Ever wonder how the older generations used to save money? Here are eight examples of old-fashioned habits that can still help you work toward your financial goals even in today’s society.
Cook From Scratch
We’re not just talking about your meal prepping a sauce or two; you’ll see significant savings by making as much as you can from scratch. Note, however, that there is often a time trade-off here, so baking fresh bread every morning might not be for you.
Learn to Sew
Today’s generation is so used to tossing clothing aside once it gets a small hole in it. But sewing a basic stitch is easy to learn and can help save what you’d otherwise consider unsalvageable clothing. This tip pays dividends if you have a larger family with kids, too, because they’re much more likely to be more aggressive with their clothing.
Grow Your Food
Growing fresh food at home is probably much more straightforward than you think. You don’t have to have a giant plot of land for a garden, either; you’ll save space if you make some space for fresh herbs on your windowsill. It’s also immensely gratifying to make a sauce from scratch and finish it with herbs you just plucked from a pot in your kitchen.
Use Homemade Cleaners
You can make your all-purpose cleaner with a few household ingredients you probably already have lying around. Varying combinations of baking soda, vinegar, lemon, salt, and borax could be mixed and matched to arm your home with everything you need to keep it clean.
Buy Cheaper Cuts of Meat
Chicken breast is still the most in-vogue chicken cut, but how many of you know just how delicious (and honestly forgiving) a recipe with chicken thighs is? Many cheaper cuts are significantly less expensive, but they still offer a ton of flavor. Another pro-tip: buy bone-in anything and save the bones to make broth later!
Exercise at Home
Working out the old-fashioned way involves stripping things down to the bare necessities. Bodyweight workouts or cardio activities like biking or running won’t cost you a thing. If you’d like, you can upgrade this old-fashioned tip to the modern era by introducing YouTube exercise videos. Either way, you’re still saving on not shelling out for a gym membership.
Reuse and Recycle
Leftovers: they’re not just a concept for food (though we always recommend repurposing food however you can). Old t-shirts make fantastic tools for dusting. Rinse out food jars and use them to store extra sauces or soups in your fridge. There’s a lot you can do with things you’d otherwise throw away, and back in the day, that’s precisely what they did.
Live Smaller
The world is consistently vying for our attention to buy things we don’t need and making us feel like we can’t live without them. But most frugal people will tell you the same thing: life gets a lot easier when you learn to love it with less.
That doesn’t mean you can’t splurge or spend on things you love. It just means reassessing what you need versus what you want and stopping yourself before impulsively buying something that just adds clutter to your life.
20 Frugal Tips From the “Grandparents Generation” That Still Apply Today
Many of today’s grandparents had parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression. They adopted many of the frugal living tips they learned and passed them on to their own children.
Grandkids sometimes think that they know everything and that their grandparents are out of touch with today’s world and reality. And while there might be a kernel of truth to that, grandparents still have a wealth of knowledge that can really help. They may need to be tweaked to fit the current world but they are still valuable.
20 Frugal Tips From the “Grandparents Generation” That Still Apply Today
13 Signs You’re Financially Better Off Than the Average American
Achieving financial stability where you can meet your current financial obligations comfortably and still plan for the future is a goal everyone strives to attain.
However, while you may be able to pay your bills, save for vacations, and afford to dine out occasionally, you may feel left behind, especially if you compare yourself with your peers or others with higher salaries. You may be doing way better financially than the average American.
13 Signs You’re Financially Better Off than the Average American
14 Companies That Will Give You Free Food and Products Just for Asking
More companies are now offering free samples to get customers to try a new product. Over time, these companies gain loyal customers and can increase their sales. As a customer, you also get to test out free products and sample foods you’ve never tasted.
Read on as we explore some companies that will give you food and products for free just by asking.
14 Companies That Will Give You Free Food and Products Just for Asking
14 Powerful Frugal Living Tips for Middle-Class Americans
Inflation is high. This means that we don’t all need to understand, but we do understand that prices are high on basically everything. Everything costs more, and things are tough. Basic necessities like housing and healthcare are becoming increasingly unaffordable for most people.
As middle-class Americans adjust to the new reality, here are some powerful frugal living tips that can make our lives easier and better.
14 Powerful Frugal Living Tips for Middle-Class Americans