38 tips to reduce your spending
There is a common theme running through all the following depression-age frugal ideas, and it is this: waste ABSOLUTELY nothing. In an era of scarcity, no one could waste anything. In sort of a way, it was a lot easier back then: products were built to last, and these products were built to be fixed.
Today, products are made to be wasted. However, it does not mean we need to buy into the waste/consume cycle. It merely means we must be a little savvier with how we spend our paycheck and what we do with the items we purchase. Below is a list of 38 tips from the Depression era:
1. Purchase Less — Occasionally it feels as if the more you purchase, the more that you need. Having fewer things and spending less money ceases that cycle. I have cut down on the things I buy. I now have five summer shirts, five winter shirts, two winter jackets, three jeans, and five pairs of shoes. And maybe about three nice outfits on hand for special occasions. That’s it.
2. Do-it-yourself — We have lost many of the skills we once had. Doing things yourself is an excellent way to get those skills back. Learn to lay pavers or tiles, cook, paint, sew, unblock the drain, hang doors or pictures, and grow food.
3. Make all your stuff — Do you need a brand new bed frame or dining table? Why not attempt to make your own? Have you checked out the Ana White site? There are a lot of free, amazing projects showing a lady as someone capable with a saw and hammer!
4. Repair — It is much too easy to throw out what is broken and invest in a new one. However, if possible, and feasible, fix it instead of replacing it.
5. Repurpose Reuse — During the Great Depression, nothing was tossed out. Bread bags were reused as garbage bags or freezer bags. Old clothing was cut into new clothing or sewn into quilts, or cut into rags (they, of course, saved the zippers and buttons). Boxes, jars, and containers were repurposed for storage.
6. Don’t use disposables — Disposables make you spend money on the same product every week. Reusable products mean you only have to pay for something once, which saves you money over time.
7. Mend clothes — Make them last as long as you can by line drying when possible and following washing directions.
8. Sew your stuff — If you make your clothes, bedspreads, linen, etc., you will be more than likely to have the desire to make them last as long as you can after putting in all of that work.
9. Purchase secondhand — Keep things out of landfills, decrease consumption, and save money.
10. Use an apron — Aprons protect your clothing from stains, which helps them last longer.
11. Learn one or two handicrafts — Handicrafts make helpful hobbies, which avoids boredom and winds up with something very useful in the end.
12. Use home remedies — I am not against modern-day medicine, it is a life-saving, wonderful thing, and we use it when it’s needed. However, there is also a place for home remedies, and they complement modern-day medicine when it pertains to managing symptoms.
13. Use homemade cleaners — Usually, homemade, natural cleaners are just as effective as chemical ones; however, they’re cheaper and decrease the toxic load inside your home.
14. Use hot water bottles — Less expensive method of warming the bed and staying warm in the wintertime.
15. Put on a sweater or a jumper — Layer several items of clothing before you decide to turn on the heat.
16. Spend more time outdoors — Is it too hot indoors? Take all of your indoor work outside and sit in the shade.
17. Wear outfits more than one time — If your outfit isn’t dirty, wear it again before you wash and decrease the number of washes done.
18. Wash clothes weekly instead of daily — Having a weekly laundry day might seem a little outdated; however, during a period when folks wash clothes and towels every day, washing items such as linen and towels on a weekly basis instead of a daily basis will decrease the number of washes.
19. Bake other food while the oven is already on — Make the most of your oven and toss in something else while you are already baking some food.
20. Preserve — Freeze vegetables and fruit or make jams and other types of preserves so that the harvest of today does not go to waste and it’s possible to make the most of everything out of season.
21. Save your grease — Cook all food inside the saved fat. It’s delicious and cheap to cook potatoes that are fried in bacon fat.
22. Wash dishes by hand — Washing inside the dishwasher might save water; however, it’ll cost more electricity. Instead, you should hand wash your dishes in a little bit of water to save.
23. Food foraging — Feed yourself free of charge with plants growing around the neighborhood. Before eating them, be certain that you know how to identify plants.
24. Scrape every last bit from a jar — Small rubber spatulas are the ideal tool for that. Making some jam shakes with the last little bit inside the jar is one other alternative.
25. Mix by hand — or chop or grate. Use a little elbow grease and save on the need for the gym, expensive appliances, and electricity.
26. Cook food from scratch — Consume healthy food that is less expensive than packaged and processed food.
27. Make your own soap — The majority of soap from the grocery store includes chemicals and is stripped of glycerine. Create your own higher-quality soap. If you use soap scraps, it’ll cost very little.
28. Always dry soaps — Whether purchased or handmade, soap will last longer if it’s dried. Put your soap in your clothing cupboard so it can dry, ward off silverfish, and give your clothing a fresh smell.
29. Reuse scrap paper, cards, and wrapping paper- Save on wrapping gifts by reusing and keeping cards and wrapping paper. Use envelopes for the shopping list and junk mail as scrap paper.
30. Curl hair using rags — Rather than using a curling iron, use rags to curl hair, which will save on electricity.
31. Squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out — Roll the toothpaste tube to use up every drop. Along the same lines, with a Q-tip you can also get out the last of your lipstick. Cut the shampoo bottle open or add some water to use the last bit of shampoo.
32. Try to shower less — Why take a shower on those days you spent all day loafing around the house? People have not always had the luxury of taking a shower on a daily basis. Sponge baths save water and are sufficient at getting clean on most days.
33. Take advantage of reusable feminine products — Thanks to period undies and menstrual cups, it’s possible to choose products that are better for our environment, save money in the long run, and are more comfortable than their disposable versions.
34. Take advantage of the library in your neighborhood — Your local library offers so much more than books. You can stream movies, view DVDs, stream music, and listen to audiobooks, use their computers, borrow board games and puzzles, and attend classes. And more importantly, you can use those books to learn some new skills.
35. Try to entertain yourself in helpful ways — Helpful hobbies such as sewing, gardening, woodwork, handicraft, DIY, tinkering, etc. will not just keep you entertained, they’ll save you money and make you happier.
36. Free entertainment — Rather than spending your time at the cafes, shops, theme parks or in front of the Xbox or television, frugal entertainment involves telling stories, reading, playing board games, enjoying a day at the beach, having a picnic in the park, and hanging out with friends.
37. Grow most of your own food — Even just a couple of herbs in a windowsill can be an excellent start towards supplementing your grocery budget with your own produce. Organic food sources come at a premium; however, organic, homegrown food saves your budget.
38. Composting — Composting your scraps to add to the vegetable garden saves money and is the ultimate in recycling.
Becoming savvy with your money and reducing waste never grows old. The above frugal tips from the depression are never going to go out of date.
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