Ten Tips On How To Be Frugal - The Old Fashioned Way

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My grandparents seemed to know a thing or two about how to be frugal. Chances are, your grandparents did too. Times have changed since then. Somewhere along the way, many of us lost the knowledge of how to be frugal.

Let’s take a walk back into the past to see what we can learn from their examples. I’m sure we can dig up a few things that will help us save some money.

Here are ten things that I remember from way back that could teach us a lot about how to be frugal today.

1. Consider repairing something before you replace it. When something breaks down, see what it would take to repair it. It might be less expensive to repair it then to replace it.

2. Take care of your stuff. Previous generations took pride in what they owned. Cleaning, maintenance, and proper storage can help your stuff last longer. New cars were a rare thing to see on the road 50 years ago. People repaired and maintained what they had. Imagine how great it would be to not have a car payment coming out of your account every month.

3. Do maintenance and repairs yourself. Many of us today are quick to pick up the phone and call in a professional to install that new outlet or change the oil in our vehicles. If you want to know how to be frugal, you need to learn how to do more things yourself. Many of these tasks are not all that hard to do if you look it up on the internet or pick up a good “how to” book at your local library or book store. Doing things yourself can save you a pile of money

4. Cook and bake from scratch. Previous generations rarely bought pre-made or frozen meals, desserts or baked goods. They cooked their meals from scratch and baked their own desserts and snacks. If you want to learn how to be frugal, Cooking from scratch is something to look in to. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort if you follow some easy recipes. Just do a quick internet search and you will find plenty.

5. Grow your own food. Backyard gardens were everywhere when I was growing up. People grew their own food because they knew a lot about how to be frugal. It doesn’t take a lot of work to have a small garden in your backyard, and you will be surprised by how much produce you can get from it.

6. Eat in. Eating out was a rare treat to my grandparents. Today, many of us eat out once or more a week. Imagine how much money you would save by staying in and cooking your own meals. Save those dinners out for special occasions.

7. Share what you have. My grandparents will always borrowing and sharing with neighbours. If they needed to cut some branches off of a tree, they didn’t go out and buy a tool to do it. They asked around the neighbourhood to see if somebody else already had one that they could borrow for the day. How many tools do you own that you have only used once or twice. Save your money and share or borrow with others.

8. Mend your clothes instead of replacing them. My grandmother could be seen from time to time sitting and mending piece of clothing. By mending the clothes you have, you could save yourself from having to buy new. A tear along a seam is not hard to fix and the repair isn’t even noticeable after it’s done.

9. Put a sweater on if you are cold. Don’t be so quick to reach for the thermostat. A sweater and a pair of slippers can warm you up a lot without you having to pay a higher heating bill.

10. Make do with what you have. This is another great how to be frugal tip that my grandparents followed. They weren’t concerned with having the latest and greatest technology out there. They made do with what they had. Ask yourself if you really need that new gadget before you go out and spend your hard earned money on it.

If you want to learn how to be frugal, take some time to reflect on how previous generations did things. If there was anything you learned from your grandparents, please take a moment to share them in the comment box below.