Frugal Living

It has become something of a family joke. I have said several times, "people just don't know how to live poor." This includes my own children. Though, how they escaped learning this one is beyond me because I was the queen of frugal, credit cards were not easy to come by and we had none for a long time. If we ran out of groceries, well, we either made do with whatever we could find left in the pantry or a relative took pity on us and fed us! I did sometimes make up instant milk the night before and put it into bottles so it would be cold for breakfast and maybe not noticed - at least not on the cereal.

Because of this, I try to feed my kids and families on a fairly regular basis. It was wonderful to have resources when money was so tight.

Nowadays (I sound old, don't I?) people have very different "needs vs wants" lists.

A few examples or how this half lived ...

Cell phones were definite luxuries (once they came out). There was never any question that this was something you only got if you had extra at the end of the paycheck. Now most 20-30-somethings feel it is a necessity complete with new model phone, updated every year or two, special features, ringtones and text messaging - and the kids think they need them too! Poor teachers having to deal with this one now.

We ate out on a schedule depending on where the specials were. 5/$1 Deeburgers or same priced tacos at Taco Time. We shared large drinks and fries but there were no extras, special orders, or Happy Meals because we only got what was on sale in quantity. It was easier to shield kids then from the barrage of advertising thrown at them today. We also let them know this was a real treat just to get that much and we didn't do it so often it got old. They really didn't complain (too much). They seemed to accept that there really was a limit in what we could do.

Christmas meant one larger-type item. This year I emphasized to Emma that I was thrilled to get just ONE Barbie doll the year they came out. We made the clothes and that was how we got variation. We never got the packaged pre-made outfits but we enjoyed copying those from the Barbie books (tiny booklets that came inside a purchased, authentic Barbie clothing packet). We were even known to steal these on occasion (they were kind of a "freebie" in the package - our rationalization) so we could duplicate the cool clothes. Most years I got a new doll for Christmas and that was my "big" thing. Baby dolls were great and we would play for hours with the little accessories, buggies, etc.

Once cable TV and high speed internet came out, I still considered those to be luxuries; not necessities. If we were out of work or on a tight budget, there would never be any question this would not be part of our life. If it wasn't on regular TV, we skipped it and dial-up internet mostly did the job. Patience is more scarce now.

Kids were expected to eat the food prepared for the whole family and we did not waste food. We planned meals to include creative use of the leftovers. We stretched a pound of ground beef to feed a family of 8 with casseroles, etc. I actually tried to get balanced meals on the table fairly regularly. Without lots of scratch cooking, soup making without mixes and coupons, I never would have survived.

We took care of everything because we knew it had to last a LONG time. If I bought a piece of furniture, I never actually expected to replace it; just add something else next time there was any money. That couch/matttress/TV/dining set, etc. better last darn near a lifetime because getting a big-ticket item once a year at best did not allow for lots of repeat business on the same need. I notice that most (well, most younger than me) do not worry about things being left out in the rain, lost in the mess, or destroyed - just go buy another! I would stress for a long time about a lost or ruined item and guilt would haunt me forever if I were the one responsible.

Lots of ONES. The family had one hairbrush, usually one comb, one car. I had one bike; never expected to get another one - it was my bike - singular event. We also had one lunchbox and I never owned a backpack. One pair of shoes for play and one for dress pretty much summed it up. One winter coat. Boy, you should see my shoe and coat collection now! I guess I've forgotten a few of these tricks too.

We bought economy sized cheap shampoo for our hair (and creme rinse/conditioner too). Funny but it seemed to work just fine for the whole family.

We used scraps of paper, backs of printed stuff for coloring (we did as kids - discarded, outdated P.I.E. letterhead from my grandpa and later my kids did too - just different letterhead). We made our own Barbie house and it was much more fun than the plastic pink kind.

We all wore hand-me-down clothes and were very happy to get them. We were especially lucky because grandma would sew nice things for us, but that also meant I got Kathy's hand-me-downs which were also made by her. I also learned to sew when very young and between grandma and I my kids were also well-dressed. She often gave me fabric and notions she had leftover or from sale tables that I used. She was very happy I could sew - felt like I had taken after her there and she encouraged me. I'm so glad I learned and it helped us out immeasurably. My sewing machine was one of our best investments (Christmas gift in 1976) . I'm still using it.

When my kids went shopping with me we only checked out the clearance racks and sale items. I remember once when Aubrey was small - she saw something she liked at the store and said, "is it on sale?" I said no but later realized she thought that meant they would not sell it - not on SALE at all. I was always telling them we would buy something that was on sale - maybe - or wait for it to come down in price. If anyone lost me at the store they knew to find me in the clearance section.

We recycled when recycling wasn't cool.

In some ways I have gotten a little better. I love shopping at D.I., Saver's, or other thrift stores. When I was a kid I would have been embarrassed. Now I get a thrill when I find a great bargain and would be embarrassed to pay a ridiculously high price for anything. How could I justify it when there's so much real need?

Well, these are the things that come to mind now. I may revisit this again some time because it's a good way to record these things before senility sets in.

Idea: Frugalhacks shares alternatives to pricey movie theaters. http://frugalhacks.com/2009/01/12/cheerful-frugality-goes-to-the-movies/