🛒 Great Depression Ready TOGETHER! 🛒 Part 3

[@appalachiashomesteadwithpatara]

🍌 Banana Peel Fertilizer HERE 🍌 studio.kzbin.infokrlpMMadfZE/edit

[@jacoleneiu3856]

Ohhhh, I'm definitely trying this with the banana 🍌 peals

[@victorialg1270]

My banana peels go through the rabbits, then I use the "fertilizer "

[@dianamathieson3554]

Banana peels are great for making Banana peel tea. The peel has tryptophan which helps with melatonin production. This tea helps you fall asleep and have a more restful sleep.

[@jacoleneiu3856]

@@dianamathieson3554 wow...I didn't know this. Thank you for sharing .

[@nikkipatriot8764]

PARCHMENT PAPER- can be used way more than once unless it’s been scorched in a very hot oven 💕

[@getawaygarden]

Something I learned from my grandma: save and reuse the bags from inside the cereal box....cut the bag open flat, wash and dry it, keep it for when you roll pie crust or cookie dough or for lining a tray when you flash freeze fresh veggies. It's so much more durable than wax paper and can be used multiple times.

[@nosheeple2751]

Thanks!

[@susanm1224]

Thank you for the tip!

[@heatherwillis8891]

That reminds me my grandma would save the cereal bags and she would put meat scraps in them and then stick them in the freezer. On trash day she would take the bag out of the freezer and put them in the trash. It kept her trash/house from ever stinking because of old rotten things in the kitchen trashcan.

[@countryblends]

Great tip!!!

[@annrivard8035]

Wow !! That one i did not know , you bet y'a, i'll be keeping it now !!😊

[@ashtorfarm8866]

After the butter is used to grease your pan, they can be washed and used as wax paper to separate hamburger patties for the freezer 😉

[@cindyb8856]

I would imagine we could use them between patties when canning. (I have a tiny tiny freezer.)

[@JubeeBijou]

Wow, that’s a great tip!

[@susanm1224]

Thanks for the tip!

[@justgoodness333littlehomes5]

I am so doing this. Thanks

[@CherokeeWarriorWoman]

Yes, I'll start doing that too. Thank you. Unfortunately down the line we probably won't have any patties to seperate. So use them NOW!

[@ericawillis3666]

We use the spent coffee around the foundation of the house, turns out ants don't like coffee so this keeps them out.

[@tinagoodman7256]

Wow! I get ants in my kitchen every year! Thnx, I will be doing this!

[@snowlady9138]

Never heard of that. Gotta do that. Every spring I deal with ants around my kitchen sink. Thanks for sharing.

[@AZWatchWoman777]

As soon as it gets hot in Az we always have a red ant problem. I will definitely be doing this. Thanx for the tip 👍

[@shodson314]

@erica Willis does it work for fire ants?

[@lynnedunn4964]

Wow...thank you for mentioning this ‼️‼️‼️ Much better then chemicals and they cost less‼️ Thank you ‼️👍😁😎🤠

[@1blondidea]

Thank you Patara, AND thank your Nana. You are very blessed to have her. I am 71 years of age. I've been without my mother for just over 45 years now. The family was small. My maternal grandmother died in 1937, just after Mama's 4th birthday. I had an aunt ten years older than my mother. She used to tell us about how poor they were, and that my mother's baby bed was an old corn cob crib. My paternal grandmother never told me anything. They've been gone 20+ years. Both my siblings died early, so there's only me, and my (38, almost 39 year old) daughter who lives in the next state over. Life is VERY Lonely!!! I cry a lot lately. I taught myself to do container gardening. My physical disabilities have made doing that extremely difficult now. I also taught myself to do Water bath and Pressure Canning in the last seven years. I listen to you, Patara, and I think back. We were poor when I was growing up in the 1950s. Mama washed and saved the aluminum foil. I did it for years in my younger adult years, and started doing it again just over a year ago when aluminum foil prices started going up. I've washed out and saved ziplok bags for years! It's so weird to me that nobody in my family had gardens when I was a child!!! Mama did teach us kids to always save some money "for a rainy day" as she called it. What I DID Learn growing up was to not want this or that, to accept not having much. Since my health nosedived 32 years ago, and my little girl and I ended up on charity for two years while I fought the Social Security Adm, I KNEW HOW to get by on very little, carefully use what little money I did have coming in, how to buy fresh produce IN SEASON, how to cook from scratch, creating simple yet tasty and nutritious meals, sew clothes for my little girl. Doing without sooo much that the typical American thinks they deserve has been my life!!! It's an easy life, really, if you know Jesus, and knows what's most important. I sure do enjoy your videos, and your stories and such from your Nana. She sounds like a really sweet and loving lady. Thank you, and God bless you and yours.

[@laurieboss1897]

All my grandparents have passed, so I like to still receive the wisdom from our older generations. Thank you for commenting and remember to never stop sharing. Some of us love to receive your knowledge and input.

[@cordyg4306]

Cut a old flannel top in half, save the top half. Button it halfway up, sow the bottom together. Hang the cut shirt with a clothes hanger. Fill inside w/clothes pins Hang on the clothes line.

[@CherokeeWarriorWoman]

I do that with an old pair of jeans because they're thickwr and last longer. BUT the last one i made i made it out of an old piece of plastic tablecloth. Waterproof. I doubled it for strength too. The only problem i had out of that one was...the wrens built their nest in it, laid eggs. I could not bring myself to destroy their home and babies (4) so i went out and bought more clothespins since i couldn't get to mine.😂 After they hatched and left, i sewed a flap over it. It lasted for years!

[@bettyir4302]

Use an old fanny pack.

[@l.b.3148]

My Gramma made me a clothespin holder like that.

[@shescraftea9107]

I have a vintage one made from a small child's dress.

[@heathertackett7956]

My Nana made everyone one from their baby's outgrown dresses. Love that idea!

[@jobellecollie7139]

Next time you get to the paper towel tube or the empty tube from aluminum foil; wrap the clean, used foil around the empty paper tube.

[@JayJackson007]

Thanks for this idea!

[@kimora337]

My grandma used to cut up old clothes into strips..hand sew the strips together.. roll them in a ball and then crochet them into rugs.. she called the strips her carpet rags.. another thing that I have done with milk jugs is cut a hole in the upper side.. cut a notch out of the handle and put clothes pins in it and the the Notch in the handle allows you to slip it over your clothes line.. and yes I still hang clothes on the line!

[@pennylaur7687]

I'm currently making rag rugs the same. We don't sew together strips, just tie the ends together.

[@darleenwilcox9166]

I remember as a child my mother doing the same thing having a milk jug with clothes pins in it.

[@fullofgracehomestead]

I remember quilts being made with scraps. They are some of the best blankets you can get and perfect weight!!

[@nosheeple2751]

Nice tips

[@yarnprepper]

I still hang clothes too!

[@ahicks414]

BUTTONS: Grandma used to put matching buttons on a safety pin. Usually LARGE safety pins were used for this, and they can be kept in a button jar. This reduces sorting time, every time you need to find 2 or more matching buttons. Also it helps you know when you are running low on a certain type of button, such as "shirt buttons." Stick the open safety pin into a thread hole of each button, then fasten the safety pin. If you have a lot of matching buttons, you will need more than one safety pin and you can probably daisy chain those together, too. Stick an open safety pin through the circle end of another safety pin and close both of them.

[@marykaymorley8551]

It's also a great way to keep safety pins. Just hook the small safety pins on a bigger pin or a diaper pin.

[@amandaforeman2626]

I use the natural juices from canned fruits to put in my iced tea :)

[@bettyir4302]

Heat them with some cornstarch and that's a fruit topping for ice cream or pancakes, etc.

[@JayJackson007]

Thank you both!!

[@claudiadoyle8052]

There are recipes out there where you can make popsicles. My mom made us kool aide popsicles. She would put them in ice cube trays with a popsicle stick. You can also put them as ice cubes in Sprite and your Kool Aide drinks.

[@wiremanibew]

For the coffee drinkers. After my 1st pot I add 1/2 the amount of coffee to the second pot. Then I save the grounds for the garden, take the coffee filter rinse it clean and place over canning jar to dry and then reuse. I usually get 4 reuses out of the filter.

[@marilynparmelee]

I had not thought of that, thanks

[@reginawarren1549]

You can also use them in the bottom of your flower pots

[@anydaynow7755]

If you use a mesh filter you never need to buy the paper ones again!

[@ashtorfarm8866]

Wow! That’s fantastic!

[@danam.8709]

Glad you shared (I was going to😅). Just wanted to add this works best with a stove top percolator especially if you like it strong.

[@Jomama02]

JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP THESE ITEMS ORGANIZED AND TO REUSE THEM! DON'T JUST SAVE THEM TO SAVE THEM!

[@BrendaAgosta]

Amen

[@j87waldo]

It's hard cause it does over whelm you having to wash the packaging to save it but I feel like I have a used packaging wear house lol 😂

[@judyopp7485]

G'ma used to say...Use it up...wear it out...make it do or do without! We found a coffee mug with this quote and it is a simple reminder in our kitchen. Great video!

[@sherriebyrd3784]

Love it

[@lifedowntheroad]

We used to say ...Make do....Redo...Or do without !

[@Sunnytrailrunner]

It’s one of my FAVORITE sayings! Thanks for sharing it.

[@vickiegossett7214]

My Mom and Dad alway told us kids that as well and i have told my kids the same thing.

[@peculiarlife9923]

Yep. My Gram says the same thing.

[@florencemariagardy584]

If you st😢 have paper towels and napkins Cut them in half and cut them in fours for the kids I have a few other tips but my fingers are aching from being 94 years old watching Patara every day Love your family Patara especially your animals God Bless everyone on her channel

[@tanyaglover2217]

Napkins stay in my glovebox. Learned that they are life savers w/kids.

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

One time, our car center console was so full of napkins, I couldn't shut the lid all the way. I had to remove some.

[@tanyaglover2217]

@@bite-sizedshorts9635 I have that w/my glove box..every month, or so, I have to reorganize. I also save utensils, straws & condiment packets

[@aperry4313]

And mine was empty last month and grandkids needed them - I will now immediately fill when empty 😃

[@denisec8914]

We always save the napkins. I've even used napkins from my son's 16 bday, 40th bday and 50th bdays, still works the same.

[@katie7748]

​@bite-sizedshorts9635 LOL I know the feeling

[@donnadelong2781]

I love cutting strips from old tee shirts to tie my tomato plants to the fencing for support, it is soft, strong and stretches a little and causes less damage to my plants.

[@franchescawetter8423]

My pap taught me this also..and old wholly socks cut up too.

[@bonniewest146]

I made my own baby wipes when my girls were little. You take a row of bounty towels and put them in a coffee can, cut to fit. It has to be bounty otherwise it will fall apart. You can get them at the dollar tree & they take coupons. Mix together 2 cups warm water , 2 teaspoons baby shampoo and baby oil; pour over paper towel in can. Let sit for 10 minutes. Turn towel over and pour solution back over it, let sit for 10 min. Remove cardboard center & You have baby wipes for abouta $1.00.

[@sherrymorris4112]

Bounty is great,, but I found a brand called Viva from foodlion. I accidently washed them in the laundry and they were intact! Almost like a cloth towel!

[@nosheeple2751]

Great tips, thank you

[@sandysmith8567]

Thank you! Great idea for a quick clean-up!

[@lisaheron8244]

I cut up some bounty and put in a storage container with some rubbing alcohol. I use these in my car as handy wipes after shopping.

[@lyndaclodfelter2448]

Great idea 👍

[@janrudd9175]

I save all my plastic grocery bags too. I line my household trash cans with them. My mother in law used one as a shower cap when she came to visit! I wish I could post the picture! 😂

[@evelynkorjack2126]

my favorite and longest lasting laundry basket is a huge bag made of "plarn" ... made from walmart bags

[@cordyg4306]

I use them to cover my hair when dying it. Just tie the handles together and waalaa instead shower cap that saves my clothes. 😆 🤣 Great minds think alike.

[@ms.sunshinesue8719]

Have done as well.

[@bettyir4302]

Use them for scooping the litter box and cleaning up after the dog.

[@Trish....]

​@@bettyir4302 I do that. I check my bags for the ones w/o holes, fold them up, & keep them in a container next to the litter for scooping.

[@angiecreech-collier7000]

I save my onion peels in the freezer. When I get a couple of gallon bags full, I can me up some wonderful onion broth! It’s delicious in soups, stews or just about anything!

[@sandysmith8567]

Nice!

[@patricianaughton-termini3683]

Angie, you can use the onion peels to antique cotton material as well.

[@PS-ut5ct]

Nice and you can dry the onion and garlic peel and mill them then use as a spice- it’s loaded with minerals. Blessings all

[@strangrg]

I like

[@ashleymcdonald2239]

Yes, Amen. And if you add carrot and celery scraps it makes a delicious veggie broth you can can too. ,🙂

[@SunnySydeUp]

I save mesh bags from grapefruit, oranges, avocadoes, etc. i open them carefully at the top and use the contents. Then I fold them and save them to hang up and store my potatoes, onions, garlic bulbs, etc at harvest time. (I don’t have a farm, just a backyard garden)

[@nosheeple2751]

I also use the same thing for my tuber plants like irises or my elephant ears that I want to store to the next year I live in a zone where they do not Winter

[@patriciasweet151]

Hubby uses them to hold cantaloupe on the vine growing up the fence and if he goes morel hunting

[@tinaluiggi]

You can also make dish scrubbers out of these bags!

[@ellenm2873]

Can also be used stretched over a drain area or shower drain-take up the drain cover and apply mesh to area and push it down (better of course finer and tighter the mesh) to catch the hairs.

[@pammarley7331]

You can use your Folgers coffee container to store TP in your outhouse. That’s what I do. Keeps it nice and clean, and dry.

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

Our 1931 outhouse still has a roll in it from the early 60s. I suppose it would turn to dust if I touched it. It's a two-seater, as my wife's grandfather put in a small hole for my wife's mother when she was little.

[@heathertackett7956]

Not only dry but memories of my childhood says it probably keeps it spider free too! Wish my gran had thought of that one lol

[@CJ_The_Preparing_Prepper9644]

We had started doing camping

[@pammarley7331]

My husband built this one several years ago so the guys didn’t have to come inside during the day. Unfortunately for me it only lasted a short time. Life on the farm 👨🏼‍🌾👩🏼‍🌾

[@Feribrat99]

cut a slit in the side and you do not have to open it to get paper out of the can. hang it on a string and it is never out of reach. put one in the car for when you have to use a public loo that seems to never have paper.

[@ritahunter3177]

Don't forget the wire ties off bread and roll packs. I must have 500 but they come in handy. Also the mesh bags from onions and taters. They make good scrubbies. Save and wash wax paper like foil and baggies.

[@lisacooper5544]

Lol me too! So handy for projects in the garden too

[@karynsantiago]

Use your old wax paper to make your stainless steel appliances and chrome sparkle!

[@karenkaren5013]

Foil also takes rust out of sinks ect and puts a nice shine on stainless steel sinks. Just roll the foil into a ball and lightly scrub.

[@Trish....]

I save those + any that come w/things that have cords/plug-ins.p We sometimes buy coffee in bags, & they come w/a 1ish cm wide plastic tie, & I keep them in my craft stash.

[@debbienolan656]

Oh! I don't get many mesh bags, but that is an EXCELLENT idea.

[@susantippitt8631]

I never thought as a young woman that I would be grateful for growing up in a poor family. I have been doing most of these things for all of my life because it was how I was raised. As far as cutting up the T shirts, I use them for handkerchiefs. They are so much softer than tissues or store bought hankies and they last for years.

[@franchescawetter8423]

Yeah we call my husband's old t shirts the swiss army knife of clothing here. They work great for toddler drool or runny noses.

[@NeighborofKT]

Gallon milk jugs - collect a bunch, fill them with water and surround your delicate garden seedlings with them...3 or 4 per seedling. They work like solar heaters, soaking up heat from the sun during the day, then releasing the heat at night, protecting those delicate little tomato seedlings from the frost. Plastic grocery bags are the perfect size to line smaller waste baskets.

[@bettyir4302]

The big plastic ice cream containers are great for lots of things.

[@tinalucas2357]

WOW

[@skyleen]

The milk jugs will hold up the sheet that you throw over the seedlings for extra protection, AND release their heat to the plants

[@NeighborofKT]

@@skyleen but they do need uncovering during the day...I know that you know that, but newbies might not.

[@JustJoyHowdy]

Cut off bottom of gallon milk jug. Put over tender plant. Mini greenhouse.

[@Sunnytrailrunner]

I’m a woman pushing 70 yrs of age & I grew up washing the “tin foil.” My Mom & Grandmother called it this as l do to this day. Both of these remarkable women survived the Great Depression & I’m eternally grateful they taught me everything they learned during that time.

[@yarnprepper]

I call it tin foil too. I’m 58

[@katie7748]

​@@yarnprepperditto and mid-30s here

[@Trish....]

​@@yarnprepper same - 52, southerner born n raised.

[@patriciasweet151]

I do the same thing just like mom.

[@JayP-kd5rc]

@@yarnprepper same here-74.

[@brendaz9222]

I save every scrap end and peeling of all our fresh veggies, they go in a bag in the freezer. We save the chicken or turkey carcus also in a bag in the freezer, then we add them together to make bone broth and it is delicious!

[@andig2218]

I do this also to make bone/collagen stock (also keep the skin) it makes an excellent nutritious soup base ❤

[@ravenlaughs9757]

Right from a no waste kitchen. I do the same😊

[@claudiadoyle8052]

SAME!!!!

[@megsquiltedmemories]

So do we! We'll make veg stock then those veggies once cooked down, go into compost.

[@Asgardsteve1]

Being a carpenter I get given loads of wooden pSMPI-QEDW-UCJB lauallets from other builders, which they would normally just chuck away. Break the pallet down into its component parts and carefully lever the nails out and straighten then back out with a hammer, and there you have a free supply of nails and wood

[@juliemac1465]

My husband uses coffee grounds as a hand cleaner. It’s great for greasy hands!

[@bettyir4302]

Add grounds to handmade soup.

[@kiras6241]

Awesome ideas 👍thank you~~

[@sweetpotato2098]

As a kid I remember looking thew alot of country crock bowls to find the one with the margeran in it😂 I save all kinds of things because you never know when you might need it!!

[@laurielong8277]

Favorite saying Want what you got Get what you need Use what you have. Wise words to live by.

[@debbieolin8153]

There is a plaque in the parlor of a monastery in Arizona that reads "Most of us are citizens of the kingdom of stuff".

[@ashleymcdonald2239]

Amen. ✝️❤️🌍

[@sxs357]

I stretch out conditioner by adding water. The thicker or more expensive the product is the more water I add. I also make my own foaming hand soap by adding water, I make it pretty thin, sorry for not having measurements. It really REALLY makes a ton more of hand soap!

[@lindawoody8501]

I do the same with dish detergent liquid (I do not have a machine) and laundry detergent. Same for Conditioner and Shampoo.

[@caralyn-ca-5016]

So are u saying if I add some water say 50% more? Or even more? - I can make my own foaming soap?

[@sxs357]

@@caralyn-ca-5016 definitely! My guess is I use about 1/4 cup of soap to 3/4 cup water. I had found some measurements off of Pinterest at one point but I wanted to stretch it even further. I've been using the same 6 oz bottle of concentrated soap for 2 years now! 😁

[@Loretta318]

I do the same thing

[@tammywhite9229]

I use cheap conditioner to shave my legs. It makes razor glide well and skin soft. It’s cheaper than shave cream.

[@debbiegoff8586]

In case you didn't already know, mayonnaise, and miracle whip lids fit canning jars.

[@judyopp7485]

Some of you may already cut your dryer sheets in half. They work just fine and there is still enough to clean your lint trap. Half the cost...same results!

[@kristenthomas8054]

When your bath bar of soap is so small you can't really use it anymore, I started saving those in an old clean mayo jar. I make sure they are dry before I store them but I seen a video on using them to make hand soap. Grate them and boil with water and you have hand soap.

[@livenletlive7537]

Yes, that works very well. I have been doing that for years.

[@JayJackson007]

I use it till almost gone & soft then just add it on top of my next bar-no waste. Thanks for sharing, I will need to do this!!

[@jtharp9265]

Thank Patara , My Irish grandmother bless her heart was born in 1916 She lived a long wonderful life to age 96 years old she passed in September 2011 and I was blessed to have been raised by her and my Father - I learned so much from both of them as she lived through the Great Depression and told me so many stories , about walking to school with cardboard in her black tie up shoes, as she had 8 siblings herself - she taught me & my father ( he was taught 1st of course ) about not throwing anything out . Using rags for feminine pads , she had to wash them out & dry them . Always saved even ketchup packs , mustard, sugar , salt & pepper if we did go out to eat once in a blue moon . I'm now enjoying teaching my granddaughters ages 11 & 10 years old - everything she taught me and would talk to my children about as they were growing up . It's a blessing to those of us who truly loved learning from our elders and our children now teach their children right from wrong . God bless you & this great community- I truly love this series you have started patara , as many many people don't know kotex, etc..weren't even made in till the 1970s . I'm 56 years old so Thankfully they were out . But Now with our economy people need to know about Cloth diapers, plastic pants for their children . I used them for my 1st son in 1984 and only had 6 . I would wash them out in the toilet if #2 then Scrub them in bath tub and dried on our old flat top furnace. People I pray learn these things before they can't find them or they become so expensive . You can make them also and make sure you have pins to keep them closed & plastic / rubber pants so the babies close don't get wet ..... God bless everyone . Mrs josette Montgomery County, Texas 🙏

[@geniadurden4655]

I am 71 and my aons diapers were cloth. Had 3 dozen that lasted till he potty trained. I rinsed the worst out in the yard with a garden hose. Washed them in a wringer washer, rinsed them in the plastic pool then hung them on the fence to dry.

[@DesertDweller74]

Sanitary napkins were invented in 1896.

[@lulaporter6080]

@@DesertDweller74 Thanks. I remember wearing my first one with a type of garter belt in 1965. Back then it was one size fits all.

[@leeannwicker937]

I'm surprised that aluminum foil was even a thing during the Depression. Paper towels did not exist so, of course, rags were used. I had someone making fun of me recently when i commented that I had a portion of a towel in my rag bag that I received as a wedding gift in 1960. They seemed to think that was something to be ashamed about, but I'm proud of my thrifty habits.

[@bettyir4302]

I'm still using old rags from my grandmother. Her old flour sack towels are just now so old they're seeing the garbage.

[@cherylkygirl7181]

​@@bettyir4302 All cotton rags can be put into compost and will decompose into the soil

[@Catsrule7]

I thought the same. I am 75 and my mother did most of these things, so I grew up thinking they were normal, and still do. But I do not remember aluminium foil in my childhood - it was always butter wrapping which was used. Where I live now, butter comes wrapped in a foil paper, which is not suitable for oven use.

[@dottieholmes1623]

Before aluminum foil it was tin foil which was sturdier.

[@littleoldlady4154]

They ironed bits of foil to store food inside and wrapped them to keep oxygen out.

[@anydaynow7755]

Along with the "magic soup"....you can put almost anything in a tortilla wrap and call it supper!

[@dewuknowHIM]

Old t-shirts make great T.P. (cut in 4" or 5" squares)..... {I toss after use}... 😉😁

[@pattiecanders1378]

My honey heard your video the other day and the next day he came home with a pkg of mens underwear and pkg of socks.

[@nosheeple2751]

😊👍

[@littleoldlady4154]

Boyfriend heard the same and had me order extra packs of underwear for both of us.

[@danaharris5446]

Went to the store yesterday, got two packs of underwear and a 10 pack of socks for myself and my grown daughter. Ordered 3 bras on sale , all to be put away in case❤️

[@littleoldlady4154]

Buy or build a folding clothes rack. Y'all can put it in the bathtub to dry clothes without electricity when the weather is bad. Y'all can set it up outside when Merry Sunshine visits.

[@lyraacree4380]

When I went to stay in a motel/hotels I would keep the shampoo,conditioner,bars of soap and lotions. I may not have used them at the time but later I would after all you paid for them!

[@debbieolin8153]

I always took them and used them in toiletry bags for the homeless.

[@livenletlive7537]

I always saved them. Great to travel with as well. Sometimes the hotel would also include a small emergency sewing kit and a shower cap. I would keep them as well. Can always use the sewing kits for emergencies and needles can always be reused over and over.

[@Simplyfarmhouse7]

My husband loves grabbing up these up from hotels before we check out. I have to say they do come in handy if you run out at home on these items

[@carolyns1131]

I have saved/ironed/re-used tissue paper for 30 years…haven’t bought tissue paper for 25 years. I’m not shy in asking for the used tissue paper at a gift party, especially this generation could care less about that “garbage”! 😁

[@carolyns1131]

@@tarabrickle8745 😂

[@crochetgottaloveit]

An iron works very well to remove the wrinkles, of it's not a plastic coated tissue paper

[@kathygibson8811]

My daughter never saves gift bags and tissue paper at her boy’s birthday party. I gather them up and take them home. I never buy them

[@creativelycountry1617]

@@tarabrickle8745 ahh, your comment had me laughing so hard 😂😂

[@lorenatorres5342]

@@tarabrickle8745 OMG, I was thinking the same!...Toilet paper! 😄

[@LisaDeFrates-zf3rn]

My neighbor was throwing away a huge box of packing paper yesterday... because of watching this series, I was on my toes!! She was glad to pass it on to me but I was thinking it could be pressed and made into pattern pieces for clothes, paper for lists, drawing etc ..even gift wrap!!! Thank you for doing this series...I'm loving it!!! Please continue!!

[@sandysmith8567]

Deliveries sometimes use lots of the brown roll paper for packing. Great for making patterns, too.

[@linda487nc]

I have boxes of packing paper. Never thought to make patterns, although anything I sewed from scratch would leave me looking like a clown. At least I would be covered. 😁

[@UpNorth069]

​@@linda487nc AND festive!!🤭

[@RachelJohnson-rn4ct]

I always save any kind of tissue paper from gifts. They are excellent for altering patterns or tracing a sewing pattern on and cutting it instead of the original. That pattern can be used many more times in various sizes.

[@claudiadoyle8052]

My family would also use newspaper to make patterns for clothes.

[@mfoster4324]

Turn your zip lock bags inside out so that you can get clean to the corners. Drape them over a glass and let them dry. Then turn them right side out and lay them flat to store.

[@charlenefrazier6734]

I store mine in an empty Kleenex box.

[@rain0450]

Some things my family is doing to be Depression Ready: 1. Buying and stacking basic toiletries. Hair ties, tooth brushes, hair clips, bar soap, razor blades…essentially, anything that we don’t want to be without! We also bought supplies for cutting hair a while back - Walmart still sells hair clip sets for cheap. At the same time, I am also cutting out the “unnecessary” toiletries (hard for me, as a woman) and learning to live without. 2. Buying a second freezer. We will be shopping sales to fill it up. We are also going to work with a local farmer to buy half a cow. 3. My husband and I have cut back to two meals a day. We only eat out maybe once or twice a month (usually after church). We are prioritizing high quality calories. We drink only water, tea, and milk. Orange juice is a treat.

[@bettyir4302]

Organize the house and you'll probably find things you forgot about that would be useful. Don't throw out anything that can be reused or turned into something else.

[@claudiadoyle8052]

I have always bought those mens and womens travel kits. They have all the toiletries in them. They have gotten pricey these days, but I have plenty over the years.

[@DistrustUS]

The plastic net bags that onions come in make good dish scrubbies

[@janisholloway3038]

I dearly love this series. My grandmother did that too. She reused everything you can imagine.

[@gaymurr988]

You can use the butter wrappers as a parchment paper as well

[@countryblends]

You can also use the butter wrappers to coat your baking dishes before adding your mixture in.

[@yelenayeli9529]

Or lay them over the potato slices you are baking for some extra grease.

[@cherokeepurple4480]

Great idea! I use them in between things I freeze like burgers.

[@gaylecollins7367]

I use my butter wrappers as fire starters, too!

[@livenletlive7537]

I havent bought paper towels since 2020. I bought 90 cotton lint free kitchen towels, white. I use those for everything, cleaning, spills, drying dishes, pot holders etc... they hold up great. Dry glassware, dishes, pots and pans. We would go through at least 4 rolls of bounty a week. Not anymore. Money saved and less get thrown into the landfills. I also do the t-shirts, sheets that have holes, towels. They dust and clean so much better. I wrap them around a swifter too. Twist ties. I save all twist ties from bread bags, rolls, electronics....save them and reuse them. I save bread bags or hotdog/hamburger bun bags too. Use them for small garbage bags in the car or as I am picking up stuff around the house. I send leftover containers in them. They are long enough that a knot can be made on the top so nothing spills out. I save envelopes that come in the mail inside the bills. I always pay electronically. Bills usually contain envelopes. I have been saving those envelopes and reuse them. I save ALL glass jars and their lids from jelly/jams, pickles, salsa, olives, sauces, and I reuse them for leftovers or dare I say....can food in it. YES I do reuse them for canning. So did my grandma, so do my relatives in Europe. No one has gotten sick or died from it. You do you, I will do me.

[@sandysmith8567]

We always use glass mayo jars for waterbath canning.

[@livenletlive7537]

@@sandysmith8567 I have a few glass mayo jars of my grandma's. I ca t find any glass mayo jars anymore. I have only seen plastic ones in the stores. BUT, if they will come in hlass, I will buy them and use them for canning! Canning jars have gotten expensive. So I save and use glass jars. ✅️

[@swithers00]

I have a glass mayo jar that was my grandmothers. It actually has the Ball "B" imprinted on it. I wish I had known way back then that they made those jars.

[@kristie4890]

Really enjoying this series, Patera! Thank you! My daughter, who was watching with me, also said that if you don't have any rags or toilet paper, you can always grab a leaf...she's 7🤣

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

Tell her to stay away from poison ivy. :)

[@Jomama02]

​@@bite-sizedshorts9635 Isn't that the truth! Leaves of three, leave them be!

[@Prepping-for-Heaven]

@@bite-sizedshorts9635 I was just about to post that!! LOL

[@dottieholmes1623]

Lamb's ear and mullien leaves work great for that lol

[@kristie4890]

@@bite-sizedshorts9635 She's smart! She did say afterwards as long as it's not poison ivy! We do have a bit of that growing where we live.

[@lauraroberson9937]

I learned a long time ago that anything dry ( beans, rice, etc) that was pourable- was storable in 2 and 3 liter bottles after they were washed and dried. We lived in a trailer years ago, and these will stack on their sides. Keeps bugs and dust out when you don't have jars to use. Also sounds strange to some folks, but use a measuring spoon for dish soap- you really don't need that long squeeze of stuff. Powdered laundry detergent goes further than liquid, too. Why pay for all that extra water when so much goes into the cycle?

[@crochetgottaloveit]

I store lots of dehydrated foods in two liter soda bottles: corn, peas, mixed veggies, rice, beans, ground spices, ground turmeric. 😊 Those bottles are great!

[@rachelstickney9256]

Awesome ideas! I never thought of using 2 or 3 liter bottles to store dry goods. The only thing, is be careful with powdered detergents, they can really cause plumbing and septic problems. My mom used to use the cheap powdered Sun brand detergent and it created a cement paste that gummed up their septic and pipes and had to spend a lot to get it fixed... So, buyer beware of the cheap powdered detergents.

[@marilynt6512]

Yes!!! I've done this for years.👍👍👍

[@JP2GiannaT]

I use pickle jars.

[@charlenespurlock4722]

Keep the containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, dips, etc to use in freezer.

[@tammywhite9229]

I do that but it’s so disappointing when you think you are opening cool whip and find left over spaghetti. 😂

[@debbiebrown19]

I keep all plastic containers..cottage cheese, sour cream etc. use to send leftovers home with the kids after a family dinner. They don’t have to worry about returning containers!

[@Hecteacher]

@@debbiebrown19 I do the same!

[@judyvdwesthuizen6728]

​@@Hecteacher Ditto

[@jenniebruno6946]

I have been saving them and drilling holes so i can up-pot my seedlings.

[@victoriabecraft6166]

My grandmother taught me to store my bananas in the refrigerator. The banana skins will turn brown quicker but the banana itself, will last 3 times longer than they will sitting on the kitchen counter! As the actual banana begins to turn brown, I cut them up to freeze for fruit and veggie smoothies.

[@ShortbusMooner]

LOL! I'm a notorious napkin stasher.. 🙏🏻💪🙏🏻

[@allisonsanders6855]

Homemade laundry soap is SO easy and saves SO much. Works just as good. I never believed it but I do now!!

[@Msnailfly]

How do you do it ?

[@rajnimsg7816]

Formula for this please❤

[@nonnyknows790]

@allison sanders- Same! My hysterical funny but completely asleep mother in law keeps smuggling in the store versions because she just can't believe we prefer the homemade mix. 😃

[@jensenracing77]

Same here! I have been making mine for over 10 years now. Cheap and works great!

[@aevans73]

​@@rajnimsg7816 posted my version below.

[@lilaholland5764]

My grandma had 13 children so she was a pro at frugality! I try my best to sue what I have as wisely as possible. Kind of in the same stain of saving left overs for soup, I save all my onion, carrot & celery trimmings & peelings to go in the freezer until I make chicken stock. This saves so much money & your stock will be delicious... A few weeks ago our grocery had a great sale on bulk whole carrots so I bought some & canned them. Now I have a ton of peelings for stock in the freezer & shelf stable carrots on my pantry shelves. I call that a Win/Win!!!

[@cutsiename]

TIP: use a wire plate rack to dry your washed reusable freezer bags. Just slip it over and it dries in no time. I get my wire racks from the Dollar store.

[@robinleigh9177]

I have a pant/skirt hanger that I have attached to a rack in my laundry room and I clip the bottom of the bag to that and dry mine that way. Works well

[@Jomama02]

I just drape mine on the silverware part of my drainer with a table knife in the corner. No need for the added we expense of a plate hanger!

[@anncox4445]

I put mine over a tall drinking glass.

[@vickiegossett7214]

I turn canning jars upside down and use them for drying of ziplock bags.

[@ashtorfarm8866]

Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@andreaatkinson7243]

You can also melt the last bits of a candle into paper egg cartons. Once solidified I break each section of the carton apart and they make great fire starters as well.

[@charlapeery632]

Fill those egg cartons with sawdust first, then drip the candle wax into it. Fantastic fire starter.

[@andreaatkinson7243]

@@charlapeery632 ohhhh….such a great idea. Thank you!!!

[@frankmarystump960]

@@charlapeery632 I put dryer lint in egg cartons (when I have some) and drip candle wax on it for fire starters.

[@atime-peacegarden4430]

Cut the bottom off a smaller jug (Quart size, etc) now it's a funnel or a scoop

[@smokey7718]

Throw butter wrappers into your cast iron when done cleaning. Make book covers for cookbooks to protect from brown paper bags. Make dusting mitts from old sweatshirts: cut off sleeve with cuff longer than you hand. Drawm mitt shape above cuff. Stitch around. Use inside out fir dusting,cleaning, window washing😊.

[@geniadurden4655]

1)Ok, old tee shirts of any color can be cut in 1" strips sewn together, rolled into a ball the size of a basket ball. Then you use the largest crochet hook to make round or oblong floor rugs. These rugs will literally out last most marriages today. Cam be washed in the washer and hung out to dry. I made my first rug at the age of 12.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Use citrus peels to make cleaning vinegar.

[@debrastanley7492]

Great ideas! I save buttons and zippers from old clothes.

[@charlottegircsis7916]

My mom did this all the time. was never short a button

[@karenhernke281]

Me too!

[@heathertackett7956]

I'd go to toss an old shirt as a kid and mom would nearly break her neck to retrieve it. That's 8 buttons that weren't going in the trash on her watch!!! Lol

[@RachelJohnson-rn4ct]

I save buttons and zippers as well as any nice ribbon that is on a package or gift. I have been able to reuse them in sewing projects or for craft projects at church.

[@heathertackett7956]

Hem those old towel squares and they last a lot longer. My mom even hems new washcloths so they don't unravel as soon.

[@missdebrami6862]

I had a ghost deer show up this morning next to my house. It was amazing and with my native American heritage I was fascinated when I looked it up. It wasnt albino, it had a little bit of color but was literally the lightest one I've ever seen! Butter wrappers are good fire starters too

[@DistrustUS]

I save my dryer lint and use it for firestarters.

[@vickiegossett7214]

I put my dryer lint into and old kleenex box or coffee container to save for starting the wood burning stove.

[@franchescawetter8423]

I have a magnet clip on my dryer that holds a grocery store bag filled with lint from the dryer. For starting fires while camping.

[@metoo5004]

Put the stained bowls in the sun.....goes away.... for real 😂 sun bleaches it out... also works for white clothing

[@nosheeple2751]

Thanks I didn't know that. But I do line dry all of my clothes most of the time weather permitting and my sheets and I have always sunride my pillows especially after someone's had a cold it kills all the germs

[@marycasanova8905]

Easiest reminder. Soap is soap. Ma used to buy 1 5¢ bar of felsnaptha a month(that big brown cake of soap) cut 5 slices to use as bars of soap (and shampoo)for everyone all month,grated a cup off the end to use as wash up soap for clothes, and kept the remainder for carry over(don't use it on dishes, pine tar tastes evil). She even scrubbed the floor with it. She also bought the big white king D dish soap, poured half in last months bottle, and stretched both out for 2 months.

[@JayJackson007]

Thanks for taking my mind back!! I Enjoyed reading this💕

[@donmathena5099]

Another awesome video! I’m so thankful for my late grandparents influence. They helped to raise us. I’m proud to say I’ve used a wringer washer, I’ve hung clothes on a clothesline, I’ve learned how to can vegetables from the garden. My late grandfather Allen told me if you don’t need it don’t buy it. He said there was more in saving than there was in making. He lived off of a $600 plus Social Security every month. He used his retirement from his 44 years of hard work at the Salem Tannery to buy his house. The advice from my late grandparents was golden. It was priceless! ❤️

[@nicholezdicham5253]

My daughter just chuckled and laughed and said sounds like somebody. I know Mom 😉 she thought I was just a hoarder of things because of how poor I grew up but now she's realizing at the age of 14 almost 15 that these are skills you just live by

[@joannbowlin8148]

My daughter thinks I'm insane the way I save and use things. I was born at the tail end of the great depression and heard for years many stories about how hard things were. This video just highlights the things that I do all the time. Glad I'm not alone in my thinking.

[@seamonkeyrevival]

my Italian grandmother's favorite saying was "waste not, want not".

[@maryames164]

Use all kinds of spare paper.The backs of envelopes. When I get my prescriptions they come with lots of blank space which I cut up and use for grocery lists or I let my grandson color on them.Always look for blank paper.I also use the extra spaces in sewing patterns to trace off things when I need too

[@stephenkirkman8288]

I use the extra pages from utility and credit card bills. They usually will fold into 1/3 page sheets, then stack them and fold into thirds again. Tear after scoring between your fingernails. Great note pads!

[@cdavid2486]

Or you can leave them as envelopes and put any coupons inside so they are easier to find. I always make my groc lists this way.

[@bettyir4302]

Please, make sure to immediately shred anything that has your info on it.

[@shannonadams3101]

Love ALL of your videos, but I'm especially drawn to this "Get Depression Ready Together" series.....so helpful & informative. Tell your Nana 'thank you' & give her a big hug from all of us!

[@shell..47]

Look at everything that comes through your house with new eyes. Even the plastic meat trays and have multiple uses.

[@janiceclack4143]

They make great paint trays.

[@sharonnorris5984]

You can use the styrofoam meat trays as insulation in coops etc.

[@RobinL4715]

My kids used to use washed styrofoam meat trays for holding paint or glue for craft projects

[@claudiadoyle8052]

Yes! I also save the styrofoam trays that hamburger, pork chops, etc. come on. I use those for kitty food trays.

[@sandysmith8567]

I thought about all the paper towel and napkins we go through. Had a couple yards of cheap fabric and cut it into 10" squares and made 2-ply napkins. I use 1 twice as a napkin, maybe swipe a drop of coffee off the floor and toss into washer. Haven't used up a roll of paper towel in 3 weeks! Thrift places also have a linen section to pick up cloth napkins or sheets etc. to cut up.

[@luba-healthywithluba6866]

Paper towels are definitely an unnecessary expense. Great work!

[@debbieolin8153]

I was aghast the amount of tràsh generated when we had lunches for the homeless. I decided to buy everyone a pottery mug (they are $0.99 at thrift stores) ,always had cloth napkins, and always had real silverware. Not only was refuse greatly reduced, but attitudes changed dramatically. Everyone realized they were actually worth something...,.

[@luba-healthywithluba6866]

@@debbieolin8153 so well said 💜

[@danaharris5446]

I use cloth napkins from thrift stores and garage sales. Love them!!! I only use paper towels for frying. I may use about two a year

[@Crusher14]

Please keep the Great Depression Videos coming! Before I retired I didn’t know or care about all the money savings tricks. Now that I am on social security I had to learn quickly to save money. I never throw a plastic shopping bag away…I use them not only for bathroom trash but kitchen trash. I like the idea of not having to wait to fill up kitchen tall bags before removing it from the house. I was also using a LOT of paper towels so now I use all those restaurants napkins I used to pitch, they work great. I recycle plastic zip bags (unless meat was stored in them) & Reynolds wrap.

[@duckmanyeah5738]

I take leftover MASH potatoes and leftover Mac and cheese. Add milk to the Mac and cheese and cook till noodles are very mushy. Add your leftover MASH potatoes. Now you have cheesy potatoes

[@sharonbrown2352]

Something else I've done with gallon milk jugs, I drill holes in the top. I use it to water the plants . I love Nana's Wisdom. Keep them coming!

[@cherylkygirl7181]

The gallon containers can also be used as hanging plant containers

[@JayJackson007]

I love the plant waterer idea!!

[@LogCabinArtist]

Use contact paper to cover old coffee cans, and decorate/label with what is inside.

[@lindawoody8501]

There also are new spray paints that can be used on plastic for the exterior of coffee canisters to re-make them into storage canisters that are attractive (the plastic ones have painted labels that are not removable so I think painting over it would be nice). Can also be used as small planters if holes poked into the bottom for drainage.

[@lauriivey7801]

My brother is 'silly' about saving paper towels (we use the half-sheet ones) ... if he uses one under his toast at breakfast, he'll save it and put it as a coaster under his drink during the morning ... at lunch, he'll use it as you normally would a napkin, then he'll toss it (unless, of course, it still looks clean ... then he'll keep it as a coaster for the evening before tossing it) - - My mother had an old bleach bottle that she cut a large hole in the side, sliced the handle, and hung it on the line to hold clothespins ... I'd totally forgotten about that

[@cherylkygirl7181]

Paper towels can be added to compost bin

[@lauriivey7801]

@@cherylkygirl7181 I'm sure he'll be doing that, now that we've got a tumbler one that 'old folks' can work ;-)

[@linda487nc]

@@cherylkygirl7181 I do that. When I'm prepping veggies I use the paper towel I dried them with and peel them on it, then it goes in the compost.

[@linda487nc]

I can relate. My husband will use a napkin over and over. Mine never make it through the meal. I buy very cheap napkins, and save from fast food as well. Napkins are also kleenex, spill wipers, splot blotters, etc.

[@lauriivey7801]

@@linda487nc Same here ... mine never make more than a single meal, but like yours mine become many other items on their way to the bin

[@Kay-zo9ol]

I use old leather gloves for hinges on garden fencing. When I make applesauce, I use the peels to make vinegar.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Intentionally switching out all one use items. Paper towels for rags. Ziplock bags for glass containers. Turn everything into multi purpose multi use. Old sucks tied in a knot make great pet toys! Give items like cardboard to kids for at projects or compost.

[@elizabethgregory8787]

I’ve always saved the butter wrapper to rub on the top of homemade bread. Learned that from an older woman who watched me when I was little.

[@Angie-jg4nz]

Black meat containers from Aldi, big and small. Old med bottles, stuffed with petroleum covered cotton balls(water proof fire starters)

[@peggyruth1688]

I have always saved my old towels. Use them when canning, and after the veggies are washed lay them out on one to air dry. Stay strong little warrior woman. God bless. 🙏🙏🙏

[@lauraking3304]

I save my old towels to put on the floor for when the dog goes out to potty, and it's raining. And when I defrost my freezer. Keeps the floor from getting to wet.

[@sandysmith8567]

Old towels are great for laying out washed lettuce leaves from the garden. Lay them over the surface, gently roll up the towel and let sit for a few minutes.

[@marykaymorley8551]

I cut old towels in half and use for car washes or drying floors, shower, etc.

[@Bloodhoundjed1]

I quit buying decorated holiday wrapping paper a few years back. I now only purchase wrapping paper that can be used for any occasion. You can also use packing paper or paper sacks to wrap gifts.

[@davidrice8823]

Never knew what a treasure was the Greatest Generation was till they started leaving us.

[@davidrice8823]

And everything you advocated I am doing.

[@jessicawilliams218]

Nana is a rockstar 😉

[@jvjdrn]

She sure is!

[@progressisperfection]

Those Folgers containers are air-tight, too. I keep one in my plant nursery room for organic waste, and it doesn't smell one bit!

[@sherrymorris4112]

Reminds me of a poem I heard long ago. "Peas, porridge hot, peas, porridge cold. Peas porridge in the pot, 9 days old. Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot, 9 days old!"

[@Carol-ch9wj]

I had forgotten all about that little poem.....thank you :)

[@backdoor5993]

One idea you didn't mention was scavenging. I like to pickup "stuff" (i.e., materials) from the trash whether it is in the neighborhood or at work. Screws, building materials, random hardware, I find a lot of stuff that I have used over the years that cost me nothing but a little time. Pay attention to the dumpster at work, I have gathered a lot of useful stuff just by looking at other people's trash.

[@diannamc367]

I have collected a truck bed of pallets at a time from a dumpster at work a few times. One of those times I found a few 2x4s nailed together for whatever reason. Pulled the nails and used them. I'm not sure why anyone would throw wood in a dumpster these days🤷🏼‍♀️

[@cherylkygirl7181]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

[@vivhall6198]

**** important information for families with disabilities. If you have a family member who has been using Walmart brand assurance diapers, that is stretch briefs with tabs, and at least for the ones that used to come in the orange packs, don't lose your way. They are repackaging them and a green package, with 34 instead of 40 of the small medium-sized. It says online and at the store that they are out of stock. You have to talk to the pharmacist and get them to notice that now they're in the new package. Also if you get it on your family members Insurance, the insurance may not approve it first because they might have a different barcode on the package. So you may have to speak with someone at your insurance company, specially this Medicaid. But give the pharmacist a heads-up, cuz they may not realize what is happening. This happened to us when we used a CVS Pharmacy brand many years ago for my daughter. It took us way too long to figure out what was going on. So get on it right away so you won't have a gap in your medical supplies. Love you and God bless!

[@TizzyLisch]

I break up large packages of meat into smaller freezer bags. Once I have used the meat, I keep those bags in the freezer until I use again. I wash them best I can, but I never feel like they are completely clean after raw meat, so keeping them in the freezer keeps them ready for the next round of meat freezing. Freezer bags are expensive!

[@grandmashomemade9204]

I know this aint really saving well sorta i have been taking my screens off my windows and cleaning them. Then painting them black i can still see outside and it helps with keeping the sun out. So saving money on electric 💡

[@barbaragibson9007]

I keep a coffee canister on my counter to collect my spent coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetables, etc. for my compost pile. I put some holes in the lid to allow ventilation. I have kept all the sports teams and other assorted outgrown/worn out t-shirts from my kids in a bin for future use. My husband said he was going to question my keeping of aluminum foil for re-use but now realizes that we need to get into that mindset. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas that you share.

[@cherylcorbitt4540]

T-shirts cut up make the BEST hankies. They are thicker and softer than linen. Perfect for colds. 😢Cry on them a whole day and toss 'em in the wash. Best of all, your skin doesn't get sore.

[@sueliles8847]

This series is a blessing.

[@butterflyatsunrise2121]

My grandmother saved everything. The metal ends off canned biscuits "might have to patch a hole one day" and sugar bags. I heard from someone else that there mama would fix their fathers lunch, she would put ice in a quart jar, fill it with sweet tea, put a lid on it and put it down in a sugar bag and at lunch the tea would still have ice in it, no refrigeration just a sugar bag.

[@JayJackson007]

@AmyJo I know!! Gosh, have you seen the price of nails?? Shocking!! 🔨

[@cinnamongirl9757]

I’ve been using baby formula cans instead of three inch pots for my garden transplants.

[@gnixon2488]

If I have too many canned vegetables/ meat, I dehydrated make a powder and add the powders to my soups are gravies or whatever I'm cooking

[@Chelie-Jensen]

I don’t know any other tupperware than a cool whip container. My grandma had hundreds. Some were so old they were sticky. Yep, I use them myself. Country China. . . . .