Frugal Living Tips From the Great Depression

[@sjordan7085]

My mother always bought an extra sheet instead of ready-made pillow cases, then sewed her own. Sides to middles were sewn as sheets and towels wore out, before they became cleaning rags. Clothes were dried on a line in the sunshine, stains removed by rubbing lemon juice into the fabric and leaving in the sun. Shoes were repaired at home. Old clothes were worn while doing dirty jobs or gardening to save better ones. Food and water were never wasted, dirty dishwater was used to kill bugs on plants. Rainwater was collected for the garden. Knitting was done in spare moments during the day, and proved relaxing. Neighbours shared excess fruits and veggies from their gardens, as well as plants or eggs. Socks were darned, and old clothes cut down to make clothes for children. Curtains were always sewn at home, never bought ready made, furniture was reupholstered when worn nothing was considered to be 'out of style,' classic fashions and high quality ruled. We had a string bag, to collect used string, a greenhouse to grow seeds and baby plants and protect them from the harsh climate. Wrappers from fat were used to grease baking pans. Salads were always fresh from the garden, processed foods were unheard of, everything was organic, fruits and berries came from the garden, we always ate what was in season, jams and chutneys and baked goods were always homemade. Gifts were always hand-made. Instead of holidays away, we had days out, in retirement my parents acted as caretakers for the holiday homes of friends, my father took care of household repairs and my mother the inside. They even stayed at a Scottish castle once, -for free! The family spent time in one room instead of burning lights and heat in the whole house, we were not allowed more tha four inches of water in the bathtub. Cosmetic except for a little skin and a touch of lipstick was the norm. Father repaired vehicles, we rode our bikes to pick wild blackberries. Life was simple, my pocket money went into a savings bank and my pet rabbit's manure went on the garden. We always had a live Christmas tree which was put in a pot and brought inside until it grew too large, then it was decorated with fat and food for the birds in winter, and another baby tree was bought for Christmases. Herbs and natural remedies were used as health remedies. Debt was considered evil and something to be ashamed of. Being cultured, and well-educated was valued as was doing good deeds. Living a wholesome life has many benefits. As well as going to school my parents never missed an opportunity to teach lessons that have enabled me to thrive during even the most challenging times. Being prepared was a high priority, a years supply of food and fuel was on hand. Skills and knowledge and curiosity about the world were handed down from one generation to the next, starting at a very early age. I had piano, ballet and horse riding lessons. If only we all lived like that now, there would be no panic when unemployment, illness or strife visited.

[@josmith2002]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤this❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@cherylT321]

That was a wonderful post!

[@saltyassassins5816]

My grandfather was born in 1903. I never had the chance to meet him. Dad told me that grandpa was the best at reusing everything he could

[@helenkathrynhoover7298]

Great video! My elderly mom comes over every night and we play Phase 10 or Yahtzee with the grandkids. Free. Best part of my day!❤️

[@carolmckellar2479]

My cousin said her grandmother hid money in the legs of her ironing board. Just thought I'd mention that as it certainly is a unique hidiing place.

[@JL14858]

Most Australians use a clothes line rather than a dryer.

[@amycoupland2286]

My dishwasher went out.!..after a little online research and a visit to a local repair shop with the melted piece. It cost me $8 wow, like wow I will always remember this lesson as I was shopping new dishwashers for sale...holy cow

[@mjones1122]

Yes, clothes lines are fantastic. We use our year round even living in a snowy state We watch the weather and any day above 40 or windy, dries the clothes. It saves about $30/month on utilities. In the summer, the clothes are often dry by the time I'm finished hanging the last item. Jeans dry in about 20 minutes on really hot days, it takes a good 45 minutes to an hour in the dryer. We installed an shower rod in the doorway to the laundry room. Quite a few items can be put on hangers to dry. If we hang things up before bed, they are dry in the morning. It would be really great if clothes lines came back. We use cloth napkins, cloth hand towels, and microfiber towels. It saves a bit of money. Little savings here and there add up.

[@noiii99]

How interesting! In my language, your name "Dana" means "Budget/fund" in Indonesian. Hi from Indonesia 🙋‍♀

[@croswellianprincess3590]

K m

[@sjordan7085]

Thank you for sharing, Dana was well named then!

[@AlexisgFay]

I love leftovers. I’ve found my family won’t heat up leftovers and eat them on their own but if I heat them up and serve them, the get eaten.

[@hilo5901]

No one I know likes to loan anything out. I quit paying the laundromat for a dryer, don’t buy fabric softener sheets, revised my Christmas gifts list. I’m proud of myself!

[@DrgnMage2536]

I have a folding rack to dry my clothes. I’ll put it out on my balcony when the weather’s nice and in the living room when it’s raining or cold.

[@JohnDoe-wb4iv]

My dad refused to use credit he was honedt honest hard working frugal best man I ever knew

[@cindyhamlin5556]

I love to walk especially on trails. I love to shop garage sales, thrift stores. I love to cook by scratch. I have cofty clothes I change into. We go to the library to rent movie and audio books. I use a scub board and a wringer and hang out my clothes on clothes line. We keep warm by a woodburning stove. I love to do crafts and sew and making quilts.

[@TheUlli1964]

My mother was a war child in Germany and i grew up frugal. It wasnt allways very nice,but learning to live with short money helped me out later. i was allways saving money every month and i was allways able to pay cash if i needed to buy bigger things. But i dont own a car and no house . to live as a tennand is not so bad,cause you are not responsable if something at the house needs to be fixed and in the most big cities you can live without a car. You can go by public transport or you can do car sharing or rent a car if needed or you walk or go by bike. this saves you the most money and walking or biking is very good for health. my son used to go to school by bike.

[@57waterlily]

I shower everyday, how dirty could my clothes be? I wear my clothes a couple of times before I wash them.

[@ladywytch129]

Exactly. Between showering and having a very clean job, I have no need to wash my clothes every time I wear them!

[@meman6964]

Never understood why towels need washed , you just stepped out of tub or shower, towel absorbing water from skin. Use same towel several times, save water, soap, the fabric itself. Look how much winds up on the lint trap, those are the fibers of your fabrics and clothes

[@loveboat1]

@@meman6964 as long as you wash your butt well and don't dig too far up there when trying to dry it

[@margaretstephens6649]

I have a cookery book called 'We'll Eat Again". It has recipes from Britain in WW2 when meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, sugar, sweets, tea and coffee were strictly rationed. The shopkeeper would weigh out your small weekly allowance then cross it off your ration book. You could have as much bread and potatoes as you wanted, many people grew their own vegetables, some bred rabbits for meat and the Women's Institute picked rose hips, blackberries and crab apples from the hedgerows in autumn. Hips to make syrup for Vitamin C, blackberries for jam and crab apples for savoury jellies.

[@velvetindigonight]

Hi I'm from the UK and we don't tend to 'air' clothes we've worn ........ I remember visiting a friend in the eighties in Germany and they had a covered patio over looking their garden and the mum would air musty clothes, jackets etc., on hangers from a rail to 'freshen them up'. I thought it was a great idea and have done it ever since. Amazing how 'fresh' they do become after a day or two outside........ We are obsessd with being clean and smelling sweet but it is so bad for the environment and pocket............. and the chemicals/perfume they use in powders etc., stink........... when you watch a film like the Revenant you realise what life used to be like not so long ago................ Thanks as ever. Enjoy PS I'm going to go shopping for a fluffy robe!

[@nancyburke3968]

I wanted to share that I reuse old jeans and shirts to make quilts. I love the fact that they have stains, or crazy markings. I have made a stain glass window quilt and many others with old jeans and clothes. I cut up old towels and make face cloths. I have a garden, you can plant Potatoes in fabric bags that cost a dollar, when harvesting, dump it on a tarp and find your potatoes. Its so easy!

[@alimahb3465]

I pay for everything on my credit cards because I get cash back and points. If I pay in cash, I get nothing in return. However, I do pay 100% of my statement balance every month so I never have had to pay interest.🤷🏽‍♀️

[@EleanorCahill-kh7jo]

I use my clothes line spring through fall. I find it relaxing , listening to birds, enjoying fresh air and sunshine.

[@YllwNinja82]

now we're in the Coughing Twenties!

[@coordinator3039]

Well this mental depression is one thing. But we need to take action as individuals.

[@becgould3772]

Hmmm I thought all this stuff was normal? Maybe I was brought up different but we do all these things. Tips: white vinegar and newspaper for cleaning windows works so well!

[@dag118]

Bec Gould , lol.... my thought too. I kept waiting for a new tip I didn’t do already.

[@becgould3772]

@@dag118 thank goodness thought I was the only one!

[@paulaspeak4338]

Im not afraid to say I wear my clothes more than once and even sometimes 3 times depending on how long I wore them that day. Saves your clothes because your not washing them all the time, money from having to wash, and your time and energy having to fold and put away.

[@kathys9716]

Right, not many people need to wash clothing after one use, maybe construction workers or landscapers. Possibly moms who have babies spitting up on them!

[@Europa1749]

If you're outside in the heat, tops start to smell in only an hour or two. I wear my tops two days and often rinse them out under the arms, hang them up and they're good for another day, once dry. I hand wash many of my tops in cool water, run them through the gentle spin cycle so they don't drip, two minutes in the dryer and hang to dry. You can wear jeans until they come running when you call them.

[@megan2176]

The good ol' "sniff test" usually works for me. If it smells or has visible dirt/food, then I'll wash it. :)

[@cherylhorne4983]

@@megan2176 my niece was shamed in health class for saying that. They were taught that it is unhealthy to wear clothes twice. My sister had a talk with the teacher.

[@megan2176]

@@cherylhorne4983 I can understand it being unhealthy to wear underwear or socks more than a day, but pants and shirts? I'm sorry she was shamed by the teacher, that hurts my heart.

[@J.L.Nelson]

I can't remember the last time I bought clothes new. I would get all my clothes (some still with store tags) at Goodwill. My best purchase was a Lands End winter jacket that was $300-$400 brand new and I bought it for $24.99! Our Goodwill closed last summer so I go to another preowned store now where I bought Brooks tennis shoes (new $160) for $12.00 and I left that store with many bags and only spent about $60!

[@megangoggans1208]

I looooove that you shared that clip from the movie where the man was ashamed of someone offering him credit. I LOOOOOOVE IT!

[@gigin2131]

I totally agree about the housecoat. Living in the Northeast it's cold now and the first thing I do is put on my housecoat when I get home. It really is relaxing!

[@angiesmith2877]

I was really shocked to find out (fairly recently) that there are actually some people who throw away their leftovers instead of eating them later.

[@sherrydropauer1518]

That’s crazy

[@debbieframpton3857]

I eat certain things left over but not everything

[@jc10907Sealy]

My house is kept at 62 in the winter. I’m used to it. I sleep better in cooler temperatures.

[@johndoe-wv3nu]

My home is paid for, cars are paid for. No debt. Trust me, no vacation will relax you more then knowing your good! No financial stress is a game changer. I'm still frugal by habit, not necessity.

[@jacryan2004]

Layering is our fav thing!!! Winter in Australia is wet and cold - this allows us to wear all the clothes we love most of the time, multiple times :)

[@spirou55]

I can't believe people don't wear their clothes twice, who washes everything after wearing it once???

[@Mrsmetamorphosis2012]

Except for children 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@ktrudy1]

I sweat a lot so most days I have to wash after once.

[@hikerhobby1204]

I wash mine every wear. Allergens in the air stick to our clothes.

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

My teen and my mom lol I wear mine twice or more 😳 before washing

[@SherryEllesson]

I think it just depends on how the clothing was worn. A person working in a temp-controlled office where everything is relatively clean doesn't necessarily need to wash after every wearing; but someone doing heavy physical work definitely does. Dana's point is well taken, though - just stop and think a moment before automatically putting something into the hamper.

[@goodwillbunny5773]

I love clotheslines! My mother always hung clothes out on the line and I did in the 1970s and 80s when my kids were small. A windy day was a perfect drying day. The clothing smelled so fresh! I really miss that...from Grandma Bunny--not the dumbest blonde in Arizona.

[@blackjag121]

I am still learning to be frugal. I am using a diva cup and reusable sanitary pads. I am making coffee at home. I am now working on the food and not eating out so much. I want to focus on more home cooked meals. I love food shopping but want to minimize it. I started make a grocery lists and meal planning.

[@happycook6737]

Crockpot is like having a personal chef. $20 from Walmart. Fill it, plug in and 4 to 10 hours later meal is ready. Easier than instapot.

[@duckyluver12]

Yes! Reusable menstrual products have saved me so much money! And so few people talk about it.

[@stephaniefythm]

Big😊 ups to everyone working effortlessly trying to earn a living while building wealth. I’m 62 and my husband 65 we are both retired with over $3 million in net worth and no debts. Currently living smart and frugal with our money. Saving and investing lifestyle made it possible for us this early even till now we earn monthly through passive income.

[@stephaniefythm]

Alright phyllis, speaking in general terms, investing requires a good amount of knowledge. That's why it's essential to have a solid support system like a financial counselor, especially when picking out assets. I've been working with Regina Louise Collaro, who is an investment advisor at a registered wealth management company. I can't recommend her enough; my financial journey has been fantastic thanks to her. She's quite well-known for her services, and she helped me achieve financial stability through investments. Now, I benefit from her passive income strategies every month. So, I'd strongly suggest finding a reliable investment advisor for yourself.

[@stephaniefythm]

Regina Louise Collaro is based in the United States and can work with anybody wherever they stay. If you would like more information about her, you can conduct a search online.

[@ugojazzy7812]

personally, I'm blessed and realizing I'm not the only one working with Regina Louise Collaro. I will consider myself lucky. I've been able to feed and make a living through her advice and great work. For such a person as Regina, I owe her gratitude, support and endless prayers as it is not easy to gain access to such a competent and reliable adviser. Who isn't just wise but has all it takes to handle an investment and is good at what she does..😊

[@starwish2468]

I do some things that not only save me $, but make me be creative, too. First off, I try to use something that I already have, before buying something. Next, I try to 'create' something from parts that I already have, to make a useful item. Next, I try to use or buy items that can serve for several tasks (I avoid items that do only one thing) and I try to meet a need by reevaluating items that I already have, and finding multiple uses for it (if possible). I like when items earn their keep by being super useful.

[@eringigi7096]

Our library has a sewing machine. I’m able to sew without buying a sewing machine. 🎉

[@Emtinnie.garden]

Wow, that's great! You are lucky! :) I never thought of they could have a sewing machine somewhere in library. I didn't have sewing machine until now (I've got it as a birthday gift) and I sewed everything I needed by a hand.

[@happycook6737]

Wonderful, wish my library did

[@ashleybosvik3031]

That would be so inconvenient.

[@liawatson5789]

Libraries can have sewing machines?

[@liawatson5789]

@@Emtinnie.garden Sewing by hand is a genius idea!

[@carolmckellar2479]

Great video Dana!! My mother was very frugal and she was born in 1919. Her 1931 high school yearbook had stories about how difficult times were. Mom reused yarn from sweaters to knit new ones. My husband's grandparents didn't travel, worked hard, and bought several houses and a commercial property. All that hard work and scrimping paid off well for them.

[@zickafoose]

This is very much how many rural people lived in the 40s, 50s and 60s and some still live this way.. They didn’t take expensive vacations, used cloth diapers, had their own beef and hogs, grew gardens, wore extra layers of clothing in the winter, hung clothes to dry, etc. Follow these practices and it’s like adding thousands of dollars to your paycheck. Thanks for the video! Blessings..

[@velvetindigonight]

Nicely said. Totally agree

[@jonnaborosky8836]

It didn't end in the '60's. I lived in a town so we didn't have farm animals and only had backyard gardens, but we did all the rest

[@KristinaArntz]

oddly enough, I love TV shows where you mostly see the characters spending time at home. haha!

[@josiahsmom3781]

During the Great depression they would also give their can goods as gifts versus store bought ones. I practice this as when I get a new neighbor I cut some of my garden produce and give it as a welcome gift.

[@ChipsAplentyBand]

Though I'm on a diet which forbids wheat and other gluten-bearing grains and (usually!) stick to it, I sometimes buy a sack of organic wheat flour to make bread that I can share with family, friends, and neighbors who eat wheat normally anyway. Homemade bread is the best and learning how to make it is easy with so many KZbin videos available to show you hard. Probably the most expensive part is the electricity or gas for the oven. If you make French bread you don't even have to use oil or butter in the recipe. Bread is not an ideal food all by itself and in excess but it will put something in the tummy and stave off hunger, plus it's versatile and can be used to make many other foods-e.g., French toast and regular toast, stuffing, bread pudding, grilled and regular sandwiches, bread crumbs for breaded meats and for topping casseroles. Bread dough can also be made into hot dog and hamburger rolls, and dinner rolls as well. By posting this information, I'm also thinking ahead to even harder times soon when food may be in limited supply and those who are so inclined can help out their neighbors who may be in need with loving gifts of shared food. Bags of flour do go bad/expire sooner than some other foods so you can't keep flour around at room temperature indefinitely; however, freezing bags of flour if you have the space to do that for more long-term storage is an alternative. Another culinary skill that most people can learn quite easily is pickling foods and making your own fermented or nonfermented pickles. The most expensive ingredient in homemade pickles is the vegetables. When pickling cucumbers on are on sale I can often make a half gallon Ball mason jar of fermented dill pickles in about three weeks' time for under $10. The cucumbers pickle in a jar sitting in a bowl (to catch any overflow) on your countertop at room temperature and once they're ready you transfer the jar into your fridge for longer-term storage. The ingredients are pickling or kosher salt, cucumbers washed and cut up the way you want them, a few peppercorns, bay leaves, and peeled garlic cloves, purified (nonchlorinated) water, and washed dill weed. You can save a few dollars by not including the dill weed and make garlic pickles instead. KZbin videos on fermented vegetables give you all the particulars. You don't even need to add yeast; the pickles ferment themselves using bacteria that's already in the air/on the cucumbers themselves. Pickled cabbage-also known as sauerkraut-is another easy fermented veggie. Shred your cabbage, tenderize it with pounding to help the fermentation process, immerse/weight it down in salt/water brine and after about six weeks in a jar you'll have great homemade sauerkraut. Refrigerate thereafter. Sweet, vinegar-pickled cabbage, both green and red, are also great/healthy foods and pickled cabbages often make nice ingredients in other foods (e.g., bean and veggie soups). I make my own sweet/vinegar pickled green cabbage with sweet onions and green or red bell pepper added. One of the remnants of the Great Depression era is bread and butter pickles, which are a sweet/non-fermented vinegar pickle. You can make them without the need for canning for shorter-term consumption as refrigerator pickles. The process is simple: wash and cut up your veggies (I use pickling cucumbers, sweet onions, and red bell peppers), salt them for a couple of hours, prepare a boiled vinegar/spice brine for them using pickling spices; rinse the salted veggies well, put them in the hot vinegar brine without boiling them, let them cool, and transfer them to jars when cool and refrigerate. After a few days you'll have great homemade bread and butter pickles. I avoid sugar in my diet and sweeten my bread and butter pickles with organic stevia instead and that works fine. Bread and butter pickles got their name because in the Great Depression they were used as the main filling for bread and butter sandwiches when more costly fillings such as meats, fish salads, cheeses, or even egg salad weren't affordable/available. Pickles are delicious, crunchy and something solid that helps fill the tummy, even when used as a sandwich filling. If you can grow your own cucumbers, so much the better. Dried (navy, great northern, cannellini, pinto, black, etc.) beans are filling, nutritious, and often inexpensive foods that keep well long-term. I make either cabbage soup or bean soup (sometimes combined) most every week. Seek out good recipes that are to your liking and which explain how to soak/prepare dried beans for such recipes. In a pinch (e.g., the municipal water supply is shut off in an emergency) canned beans can be used instead and are already soft/cooked and ready-to-eat. Dried rice is often cheaper if you buy it in the greatest quantity/biggest bag. For a whole KZbin channel devoted to Great Depression era cooking/recipes, perspective, and survival tips, I can recommend Clara: kzbin.info

[@renudhasmana4154]

We usually cook fresh everyday, grow some of our vegetables and fruits. We recreate new recipes with leftovers. We reuse old well worn clothes for dusting etc. We wash clothes after each wear in summers but not in winters.

[@katherinelynnhalvorson6109]

Another good tip is learning to make your own cleaning supplies, laundry soap, & many, many more.

[@bookmagicroe9553]

Leftovers can be repurposed into new meals: chicken dinner one night, the leftovers morph into hot chicken and gravy sandwiches. Or chicken pasta salad. Or chicken soup. Pork can become useful in stirfry, or as soup base, or in a roll up. There's no reason to refuse leftovers if there is cooking creativity. As for doing things with people: we have game get -togethers such as playing cards, dominoes, etc.

[@DianeWaite-l4x]

Hi there I've always reused everything I could I was brought up that way as for clothing especially jeans I make a lot of aprons out of them and give them for Christmas birthdays etc and I also use them for quilts

[@carrielynn4345]

I've done it all. It's common sense to be frugal. It's having a healthy respect for your money and how hard you have had to work to earn it. She's NOT talking about buying a t-shirt that will fall apart after the first wash. She's talking about getting what you need at the lowest price possible. And being aware of the resources at home or in your community that are a low-cost options. LOVED YOUR VIDEO, DANA!

[@bethhiggins3704]

Grew up this way, 5 kids and my parents pinched those pennies. I wore a lot of hand me downs and still do. Great video

[@irishcladdagh3]

The youngest of 5 here and I had to SHARE clothes with a sister 😩

[@melissai4798]

About to enter 6 weeks lockdown Boxing Day! Brian on the frugal living rain check lol

[@marieparks5674]

My husband and I have always been frugal but not cheap. We have no debt at all and pay credit card off every month. We have never had to have the latest and greatest but have everything we want

[@Europa1749]

I always wear an apron while cooking. If I don't, there will be stains on my tops.

[@Degga911]

I've learned this the hard way, several times 🙄

[@jessie9653]

Me too

[@heidimisfeldt5685]

My mother used to make us girls wear aprons. I hated it. I never have used any aprons as an adult, and my clothes are not stained. Just gotta be careful.

[@MelanieVick]

Connecting two of your points: you can make an apron out of jeans that have holes in them. The back becomes the front and you cut off everything below the waistband on the old "front" of the pants. Boom. Apron.

[@casondrastinson8525]

Oooh I'll try this! I rarely wear shorts anymore, and rarely buy jeans (I retire them to "gardening jeans" lol). But I don't need 2 or more working pants.

[@MARYJ17222]

That’s a catch 22 because buying a used car you need a lots of bank for the breakdowns and parts and for it to be service consistently, where as a new car with warranty is much better

[@C2yourself]

I'm 63 and both my parents grew up during depression and my childhood was major frugal. We had a clothes line we dried laundry on. The dryer was used rarely. We used to hang jackets and sweater outside overnight to freshen them up instead of dry cleaning. Great video!

[@jerryeiting5367]

I'm an older guy (61), and while I didn't grow up in the depression era of the 1930's, my parents did. Most of what you said in this video, I do, simply because of my upbringing. It's good to see younger people like yourself, appreciate how to live well, yet frugally.

[@lovecats6856]

I'm 60 and that is how I was brought up. And guess what, I have no debts or mortgage.

[@jonnaborosky8836]

Great ideas! And when you cut off jeans, use the cut off parts to make a patchwork baby blanket with fleece on the inside. Makes a great handmade, customized gift....or use it for your own kids. You can also make it bigger to make a bedspread, or a jacket, etc. I used to ask dry cleaning shops, where alterations are done, for the jean scraps they had from shortening jeans.... You can also make the patchwork into clothing like a skirt or jumper by leaving out the fleece lining. You can make placemats, backpacks, handbags, etc.

[@GaiaCarney]

Thank you 💐 some of us were raised this way & hated it (then) but NOW we’re grateful for our frugal family life lessons ☺️

[@brittneebrice]

I'm 35 and never owned a credit card

[@irishcladdagh3]

Im 50 me either

[@kristinamarie111]

That’s absolutely amazing!

[@ElsieJoy39]

I'm 70 and never owned a credit card, neither has my husband. We save up for the very big things or buy second hand. Apart from the house mortgage

[@wed3k]

You can use them for rewards and if you pay them off then it isn't a problem. The best is using someone else's money to make money

[@ElsieJoy39]

@@wed3k This reason for owning a credit card doesn't make sense. If I have the money to 'pay off in full' each month then I have the cash available to buy what it is I need.......we buy only what we need...NOT wants. That is greed.

[@alanbirkner1958]

My friends give me old wool sweaters with holes or stains. I cut them into squares and make them into blankets. Another friend gives me advertising T shirts he gets free, if they are my size. I wear them to sleep in. I give my friends things I get that I can't use. Tina

[@patriciamcintrosh1065]

Started changing my soil last year and growing a few things in pots like Bush beans and beets. Watched a lot of videos and plan on beets, beans, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, radishes, spinach this year. Most in pots or raised beds. I started with laying down sheets of cardboard. Covered with grass cuttings, coffee grounds, mulched leaves and pine shavings. Also saving all veggiescraps and plan on using them as mulch as they break down. Totally amazed at how much we waste that can be repurposed! Bought a dehydrator and have used that when there are buys on veggies. Dehydrated mushrooms,peppers, onions,potatoes etc and bought a sealer. It came in handy when my refrigerator died and it took two weeks for the warranty company to come through! Also started making from scratch as you suggested because I prefer organic foods. Thanks for your suggestions and I hope more people listen to you!

[@kristyb5821]

Dana one thing I have learned working in auto finance is that used/pre owned cars come with a higher interest rate over a new car sometimes as much as 3-5% difference. For credit challenged buyers buying used can be a difference of between 10-12%. Those are huge percentage points to go up on interest. It negates the savings especially since a new car is under manufacturer warranty while with a pre owned car is a gamble on both warranty and how well maintained it was by the previous owner.

[@elizabethlibero1878]

People used to barter as well. Great video Dana Thank you

[@margaretstephens6649]

Skill swapping would be good too. If you know how to sew curtains and cushion covers trade that for another person's home grown vegetables.

[@samanthaanne348]

Every time I click on a video of yours I get a credit card ad. It makes me laugh every single week.

[@DebtFreeDana]

No way?!?! Wow. I guess they target “money” videos. 😕

[@thebestwillow]

Maybe they think because the video mentions credit or credit cards, that the video must be showing them in a positive light. After all, it does seem to be such a hugely common belief that they are inherently good things.

[@campoida]

I'm a robe person too! I love my robe and hat and scarf too sometimes. Lol

[@RobertSmith-rp3xk]

Making old things last is very important. As there's a lot of nostalgia to them. :-)

[@bottledoo3639]

Robert Smith you look like my dad, maybe you his missing twin

[@CreativeRedundancy]

This are all great tips. Just to add jeans can be reused as rags and cooling like towels in hotter weather/times. Some veggies like green onion can be regrown. In places that have more or heavy rain " use rain" to clean /rinse clothes.

[@meheretoday6968]

We never use the drier. Never, well no hang on, I do use it to store a few towels so if we need a fresh towel in the bathroom we can just reach up and grab it. So I do use it but as a cupboard. (we are renting so it was here already) I have a rack we hang items on coat hangers...items that are normally hung on the coat hanger after they are dried and ironed... the rest go on the clothes horse. It's not difficult and items will dry over night most of the time. During warm weather I do the same thing but on the balcony. Our electricity bill is half the average of a household in the same area with two people living in it.

[@annekekonstantine4593]

I appreciated your thoughts. Lots of good insite. One can garden, even if it's something small. A container with a tomato or pepper plant on a patio or some parsley in a kitchen window.

[@arlh2309]

I actually like my home cooked meals better than eating out 😂 anytime I eat out I am dissapointed with the food 😋 I pretty much buy 99% of my clothes from the thrift store. I have a baby and buy her clothes all second hand as well. Babies grow out of clothes so fast!

[@Mrs-gg6vw]

Dude, yes to all of this!

[@JennsCorner777]

What always helped me with our boys were hand me downs from our friends and family who had older boys, ask around I bet someone you know has a daughter older than yours with free, cute clothes and shoes and toys and books they would LOVE to hand down to you.

[@silviamonz2062]

Plus babies don't care what they wear,it may be different when they go to school,but why waste money,rather buy more at a thrift shop so you don't have to wash the baby clothes every five minutes

[@jaywalker8573]

Misty was my favorite book as a child. I didn’t realize there was a movie. I need to find a copy now.

[@DeterminedDIYer]

The stock market crash wasn't the only reason for the great depression. :) I use my credit card all the time, but I pay it off every week. I get at least $600 a year in cash back from my card. They basically pay me to use it lol. We never have to pay interest. But you have to be responsible to do this. We have no debt, mortgage, or car payments. Also I got a pyrex pie pan this morning at a thrift store for $1. I needed two so i could make quiches and I only had one.

[@Rosegold63]

You are so right about wearing an apron, finally learned to do that. I find so many discarded clothes at the trash, and I pick them up and re-purpose them, especially denim. If you live where you can check out thrown away items, people will throw away good silverware just because they are odd patterns. Same with dishes, they don't match. All this odd fabric I have collected, I now am making the face masks with. One wood chair will get thrown away, because the other three are broken. Card table chairs, just pitched away because now they look better in plastic.

[@cherylT321]

I’m always finding items people in my building are throwing out when there’s nothing wrong with them. I’ve found canned food, not expired, plates, cups, cutlery, clothing, brand new pairs of socks, a folding wooden table which was a duplicate of one I already had. I even found a brand new looking shower chair that someone had put out. I gave it to a friend who needed it for her elderly father…I also found a cloth bag on wheels that people tote their groceries in…There was absolutely nothing wrong with it so I brought it in, wiped it down, and used it the next day. Everything that I have found, I either use or I leave it in an area near our mailboxes for someone else to take…I also look for and collect bottles and cans on my floor to recycle…It’s amazing how much extra money I can get just by doing that!

[@lamoon1525]

It is amazing, how much changed in one month...I've had to completely re-think frugal and this darned old quarantine.

[@megan2176]

Re leftovers, I watched a video by Downshiftology yesterday. She talked about how we sometimes get into routines of eating typical foods at certain meals, like cereal/toast at breakfast, etc. If we shift that thinking, and start eating leftovers or whatever needs to be used up first, we would have less food waste. I have some leftover soup in the fridge that I'm trying to convince myself to eat for breakfast this morning instead of making toast... doesn't feel right, but it makes sense to eat it before it goes bad, plus it's healthier. I will eat the soup, I will eat the soup.. :)

[@andreamortimer2610]

Just think about how many people LOVE to eat cold pizza for breakfast... I have a little bin in my fridge with the label "eat first" to minimize any waste. You'll be amazed how fast it'll become "normal" to you to break through the labeling system of what is considered breakfast, lunch, and dinner food! You go, girl!

[@megan2176]

@@andreamortimer2610 I could eat pizza any time, all day. :) Love your bin idea - so the whole family knows to eat that stuff first. :)

[@andreamortimer2610]

@@megan2176 Ever so often, I also put myself on a "shop-stop" for groceries and make do with whatever is in the pantry for a set period of time. Rest assured, ... it will tickle your creative juices and you will be amazed by your own creations. Give it a try!

[@andreamortimer2610]

@CO OMG, that's too funny! They call me the "brain" or "walking encyclopedia" in my family =) Maybe we are simply able to think outside the box ...?

[@kempfreehold9450]

I trained my kids to eat whatever is in the fridge for any time of the day. My son loves leftover pork chops for breakfast.

[@Michelle-qd9gm]

I’ve used this lockdown this year to pay my credit card of so this year has been good for me in that way

[@cltinturkey]

We miss you Dana! I hope you're well and healthy. Happy New Year!

[@onabehrsdime8146]

We have a 3 tier towel system. Basic showers/baths, household/car cleaning, cut up for rags. And, I love the library!!!

[@jawbreaker8125]

I love my robe too!! So cosy and helps saving on heat 😊 I love all of your tips, we need good old common sense back in this era of waste and consumerism.

[@AlexisgFay]

I live in Alaska, we keep our house at 60 in the winter. A beanie really helps because you lose a lot of heat from your head.

[@tinaryan8879]

We keep our house at 65 in the winter. Keep blankets on the couch and we also wear scarves and hats in the house. I wear a hat to bed lol

[@SherryEllesson]

Dana, I was raised by grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, and they practiced everything you mentioned. When people have asked why I spend money on this or that thing, I just say, "it's not in my budget." I also shut down negative opinions of the word "frugal" by substituting the word, "careful." Who's going to argue with being careful with money, right? lol.... Thanks for another very practical video.

[@SherryEllesson]

Sorry...meant to say "don't spend money on...."

[@charityelaineberwick366]

Smart!🖒

[@nancyhopple8138]

Well worded Sherry. We all should learn to be more "careful."

[@SN-gc3vc]

I’m the same. I might say I have different financial priorities. 😃

[@maddyanderson1450]

I really like that! Careful is a safe word!

[@vixxcottage]

Dana you have great ideas. I have lived with most of these things my entire life. My grandfather was born in 1901 and saved a lot of people with food during that time.

[@jonnaborosky8836]

Great ideas. My grandmother, who raised two small children through the great depression as a widow, always had a few rubber bands on her wrist she'd found. I never saw her without out at least a few. Also, my mother, who was one of those small children raised in the 30's was a teenager in the 40's, with the lessons learned from her mother in the 30's, saved all her favorite dresses from the 40's. That's when skirts had a lot of fabric in them. When I was a small child, my mother pulled out all those clothes she'd saved from the 40's and made my school clothes. This was in the 50's. I didn't have any children but I still always saved my favorite fabrics from my wardrobe and made clothes for others. I love doing that.

[@vic7939]

Baking soda. Yep. Was diagnosed with psoriasis 3 years ago. Now is controlled. Have to be extremely careful with shampoos, shower gels and deodorants. After shower i just rub 1 teaspoon of baking soda on each armpit. It's extremely effective against bo. Can be use for cleaning with a bit of white vinegar.

[@becgould3772]

It's also incredibly good for cleaning mix with a bit of vinegar and your good to go.

[@victorwadsworth821]

Mom told me my great granddad & his family would pull their old, wired box spring beds out on the lawn on warm summer nights & slept under the stars. He built his house from rock at the start of the last century & paid off the land in the Depression.

[@Europa1749]

We like leftovers a lot more when we have them two days later. So it's say pork loin; then the next day it's spaghetti and the next day it's the pork loin again. It just works so much better for us not eating the same thing two days in a row. Also, the second time around it might end up as a stir fry.

[@kindcounselor]

Totally agree:frugality is not the same as cheap. Frugality is SMART... it is valuing every dollar that one is blessed with....and honoring yourself. Ultimately it is allowing your money to work for you. Rock on, Dana. You are giving a lot of wisdom !

[@shittymcrvids3119]

This, and it is also way better for the environment.

[@flufftronable]

pre loved is a great way to think of used items

[@sirzach1206]

My grandparents lived through the depression and they were very resourceful because of it, even though they were really successful financially later in life and could afford a lot of luxuries.

[@ThousandTimesBefore]

The only clothes I wash after wearing once are underwear and socks. I wear my jeans, shirts and pullovers until they start smelling or get visibly dirty - which is often after more than a week! Use your eyes and nose, you've got them for a reason xD

[@nancyhopple8138]

I certainly wear most of my clothes more than once but would never wait until they had a smell to them for the simple reason I would always wonder if someone else would notice an odor before I did. Being well groomed includes being clean and we should be considerate of others as well as ourselves.

[@lindalai9092]

eeeewww

[@TheRozylass]

THat's exactly what I taught our children: when you take off your clothes look at them to see if there are any stains, no stains? then smell them, no smell? Put them away to be worn again. If there are stains or smells they go directly into the laundry hamper. We have an exchange student from S. Korea who wears everything just once and puts it into the laundry. I can't get through to him to wear something more frequently. Drives me crazy, but he'll be gone soon and I won't have to deal with him.

[@stacymoore4935]

Re: the difference between being frugal and being cheap: When I was growing up in the late 60’s/early 70’s, my Mom left her office job to raise us 3 kids. (It was less expensive than child care, and we got better care.) To compensate for the loss of income, she grew a huge garden, preserved a winter’s worth of food every year, baked all our bread, and sewed all our clothes. We spent weekends hiking and picnicking. Mom would take used clothes to a consignment store, and we’d get ice cream at a fun restaurant on the proceeds. We didn’t dare ask for toys in a department store, but we got our fill of books at the library every week. So...we had tailored clothes, artisanal bread, garden fresh food, fresh baked cookies after school, leisure time to enjoy, and all the books we could carry. We lived like kings. (Note: I am not saying this is women’s role or what all families should do. I am just saying that some kinds of frugality can actually increase your quality of life.)

[@ladywytch129]

That last part is something I mention a lot 😂 My family gets homemade foods, clothes tailored to fit, and handmade breads and pastas. People are paying big bucks for those things, just done by someone else.

[@cltinturkey]

Smart mother and a good lesson for us all. It's nice (and fun) to do for yourself. I find it super satisfying to research or watch videos and repair things at home. The food is better than I would get at a restaurant, and it's satisfying to learn new things constantly. I jokingly say that all my taxes go to fund the library. It's an unbelievable resource. I've lived in seven other countries and none had a similar treasure of free items to study and borrow.

[@TJ-cg8mq]

...Thanks for this Dana.., frugal - for me, means resourcefulness. !

[@Cecibug1]

My cousin is an amazing sewer and she sells clothing for a lot $$$ she has a beautiful petty coat i never could have guessed she made it looks very expensive.

[@oliviafox3310]

You were thinking about gardening. A good resource is The New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

[@margaretstephens6649]

Window boxes for rocket and lettuce. Herbs grown in yoghurt pots on sunny inside window ledges.

[@andreamortimer2610]

Gardening is addictive and sooo empowering. There are some start up costs but a person can minimize them thinking outside the box. If you do get started, do your research first: it will help minimize your frustration and costly mistakes as well as maximize your harvest. I started with three different varieties and now I'm up to 78, yes, SEVENTY-EIGHT! What can I say: my taste buds like to get tickled =)LOL

[@PKMomLife]

These are awesome tips! I always have felt I should have lived more in the Great Depression or the 50s

[@Emtinnie.garden]

I feel the same :)

[@lipglossed]

This video got a like as soon as you mentioned Misty of Chincoteague! lol Love that movie. Good video with great frugal reminders.

[@childofdestiny2811]

Yes, we are at more than once! And how many times you wear it depends on what it is. I’ll wear a skirt 10 times before I wash it. But I only wear underwear once, etc.

[@caramoonlynn]

We were so good and careful when we first moved to the farm. I have gotten lax in my old age.

[@leylazamora175]

Well said! Frugal is not cheap!

[@arthurdunn622]

I bet this year you are going to be very popular! I'm really enjoying your caring manner and very sensible ideas!

[@maricelaandsammyshauls894]

My sister gets things for free like she furnished al her bedroom with free items from Craigslist except the mattress

[@debbieframpton3857]

I get all my books from the library if they don't have it there they will check other libraries and get it for me sometimes I have to wait a week but that's fine with me cuz I've always got something I'm reading