Frugal Advice That Never Gets Old – 47 Tips From Our Grandparents’ Era That Still Save Money Today
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Some advice never gets old. Here are 47 Depression-era frugal tips to help you save money on the everyday little things.
Do you feel that frugality is a dying art?
Or maybe you already put into practice many of the following frugal ideas.
Necessity meant that our grandparents (or great-grandparents or parents, depending on your age) had to stretch every single penny as far as possible. And then some.
There’s one common theme that runs through all of the following depression-era frugal tips, and it’s this: waste nothing.
In a time of scarcity, no one could afford to waste a thing.
In some ways, it was easier back then: things were built to last, and they were built to be repaired.
Now things are designed to be wasted. But that doesn’t mean we have to buy into the consume-and-waste cycle. It just means we have to be a bit savvier with how we spend our money and what we do with the things we buy.
The frugal tips from our grandparents are even more relevant than ever.
Frugal Living Tips From the Great Depression
Many of these tips I learned from my grandparents and parents (dad was born right at the end of the Depression).
1. Buy Less
Often spending begets spending. I buy some stuff, and now I need a bin to organise it in.
Sometimes it’s easy – especially with things like Amazon delivery – to convince yourself you absolutely need that thing. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone.
The first step to living more frugal is to just buy less shit (that includes fewer streaming services). It’s shocking how much stuff we accumulate and also surprisingly hard these days not to want more stuff.
2. Make Do
The flip side of buying less is to make do with what you have. That means getting creative with what’s on hand.
It might mean storing stuff in a recycled box instead of buying a fancy tote.
It might mean mending what you have – like sewing on a new button or fixing a table leg.
It might mean using something that’s broken but still functional, like with us: a frying pan that lost its handle.
It might mean hacking an item and using it for a different purpose to get the job done.
3. DIY
We’ve lost a lot of the skills we used to have. DIYing is a great way to gain back those skills. If you can learn to lay tiles or pavers, paint, cook, unblock the drain, sew, grow food, and hang pictures or doors etc, it can save you money on hiring someone else to do it.
4. Make Your Own
Need a new dining table? Or new curtains? Maybe a last minute gift?
Why not try your hand at making your own?
5. Repair
It’s too easy (and often cheaper, unfortunately) to toss what’s broken and buy a new one. And of course, not everything can be repaired these days. But if you can, and it’s feasible, repair instead of replace. It reduces landfill, which is also an important consideration.
6. Maintain What You Have
One of the most important ways to save money is to maintain what you own so that it lasts as long as possible. A maintenance schedule helps you keep track of maintenance tasks. A stitch in time…
7. Reuse, Repurpose
In the past, nothing was thrown away; everything had a second or even third life. Bread bags can be used as freezer bags or garbage bags. Old clothes can be cut down into new clothes, used in quilting, or cut into rags (saving the buttons and zips, of course). Containers, jars and boxes can be repurposed for storage.
8. Ditch Disposables
The first ‘R’ in the maxim is to reduce (reduce, reuse, repurpose) so it’s better to avoid than reuse or repurpose.
Disposables force you to spend money on the same thing week in, week out. Reusable alternatives mean you have a once-off payment, saving you money over the years.
9. Mend Clothing
Whether it’s sewing on a button, taking down a hem), or adding a patch, mending your clothes keeps them out of landfill (and saves you money) for as long as possible.
I read this ABC article recently about clothes and sustainability, and it said:
One of the clearest findings emerging from sustainability research is that the environmental impact of a garment often depends on how many times it’s worn. In a sense, every additional wear helps “offset” the garment’s carbon footprint.
A minimum number of wears for a t-shirt, for example, is 45 wears.
Mending is only one half of the equation; the other is caring for garments so they last longer. That means following washing instructions, line drying when you can, wearing an apron when cooking and otherwise trying to extend the life of each item of clothing.
10. Sew Your Own
Buying fabric at Spotlight isn’t necessary cheaper than buying clothes, but it sometimes it can be.
You can also save money by upcycling second-hand clothing or fabrics into new items. My daughter is becoming a wiz at this and her wardrobe has a heap of upcycled items she’s taken in or adjusted in some way (proud mamma moment).
The Ikea Effect means you’ll be more likely to want to make handmade items last as long as possible because – according to the Ikea Effect – we’re more likely to value things we take time and effort to make.
11. Wear an Apron or ‘House Clothes’
Aprons were more common when you only had a couple of dresses.
Aprons or even ‘house clothes’ will protect your clothes from stains, helping them to last longer.
Not just for cooking, but for gardening, painting, or doing any work that will stain or ruin clothes.
12. Buy Second Hand Stuff
Second hand items, whether it’s clothes, kitchenware, books, furniture etc, saves you money, reduces consumption, and keeps things out of landfill for longer.
13. Learn a Handicraft or Two
Handicrafts make useful hobbies.
The help you avoid boredom, avoid scrolling, are often medative, and you end up with a useful product in the end, whether it’s something to use around the home or something you can gift.
Digital detox is all the rage these days – the kids are getting back into handicrafts and I have to admit, I love crocheting with my daughter.
14. Include Home Remedies
I’m a huge fan of modern medicine. Life-saving stuff, and you should definitely go see a doctor if you’re feeling unwell.
But home remedies have their place too, especially for mild problems and symptom management. For example, honey when you have a sore throat (not for babies or the allergic), steam or saline rinse for a blocked nose, lemon and honey for a cough.
15. Clean Naturally
Natural, homemade cleaners are often just as effective as chemical cleaners, but they are cheaper and reduce the toxic load in the home.
16. Stay Warm with a Hot Water Bottle
Feeling cold? A hottie or two in bed is a cheaper way to warm up in winter than a heater or electric blanket (don’t use with an electric blanket, of course).
Even a hot water bottle under a lap rug on the couch while you’re watching the telly can keep you warm when the temps drop.
Pair it with ways to keep your home warm with less heating.
17. Put on a Jumper (Sweater)
Layer, layer, layer before turning on the heating.
18. Spend More Time Inside
Many of us (myself included) spend a lot of time inside, on devices. Spending more time outside and in nature can be good for our health and wellbeing, whether it’s just sitting on the back porch with a coffee, or going bushwalking (free) on the weekends.
19. Hand Wash
Rather than relying on the washing machine all the time, if you only need to wash one or two things, you can hand wash them in the sink or in the shower with you and save.
If you’ve ever wondered how to wash clothes without electricity, here’s how to do it.
20. Wear Clothes More than Once
If the clothes aren’t dirty, especially if you’re just hanging out at home, wear them more than once before washing to reduce the number of washes you do.
We do the old-fashioned thing of wearing ‘nice’ clothes out and then getting into our ‘house clothes’ when we come home. This means I’m not cleaning, eating, or cooking dinner in nice clothes (and potentially getting them dirty), and if I’ve only been out for an hour or two (and not hot and sweaty), then they can be worn again before washing.
21. Weekly Wash Days
Having a weekly wash day may seem a bit outdated, but in a time when people wash towels and clothes every single day, washing things like towels and linen weekly instead of daily will reduce your number of washes.
22. Hang Clothes to Dry
While this is pretty standard in Australia, I get that it’s not always possible to hang-dry clothes everywhere.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing; you could hang most of your clothes and just dry towels, etc. Or you could just dry clothes on rainy days.
I’m coming up to 50 and never owned a dryer, but boy, there are times I wish we had one. We have lines strung in the garage and drying racks instead.
23. Bake When the Oven Is On
Make the most of the oven and throw in a slice or some bickies (cookies) while you’re baking or cooking dinner or something else.
24. Have a Baking Day
Ever read old books, and they’ve always got a chocolate cake or some bickies in a tin in the pantry?
(Like the Magic Faraway Tree and there’s always a full cake tin?)
That’s thanks to the weekly bake day. We modern bakers have the benefit of being able to freeze our baking for later.
Instead of having a whole baking day, I like to make a batch of muffins or scones or something on Sunday evening as I’m cooking dinner. Lucky for us, my daughter loves baking, so she fills the pantry these days.
25. Preserve the Seasons
Save money by buying fruit and veg when it’s in season, and preserving it for later.
I mostly freeze stuff, because it’s easier, but you can also get into canning and making jams and chutneys. Just use modern books to learn canning – not nanna’s old books -, because modern methods are safer.
26. Save the Grease
This is a controversial suggestion, because of health reasons, etc., but I have to admit, potatoes cooked in saved tallow, pork fat, or bacon fat are naughty-yummy.
27. Hand Washing Dishes
Hand washing dishes may not save you water (modern dishwashers are pretty water-efficient), but it may save you electricity, especially if you only use a few dishes a day.
There are ways to cut down on water use and make hand-washing efficient.
28. Forage (Carefully)
An almost forgotten skill; feed yourself for free with plants that grow around your neighbourhood (not the neighbour’s veggie patch, though).
Just make sure you know how to identify plants (and, er, mushrooms) before eating them and if in doubt, don’t eat.
A modern-day version of foraging is dumpster diving – it’s amazing how much good food goes to waste.
29. Scrape The Last of The Jar
A small rubber spatula is the perfect tool for this; we use ours every single day.
Alternatively, you can swill a little water around in a jar of pasta sauce, a tin of tomatoes, or a tin of coconut milk, etc., to get the last of it out. That water will evaporate during simmering.
Making jam milkshakes with the last bit in the jar is another favourite idea – just add milk and give the jar a good shake for a jammy milkshake.
30. Hand Mix
I have no doubt KitchenAid mixers are amazing, but, hooly dooly, the price!
Save on appliances, finicky washing, and gym days and use manpower to grate, chop, and mix.
31. Cook as Much as You can From Scratch
Eat cheaper and healthier (at least here in Aus) by making your own meals from scratch.
32. Eat Head to Toe
Some of the most nutritious parts of an animal are the organ meat, and it’s cheap but rarely eaten.
In the past, no part of the animal went to waste – from sheep’s head stew (I kid you not – I have a recipe for it in my nanna’s cookbook) to making stock from the bones and sausages from the intestines.
My mum’s lamb’s fry and bacon recipe is the most popular article (and video) on the blog.
33. Don’t Buy What You Can *Feasibly* Make Yourself For Less
With long working hours, it’s not always practical or feasible to DIY everything, but if you can fit it in, you can save money.
For example, yoghurt can be made at home for less than store-bought. Even an Easio yoghurt maker saves money as well as making the process easier.
34. Make Soap
Most soap from the supermarket is stripped of glycerine (the good stuff for your skin) and includes chemicals. Soap is pretty easy to make (you just need to be aware of the safety precautions, and you can make your own soap for home.
If you use oil scraps, it can cost next to nothing to make soap, although purchasing oils will increase the cost.
35. Dry Your Soaps
Soap, whether handmade or purchased, will last longer if it has been dried. Place your soap in your clothes cupboard to dry out, give your clothes a nice smell and ward off silverfish.
Be aware, cockroaches can eat soap. Here in QLD, we have those huge bush roaches and I’ve found they eat soap, so I don’t keep it in with the clothes anymore, instead opting for homemade lavender bags.
36. Reuse Paper for Scrap Paper, Cards, and Wrapping Paper
Just like my mum and her mum before her, I have a basket of recycled wrapping paper and cards, ready to use again. This saves money on paper that only gets thrown in the bin.
You can also use junk mail (if you still get it) as scrap paper and envelopes for the shopping list.
We line the top of our high kitchen cabinets with junk mail to make them easy to keep clean. Instead of them gathering dust (which gets sticky from the cooking), we just roll up the junk mail and all that goes with it. Then a quick wipe and new junk mail laid down keeps the high places easy to clean.
37. Curl Your Hair with Rags
Use rags instead of a curling iron to curl your hair. It both saves the cost of the iron(s), saves electricity, and reduces heat damage on your hair.
Honestly, since first writing this article, using rags to curl hair has come back into fashion, and there are a ton of videos on YouTube on how to do it.
38. Squeeze the last of the toothpaste
If you roll up the toothpaste tube, you can get every last drop out of the tube.
What difference does a tiny bit of toothpaste make?
When you apply the ‘use it up’ idea to everything, the little amounts add up. For example, you can use a Q-tip to scrape out the last of your lipstick or add a little water to the shampoo bottle to get the last of the shampoo, or cut open the hand cream tube to use the last of the hand cream.
39. Shower Less
If you’re an older or rural Australian who has lived through a drought, you’ll be familiar with five-minute (or less) showers. Short showers are a staple of dry climates, although I’ve read it can blow people’s minds from o/s.
Back in the day, people would boil up the old copper for bath day, taking turns in the bath (no one wanted to go last). While I’m not suggesting we go back to that, shorter showers, a quick sponge bath, or even skipping a day that you’ve spent lounging around at home can conserve water and money. A sponge bath is an alternative.
40. Flush Less
Another common drought-time recommendation: if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.
I think this one explains itself. And of course, don’t flush other stuff down the loo.
41. Reusable Hygiene Products
This tip isn’t for everyone, but reusable hygiene products like period underwear or a menstrual cup can save you a ton over the long run, as well as reduce waste.
They’ve also come a long way from what our grandparents used – way more comfortable and effective than the old rags of ye’old times.
42. Become a Member of Your Local Library
The local library has so much more than just books. Watch DVDs, stream movies, music, and audiobooks, use the computers, attend classes, borrow puzzles and board games, and listen to music. And most importantly, use the books to learn new skills.
43. Entertain Yourself in Useful Ways
Useful hobbies like gardening, sewing, handicraft, woodwork, tinkering, DIY, etc. will not only keep you entertained; they will make you happier and save you money.
44. Free Entertainment
Instead of spending time at the shops, cafes, theme parks or even in front of the TV or Xbox, frugal entertainment includes hanging with friends, picnics at the park, a day at the beach, playing board games, reading, or even telling stories.
45. Community Involvement
Getting involved in your local community is a great way to meet new people, be happier, give back to the community and enjoy yourself at the same time without spending money.
The community you build will also be there for you when times are tough, although that shouldn’t be a primary motivator.
46. Grow Your Own Food
Even just a few herbs on a windowsill is a good start towards supplementing your budget with your own fresh produce. Organic food comes at a premium, but homegrown organic food will save you money.
47. Compost Your Scraps
In the spirit of waste not, composting scraps to add to your veggie garden is the ultimate in recycling and saving money.
Reducing waste and being savvy with your money never gets old. These frugal tips from the Great Depression will never go out of date.
Great post melissa!It was like going back to my childhood and observing the way my mum did everything(She was a child during WW2).Its funny now because i am now trying to adopt as many as these tips as possible…wish I’d paid more attention when Mum was sewing/knitting etc as now these are skills i can see really benefit a family.I agree too that its not always about money and saving and the aquisition of stuff but about being satisfied with what we have.Thankyou for this timely reminder.
Hi Shauna,
Thanks
My dad was a WW2 child too, and a lot of these tips we grew up with also. I wish I’d learned more from him too.
A couple you could add:
Buy quality. There are lots of cheap imported goods now but they don’t last. Buying quality might double the initial price but if it lasts 3 times as long you are ahead of the game.
For all the blokes use shaving soap and a brush rather than foam or gell. Each soap block last me more than a year!
Hi Brian,
Great additions!
Hubby has a beard, so even less shaving :) although he also uses the old fashioned brush and soap when he does shave.
Isn’t shaving cream just for kids craft and activities on Pinterest? ;)
What a refreshing read! I have been penny pinching to pay off debts ( not self inflicted) and maintain that my quality of life is not co.promised…this article reminds me of the fun of being inventive. My tech crazy kids love our weekly family night…board games and my friends and I catch up over a come dine with me style rota. We also enjoy making tray bakes from leftover biscuits cereal and melted chocolate. I was brought up by my gran and really appreciate being able to see cook knit and bake.
Hi Suzanne, thanks. Your household sounds awesome :).
As a renter I have had to clean a handful of different toilets and have found that the toilets which have been used with a “let it mellow” policy never seem to get clean. There is a permanent ring where the water level is constant. The urine has etched into the glaze and the ring which remains never goes away and seems to collect everything. A good cleaning makes the ring lighter but never gone. I guess if you want to clean your toilets every day maybe that wouldn’t happen. But who wants to do that??
You’re right, who wants to clean the loo everyday!! We don’t have the problem of a permanent ring though.
While raising 4 girls, money was tight. instead of expensive products, l opted for their basic counterparts: witch hazel as an astringent for face, hair, bug bites and sunburns; ammonia for cleaning (and bee stings!); bleach to disinfect; comet to scrub stubborn stains on hard surfaces and hydrogen peroxide for blood stains and wound care. (Never mix bleach and ammonia, it creates a deadly gas).
We too let what is yellow mellow. We started flushing only when we needed to during the draught when water was too precious to be flushed down the sewer at every opportunity. The toilet has developed a slight ring of discolouration but hey what is more important, a pristine toilet or water saved? In my quest to be sustainable and frugal I also don’t use commercial toilet cleaners. Instead the toilet is cleaned with ‘soap and water’. I use a couple of tablespoons of soap nut concentrate and brush. Sometimes I give it the bicarb treatment followed by vinegar rinse to make it smell nice. It all works a treat. Best of all I am not flushing potent chemicals down the sewer. This is important as not all chemicals breakdown and not all are filtered out at sewerage treatment plan. What ends up in the oceans affects marine life and ultimately us through the food chain.
Vinegar and bicarb are great toilet cleaners! We use them too. Water conservation is important, especially as we’re going into another drought it seems.
I use a pumice stone to clean the ring in my toilet. Works great!
Put on some plastic gloves and use a light sand paper, or a sand paper block. It will rid u of any ring in ur potty. Most of the time Lime away or other chemical that removes lime or rust will do the trick.
Really enjoyed this article. Off to dry some soap now..
Please do not reuse/store bacon grease unless it is nitrate free. Regular bacon grease contains a concentrated form of nitrates which has been associated with causing cancers. Bacon grease was a collected staple in my parents house and although a great flavour enhancer think twice do some research online an leave this off the frugal list. Actually the price of bacon puts this idea as non frugal anyways.
I remember bacon grease being strained and saved for cooking and lard used for baking. but the redeeming factor was home butchering and processing. I doubt a nitrate had ever been heard of! I have to agree, I would only use grease now as a very very seldom taste treat.
It’s such a shame we have to worry about such things!
I’m glad I found your blog…Frugal living is thriving…living how you want to leave & saving money to spend on the important things, not just throwing it away.
regional dialect question for you–What’s a bickie? Cookie or biscuit? I am in North America. My parents were depression babies and I just normally do much of what is on your list. Funny frugal story–Around 1995 a young friend explained that her granny was slipping mentally because she kept wrappers from butter sticks in the freezer. I had to explain baking and greasing muffin tins to her.
Bickie is Australian slang for biscuit, but our biscuits are like your cookies. I keep my butter wrappers in the fridge ;)
Hi Gail! I remember doing that when our oven worked, LOL! Still use it for greasing pans and use the last odd slice of butter as cooking butter for rice or sautèing onions, etc.
If you are able to save a few bucks to put away for a rainy day through frugal practices, some person who has frittered all her/his money away will show up at the door, hand open for a hand out.
Better them than you begging for help. If that ever happens, teach them what you have learned.
I used to love liver, but I don’t eat organs any more, unless I’m buying organic. Organs collect the pesticides etc. Some of the tips are time consuming. Back in grandma’s day, it was unlikely that she worked. So she had time to do the things on this list. Many of us don’t have the time. That doesn’t mean you can’t use some of the less time consuming tips, though.
Hi Lonnie, thanks for your comment. Yes, they are time consuming. It can be hard finding the balance between convenience and frugality sometimes :).
Another frugal tip is to own if you are lucky enough,a soapshaker,and use as washing up in the sink,I use mine with my home made soap,and use laundry soap when I’ve run out.I also use all of your principles for frugal living,We meal prep as well,and put excess to freezer for a no cook day which is lovely too.Compost all scraps to garden all year round for beautiful soil for growing in spring,and even have potatoes in for winter.We live in Tasmania Australia.
Only soap shaker I could find was online and cost$40!! I tried grating Sunlight soap , put it in an old stocking, but it was not at all effective for washing dishes , Any suggestions? I’m really trying to avoid products in plastic bottles, so this is something I’d like to solve,
Save tin boxes (from cookies, etc.), canning jars and their lids and rings, rigid plastic boxes of various sizes (the ones good chocolates come in), and even shoe boxes. These all make great storage containers. You can also carefully disassemble small cardboard boxes to use as templates to make more boxes to use for containers for gifts, etc. You can use short ends (four to six inches) of pretty ribbons as bookmarks. Check the curbs on garbage day. It’s amazing the good things that are in perfect condition that you will find there that people just don’t want any longer. Sometimes retailers will let you have their hangers for free.
Hi Janna, they are some great tips. Thank you for sharing. Forero Rochere boxes make particularly good storage boxes. :)
I have to stretch every dollar,I am a widow.I raised 5 kids alone and really had to watch every penny.I made their clothes made gifts sewed for people I also canned food and baked everything from scratch. Made large amounts of soups, sauces, meatloaf and plenty of beans and rice. I did knit sew and crochet things we needed.I shopped at yard sales bought alot of material yarn and thread patterns buttons etc.I made prom,navy ball gowns dresses.If we needed it I would make it. Also raised them without a car. Too buses, or walked.Only disposable items I bought was to and femine products. Paper towels where a waste, I used rags. PEOPLE waste too much. I too miss the days of repair shops. Also not alot of dry cleaners do not do repairs anymore.People just throw away.I love your way of thinking!
I hope your 5 kids kick and help take care of your needs and WANTS. It’s the least they can do for all you did for them and taught them! Be well!
I love this list. I look to the past alot in trying to simplify my life. My sons bed broke just before christmas and after spending a month trying to find another one at a decent price i realised i could just fit new legs onto the base of his old one and make it last another few years. The head and foot boards i have listed for free for anyone who is crafty and wants to make a seat or planter bed from them. I try to let others know these tips when i can on my blog, but i love hearing how others have solved waste problems also.
Great to hear your frugal skills!
I can relate to this. Our son’s bed broke last year too. It was my husbands from when he was a boy! Finding a bed the same quality was impossible unless it’s $$$$.
Perfect information during these uncertain times.
Hope it is helpful. Thanks Sandy.
I love reading these frugal tips. My mom and grandma taught me to paint furniture, re-use things such as jars and tins, shop thrift stores and yard sales and sew and mend. I quite enjoy it. I also like to cook from scratch and bake and grow plants and flowers
I love this article. I wish more preppers thought this way. Another way to save money is to eat organ meats. During the Depression; people served beef tongue for Sunday dinner. People rarely ate chicken. They were considered to be valuable livestock. Salt pork can be used as a bacon substitute
Reading those tips brought back so many memories of my grandmother. I found that I am doing most of them now too, without realising that I was following in her footsteps.
Many thanks for reminding me of this.
Saving water, these days, is more important than the minimal amount you’ll save by not using your dishwasher,!if you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher.
Excellent 👌👍. This article reminded me of my aunt’s and their wisdom or ” mother wit”. They were born in the 1940’s era. Thanks again, Gerry Mayo, Retired Therapist.
I would love tips on how to garden when you live in town and would literally need to build garden beds. Cheaply that is.
My Parents went through the Depression.
Many of these tips have been instilled in us.
You gave me many reminders.
I absolutely love the frugal issue, I remember! Thanks so much!