh, I remember the day Mom and dad came home with something like 25 whole chickens to put in the freezer downstairs... There's more to it than fuel costs, too. Every time one goes to the store there's a tendency to add a few impulse items.

[@ingerfalch-jacobsen1717]

None of this makes any sense - I walk to the store(s).

[@stepone6159]

@@oldgeezer2780 Yes. You go in to buy 1 or 2 and come out with 15. Me and some friends laugh about the fact that we all do it.

[@dottief6057]

@@ingerfalch-jacobsen1717 I would have to walk 16 miles.

[@ingerfalch-jacobsen1717]

@@dottief6057 One of the perks of living in a city/town - or whatever you'd call "Oslo, Norway" - is walking distance for everything essential.

[@gabrielpaulsmom]

When we bought our house in 93 it had the original caloric wall oven. That oven lasted 50 years, we are currently on our 3rd replacement. They do not make them like they use to.

[@yellowsky.000]

Yes! My Frigidaire oven has been kickin' since 1956. It's such a shame that things aren't made as well now.

[@martiejohnson9376]

I hate to tell you this, but nothing is made to last like it use to any more.

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Our Frigidaire oven with pullout stove (like a drawer) finally gave out about 3 months ago... It was 58 years old, same age as the house. The new stove's oven doesn't even work!

[@diannamc367]

This is literally on purpose! Some people don't mind since they feel that they always need to have the "latest and greatest" but, for frugal people it really sucks. You are so much better off finding an older version of a product that someone else felt the need to upgrade!

[@tenabarnes3269]

We had a Coleman heating and air system that was installed in our home in 1983 , we just replaced it in 2019, the new system doesn't cool or heat the home as well, and the power bill is higher since we first used the new unit.

[@georgiawilksch5708]

We haven’t had a dryer in years, and we only occasionally used it. Line drying always. And yes, line dried sheets smell so good.

[@lovinitall6639]

But line dried jeans in the winter UGH

[@georgiawilksch5708]

@@lovinitall6639 yeah, our house in winter can get a little crowded with clothes racks

[@dbartz5510]

Can't do this, allergies.😭

[@amyhellerford9422]

@@dbartz5510 same.....

[@JWimpy]

Same here. Grew up without a dryer and at 69 I still don't have one. I don't like the way the clothes smell out of a dryer. And they ruin the clothes and shorten their life. Air dried clothes last much longer. Dryers eat up a LOT of electricity. Same with dish washers. Don't have one, don't want one.

[@chococat178]

New Subscriber! LOVE these tips. I do some of these, like the Piggy Bank and re-using towels. I am teaching myself how to mend and sew now. I do not consider these to be frugal, I call it "the smarter and less wasteful" way of living ;)

[@sherlynpatterson4304]

Another saving tip is if you use paper towels just to dry a wet counter from a water spill. You can let the towel dry out and reuse for cleaning up pet messes, etc.

[@sherrywiley4817]

@@sherlynpatterson4304 I do that too!

[@martiejohnson9376]

I crochet and I have made a few scarves and keep them for gifts, I also have started making little baby blankets cause it seems that when you need a gift you are usually short of money at that time too. So if you buy your yarn when it is on sale you would have already have a gift made with Love.

[@sherlynpatterson4304]

@@martiejohnson9376Your family and friends are lucky to have those gifts. I miss all the crochet, knitted and needle art things from my family. I'm a terrible crocheter. I used to knit and do embroidery and some tatting. My grandma also taught me how to do eyelet work and something where you pull out threads to make a a nice weaving pattern from basic cloth and the other stitches you see in the antique samplers. My aunt taught me needlepoint methods.It's been over fifty years since I've done all those sewing type projects and more. A friend found a quilted pillow project for me with a traditional Hawaiian pineapple pattern. It will compliment the crochet bed cover from a different friend. Really treasure those two house warming gifts. Planning to do some pretty quilting and embroidery work on the pillow casing in the near future.

[@helenapereira8547]

As a young girl, I used to wear clothes that belonged to my cousines and at the age of 17, I Iearned from magazine Burda how to make my own clothes

[@alicewall5363]

Wearing an apron indoors when I work on a painting AND taking the time to put on grubby gardening clothes before I work outside are so important. Especially having a pair of gardening boots! I learned this the hard way.

[@avanellehansen4525]

I scratch my nails on bar soap before gardening. Makes for easy clean up

[@jimmiepatrum]

I identified with every single one of your 20 frugal living habits. It made me remember that both my grandmother and my mother in law always turned their plastic bread bags inside out and washed them in the washing machine, then hung then on the line to dry. It was a badge of honor to have used bread bags where all the writing had been washed so much it was gone. My husband never liked that I darned his socks, but I did it anyway. When our first child was born, I used to take my husband's worn out underwear, cut off the elastic and use that to repair our son's pajamas. I even used it to repair my bras. Right now my mattress cover has a big quilted patch on it, because I cannot bear to buy a new cover. Heck, I may even patch the patch if I want to! I used to tell my children, "Pennies make nickels, make dimes, make quarters, make dollars." I never fail to pick up a coin if I find one. I've always called it tinfoil...that is one word to me, not two. My mom used lipstick as rouge; it worked for her. I could go on and on, but that's enough for now. Thanks for the warm memories in your post. Diane in NC

[@loriar1027]

1. Reuse aluminum foil 2. Eat everything in your plate or don’t dear at all 3. Turn off the lights 4. Cut coupons for purchases 5. Reuse glass jars 6. Fix it before you replace it 7. Pay with cash not credit 8. Save your spare change 9. Reuse newspapers 10. Mend your clothes 11. Use old toothbrushes for cleaning 12. Pick up found coins 13. Cook from scratch-not “convenience” food 14. Have yard sales to get rid of your junk 15. Shop with a grocery list 16. Have a garden to grow produce and trade stuff with neighbors 17. Take care of your things so they last 18. Wash less often-clothes and towels 19. Line dry your clothes (smells awesome!) 20. Buy only what you need, not what you can afford Bonus: wear an apron to protect your clothes

[@ginasocha5567]

I love the tips! Some of these remind me of the Zero waste movement which I'm studying about and trying to adopt. Zero waste sustainable living and money saving frugality are inseparable.

[@reginafisher9919]

Always ask for extra condiments and napkins when going through the drive-thru

[@stephanieporter6836]

This video was so fun! I was taught all of these tips growing up and still use them to this day. Also, you wore hand-me-downs (clothes and shoes from your older siblings or neighbors). In addition to turning off the lights we were constantly told to shut the doors because "we're not cooling or heating the neighborhood".

[@sallymerrell2558]

Jennifer, this is priceless and yes, I did hang on till the end. I only buy what I can afford and what I need, not what I WANT. Another thing I would like to add, if I may, is you mentioned reusing TIN FOIL, that's what I call it (I'm old) also reusing those zip-lock storage bags, both gallon size and sandwich size. If they're painfully gross, yes, do fling them but if they have crumbs or something very easy to clean, most definitely reuse them. Gardening and hanging out clothes, I LOVE. I am in the process of making many aprons, I sew and I garden and enjoy doing both. Thank you for your videos. You are a tremendous inspiration and a blessing. Sally.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Sally thank you for watching and your sweet comments! ❤🤗

[@chedderbug2820]

Sally do you sale the aprons you sew? I need a couple aprons, maybe I could buy from you rather than internet shopping. I have a variety of well over a 100+ yards of nice quality fabric, maybe we could barter. Unfortunately I don't know when I'll be able to sew again.

[@janders1432]

Good tips - Dawn dishwashing liquid removes grease stains from most clothes. Just dab a little Dawn straight onto the grease blob and wash it as you normally would. I’ve saved many shirts that way (I don’t own an apron).

[@airforcemom2235]

Thanks for the memory of line dried sheets! It's the late 1960's and I can see in my mind's eye my mother's clothes line and our sheets hanging in the warm summer sun. That smell can't be replicated any other way. Wonderful.

[@lynhanna917]

I haven't used a dryer in 20 years. I pulled out sheets that I had line dried back in September and they still had that fresh line dried smell. Made me smile as the snow was falling today.

[@victorialove9104]

My mom either hang dried the laundry in the sun or put the laundry on dryer racks indoors if it was raining. She left me the home I grew up in when she died. I intended buying a dryer but living in the home awhile and using mom's system I find I really don't need a dryer. Hanging the clothes on the line in the sun is an enjoyable meditative experience for me and the clothes smell lovely when dried.

[@SBL1932]

I still use a lot of these. I also save change and the money in my wallet at the end of the month. This is enough to spend for all my Christmas gifts.

[@starkravenwild791]

"make do or do without" Grandma saved all the buttons and zippers off worn out clothes to use again!!

[@wagoner1943]

"Eat it up, wear it out. Make it do or do without."

[@deepabahadur9164]

I even today remove buttons,zippers and strings from the pyjamas,before discarding

[@neloferhalai5530]

@@deepabahadur9164 t1

[@annarodriguez9868]

@@deepabahadur9164 I don't remove buttons and zippers from clothes that I am donating, but yes, save those items as everything is getting more expensive and also hard to find.

[@ninakoinz8477]

I love button jars!

[@lizamcraebishop9176]

I totally feel this. My mom was born in 1929 and my dad in 1925. I am the youngest of nine kids. My mom had me when she was 44. One other frugal thing we did was home canning. Myself and all but one sister still do this today. I have taught my sons and they know how to can safely. Thanks for the video.

[@Happy_life117]

Made napkins and paper towels from old flannel bed sheets...good for the environment and the pocketbook.

[@tracydimond3759]

My grandma kept mason jars with buttons, she had patterns for making clothes, elastic, zippers, etc. She kept bolts of cloth, too. They had a garden and grandma made everything from scratch. I loved her hoosier cabinet in the kitchen with it's flour bin, cutting board, etc. She taught me to crochet and if she needed to keep a grandkid busy she'd hand us a jar of buttons and ask us to count them. Lol I kept glass jars, I save vinegar jugs, I stretch my fabric softener by mixing water, vinegar and a cheap fabric softener I like. I use ziploc baggies over rinsing and drying them between use. I use a powdered detergent from the dollar tree mixing it with grated zote soap, grated Fels naptha, and oxi-all from the dollar tree, and thier color safe bleach. I use no more than a quarter of a cup per load in my top loader he washer. I buy handi-wipes from dollar tree and pour some of my fab softener in a container then cut about half the handi-wipes and soak them to make re-usable fab softener sheets. That has lasted over 1 yr. I saw a video on KZbin showing how to remove the lid on a jug for a wetjet. So now I just use a 50/50 mix of fabulosa and water. Replace the lid and use normally. I bought a "shammies" at dollar tree, cut it to the wetjet pad size and have reusable pads that I wash and air- dry flat. I take the slivers of hand soap and grate them put it in a pump bottle or squeeze bottle with warm water and have liquid hand soap.

[@amandateague5146]

We learned how to sew as teenagers. It’s a great skill. I mend and I have never had a button come off that I sewed on. I use old toothbrushes to clean too. We had to line dry the laundry unless it was raining. We always had yard sales. As punishment our mom would take us to yard sales, humiliating as a young person. We had gardens too. It was good to be “poor” since you learned the value of money.

[@avanellehansen4525]

I use a lightbulb to darn a sock.

[@tiffanyc6128]

I’m blessed- most of this is already embedded in my brain!

[@rachellechuga778]

I wear an apron daily. Put it on in the morning and leave it on all day. Ive been known to walk in the grocery store with it 🤷🏻‍♀️. I just pull it off and stuffed it in my bag. 😆

[@cathymillar9900]

I use an old shirt of my husbands and it makes a wonderful apron. Keeping your clothes stain free helps the longevity of clothes, and sometimes permits you to wear the item a second day. Win on water, detergent and wear and tear.

[@zezmereldazezmerelda4653]

hahahaha!

[@annguglielmino8989]

My parents were born in 1918 & 1921 and I grew up with most of these things and taught them to my children who are in their 30's. And yes, it was Tinfoil.😊 And Icebox, not refrigerator.

[@kayeberry3900]

I loved your video. I was raised so much the same and still believe what you want and what you need are 2 entirely different things.

[@margaretward7682]

Yes... tin foil! That’s what I was brought up calling it. We ate what was cooked (from scratch) no one got a special meal. I also have great memories of freshly cleaned line dried sheets on a summer day, I wish I could line dry where I live now. This was a nice trip down memory lane, simpler times. Thanks

[@amyhellerford9422]

Sadly, I have to compromise on the separate meals, at least for now. I have a daughter with food allergies... ughhhh

[@chikasuemi]

This is hilarious. This is my life and I'm only in my 30s. :P My hot tips that I learned from my great aunt (also from the depression era) is to hand wash your dishes and air dry them. She would then use the water from the dishes to water her plants. Also, wash your plastic wraps/cling film and reuse them. There are more tips from her and she really was amazing. I miss her so much.

[@amyhellerford9422]

My girls still handwash ( me too ) dishes. They moaned at first, but that's what made me STICK to that lol ! I grew up washing dishes... NO dishwasher ! Sometimes I think a few generations have gotten too spoiled !

[@amynoble8036]

Too funny! I grew up hearing and doing alot of things! Lol Turn the lights off. Eat all your food or go hungry,etc. And as for some of the cleaning tips I do many of those things to this day. My grandparents on both sides went thru the depression. There is alot to be learned from them.

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

My son was 10 when he found out that you can buy shorts, they don’t have to come from old long pants cut off and hemmed!

[@ladywytch129]

Lol. My sons still prefer the cutoffs 😂

[@ludicrousone8706]

Why would you hem them?

[@annarodriguez9868]

@@ludicrousone8706 Hemmed shorts could be worn to school or out in public. Raggedy cut off hems might be ok for the backyard never in public!

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

@@ludicrousone8706 They weren’t jeans, but active wear pants. I thought without hemming the knitted fabric might ladder or unravel.

[@ludicrousone8706]

@@annarodriguez9868 This makes me feel like a terrible Mum 😌😌

[@lorelynleisure4048]

My dad told me that turning fluorescent lights on and off used more electricity than leaving them on all day, just turn them off at night he'd say. Always wondered if that was true. My grandma could mend a pair of jeans in a way that you'd never know there had been a hole! It was amazing, she'd match the thread to the main color of the jeans and sew over and over that patch and it just looked like the jeans!

[@gratituderanch9406]

I make fire starters from dryer lint, old candle stubs and condiment cups or egg cartons. I make broth from old bones (we freeze the bones from chicken after we eat the drums/thighs/carcass) and another bag we freeze butts of onions, garlic, carrots, celery etcs. Thus we turn trash into broth. And we do have an instant pot so we can make broth super easy.

[@lynhanna917]

love the instant pot - I make rice pudding in mine - so much easier and you only have one pot to clean

[@Marie-D.]

@@lynhanna917 I also make rice pudding in mine and it's so good and easy! Love the instant pot.

[@johnniehallford1641]

I do the same, especially after baking a whole chicken. We eat the parts of the chicken we prefer then I pull the rest off the bone and dice for other dishes. I do the same when I buy the cut-up parts to cook. I cook the parts we like, bag the others, and then later, when I have a pan full, I simmer till done, take all the meat for other uses, and save the broth. Multiple uses from one bird.

[@barbaratolker4366]

Tin foil for sure! My depression-era parents bought quality over quantity. They didn't have a lot of things but they took care of them. Mom used green stamps, never wasted food, shopped sales, etc. Sundays were leftover days. She taught me how to sew. Grateful for their example.

[@lynnfendlason4277]

Things I've used for gift giving: Wrapping with newspaper, wrapping with cut-open old mylar balloons, cereal boxes, scraps of fabric. For decorating: used white-out correction tape pulled from the dispenser makes free curly ribbon, decorating with old feather boas, pieces of ribbon from old outfits, making "rubber" bows from leftover unused party balloons, homemade poms from leftover crochet thread, etc.

[@sineguelas5604]

thanks to my grandma who was born from 1926. Grew up with her and most of your tips, learned from her and still doing it. Miss her heaps.

[@lindamcdermott5475]

My mother always reused foil, in fact I do the same. If it was clean, she wiped it off, folded it and used it again, if it was messy, she also saved it and used it to wrap garbage such as potato peels, etc. So many of the depression era tips are things I have done myself, because it is what I learned from my mother. I even reuse certain jars. I’ve stopped wearing aprons, but after listening to you, I think I will make myself a few.... I sew.....

[@athomeimmum2247]

We do too. It's just part of taking care of our home and pennies.

[@karenmuna7179]

The regular maintenance checks helpful tip has come in super handy, thank you!

[@edasueboyles9039]

I think I did almost all of those, and actually still do. Granted I’m 72 so maybe that’s why but you would be amazed at how all those little tips add up and save.

[@Willettee]

J just had a refresher course from my childhood. We knew how to be frugal. I wish I had carried it into my adult life more seriously. I'm 65 and we did most of the things you mentioned. I remember working with a lady who encouraged me when my husband and I remodeled our house. She was a good example of frugal. (Bring your lunch. Don't eat out. Save your money to pay those carpenters). I saved enough money to pay our carpenter's cash for their work. Had it not been for my friend, Fanny, I would have borrowed money to pay them. I miss her and will always appreciate what she did to help me.

[@MegMerrilies]

You are describing how I live! Can't stand waste and try to reuse or re purpose most things. Buy 2nd hand mostly too. Tin foil here in England, as some others have said.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Yay Tin Foil!

[@Picca65]

Same! My parents raised me this way. After my divorce i now happily live in a home with a mortgage that should kill me, but I am totally fine with it. Can even safe money for a new kitchen in only 3 years :).

[@amyhellerford9422]

2nd hand... YES !

[@bellasouthward5362]

Brings back great memories! I'm grateful that I learned a lot growing up in "reduced" circumstances. Great tips!

[@nancymelis2824]

I grew up in the 1950s and was youngest of 4 kids and we reused paper cups for days!

[@zezmereldazezmerelda4653]

nancy-- omg! we did, too. i thought we were the only ones!

[@lesleytownson6421]

I'm in UK - I was born in 1960's and both parents were young adults during WW2, so all these tips take me back to my childhood! Most are also eco-friendly. Also, you kept random things like wrapping paper, strong and small bottles/ containers to reuse, also return pop bottles (glass) to get deposit back (we'd beg relatives to let us take bottles back!) Any financial problems I have are mainly down to "I know best", I could have been so much better off if I'd kept doing what Mum did - Mother really does know best.

[@jeannie4489]

My family was old Boston Irish. Not sure if that is the reason, but they all called aluminum foil 'silver paper'. (Silvah papah) lol

[@familiemuell4764]

My Grandma in Germany called it "Silber Folie" (silver foil).

[@Sushiyrolls]

My Japanese mom called it "gingami (silver paper )".

[@francesmaurer185]

👍🙂

[@amsteensberg1653]

Same i DK 'silverpaper', 🙂

[@susanlily1680]

@@amsteensberg1653 p p

[@narelleworks8448]

Australian here and we called it tin foil. ;) I think it was faster to say. Turn the lights off! Coupons still not big here. Recycling was an expectation not a “pat on your back” thing. Things were made to last. If a machine lasts 5 years now you are lucky. Cash for anything is “foreign”. Piggy banks, sigh. Who gets newspapers anymore? Don’t know how many years it’s been. Can’t beat the smell of line dried clothing or linen. Three cheers for the apron! ❤️🇦🇺

[@noreenpociej5145]

You sure brought back some memories.

[@almontepaolilli7531]

I am 76 and I was raised by depression era parents. Frugality has always been helpful

[@dcamnc1]

I'm 45, and whatever my parents cooked, you had to eat, or you didn't. You didn't "specify" certain meal types or variations. The family all ate the same thing or you didn't eat at all.

[@pbear7814]

I never understood why parents did otherwise. If you’re at a restaurant, order what you want. If you’re home, you eat what was cooked.

[@kyfarm]

My son will soon be 50, he ate what I cooked. I worked and had property and animals, so I was usually pressed for time and I told him, I am not a short order cook.

[@kyfarm]

I used to feel sorry for women who had to cook different meals for everyone in their family. Can you imagine all the time, ingredients, and especially the clean up for all those separate meals Every Day?! Then I realized that they were the ones who taught their families that they could use her that way. Part of me still feels sorry for them, but it is a tiny, little part now.

[@bsum8985]

Same, and guess what? No picky kids. I do the same with mine and they are small and eat what they get!

[@annarodriguez9868]

On our kitchen refrigerator we had two little signs.. the first sign said: "Rule #1 Mom is always right Rule #2 If mom is wrong refer to rule #1" The second sign said: "Today's special menu, Take it or leave it." A little humor and truth goes a long way!

[@oksanaaksenov1770]

Hi there. I immigrated to usa when i was 13..now Im your age and a mom..teaching my kids everything u are sharing because thats how i grew up and. Thats just the common sense where we grew up.. U go girl...