Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

This is the front porch of our forum. Pull up a chair, and talk about whatever's on your mind.
Heloise
Posts: 835
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:11 pm

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by Heloise »

mbrudnic wrote:My Mom would say that she and my Dad were "poor" when they were first married. I say they could always pay the rent, put plenty of food on the table, etc They were careful with their money and always put aside savings. Today they are in their early 70's, good health and take a large (expensive) trip, usually overseas every other year.

My Dad was the ultimate DIY-er. He worked a summer or two as a mechanic, he did all kinds of house maintenance work. My Mom worked as a nurse. It seemed as if most of my classmates had stay-at-home Mom's in the 70's & early 80's. Mom was not a clothes horse, but we had good shoes, attended parochial schools.

We had a boat and when I was in 5th grade my grandparents bought a cottage on a small lake in Michigan. Most of our vacations were at the lake. We went to the beach in NC a few times. I was 17 when the family went to Disney world.

Anyways, I learned to cook at home, be careful with how I spend my money. Not taking extravagant vacations every year. Try to do thing you can on your own and maintain what you have to make it last longer.
One thing I notice about today, few families keep the same home longer than 10-15 years, unlike when I was growing up where original family homes were still in the same families hands after four and five decades, and many of the homes I remember as a child were ever so tiny, yet people made-do. Bunk-beds were the norm in the 60's and 70's, so having a house-full of kids presented few problems, as more than one child often shared the same room. I remember sharing my room with baby siblings.

You also touch on something that resonates with me to clearly, and that is, keeping the fun in the family. What I mean by that is, weekend get-togethers and gatherings were more often than not, organized at a single family home (someone in the family), where food and drink was a combined family effort, and what fun those parties were.

A trip to the beach for a swim, a picnic out on the front lawn sitting on a blanket with a few homemade sandwiches, a jug of juice, and a few treats, and us kids were in heaven.

I also remember 99% of all moms I knew from my childhood days were stay-at-home moms, too, and kids and family units were better off for it, too, IMO.
colonialgirl
Posts: 1835
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Central Illinois

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by colonialgirl »

I learned many of the things you all have talked about. But I notice something missing as I read most of the responses. My parents taught me as much about what not to do as what to do.

My parents did not take annual vacations. They did not go away for weekends. They insisted everyday that school with good grades was my job and going to college was my only option because they wanted me to get a better paying job. They talked to me about life decisions. That just because you wanted something - a new car, a bigger home, the latest style of clothes, did not mean that you could afford them and there were VERY FEW things that trumped the principle of whether or not you could afford something.

My parents also talked about what my future would be and my life decisions toward that end. They enforced that while you would certainly feel emotions they should not exclude rational thought about those decisions. For example, you needed to consider a spouse with similar values and a complementary personality and joint goals and these were things that needed to be discussed in advance of becoming serious with someone. You needed to give serious thought about the # of children you wanted and what they cost and what your obligations were to those children and whether or not you honestly wanted to to make those sacrifices and the time to think about that was before you brought a baby into this world.

I find that many folks take more time to consider what kind of car they want than they do making major life decisions. The greatest frugal skill I was taught was to think things through before I proceeded.
Heloise
Posts: 835
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:11 pm

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by Heloise »

colonialgirl wrote:I learned many of the things you all have talked about. But I notice something missing as I read most of the responses. My parents taught me as much about what not to do as what to do.

My parents did not take annual vacations. They did not go away for weekends. They insisted everyday that school with good grades was my job and going to college was my only option because they wanted me to get a better paying job. They talked to me about life decisions. That just because you wanted something - a new car, a bigger home, the latest style of clothes, did not mean that you could afford them and there were VERY FEW things that trumped the principle of whether or not you could afford something.

My parents also talked about what my future would be and my life decisions toward that end. They enforced that while you would certainly feel emotions they should not exclude rational thought about those decisions. For example, you needed to consider a spouse with similar values and a complementary personality and joint goals and these were things that needed to be discussed in advance of becoming serious with someone. You needed to give serious thought about the # of children you wanted and what they cost and what your obligations were to those children and whether or not you honestly wanted to to make those sacrifices and the time to think about that was before you brought a baby into this world.

I find that many folks take more time to consider what kind of car they want than they do making major life decisions. The greatest frugal skill I was taught was to think things through before I proceeded.
So true. Love the part about the number of children one chooses to have and the sacrifices related to such. From everything I see today, bringing a child into the world has become too matter-of-fact like, and those stepping away from their marriages has reached epidemic heights.

I'll bet you're a good investor or at best, good with your money. You received solid advice and direction from your parents. It's a shame more kids today don't get the same attention.
Grannysewstoys
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:37 pm

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by Grannysewstoys »

My mom grew up in a family with money, my grandfather sent 2 children to college during the depression.

My dad worked his way through college, while at the same time helping to put his older brother through medical school.

I was just 4 1/2 when my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the brain. He died when I was 17. He had one of the best surgeons and treatments of the day. He was able to work up until about a year and a half before he died.

My mom worked first as a clerk in a company that had bookclubs, later as receptionist clerk in a small company.

Later she was able to use her education to become a social worker. She later got her Masters in social work.

When I was first married money was tight. My husband enlisted in the army, Our toddler son and I joined him when he was a Private First Class stationed in West Germany, while we were there he got 2 promotions. We had a second child. Money was not as tight. I rarely had more month then the money. No matter when he got paid I divided up the money to pay bills then what was left was for each week.

When we came back to the states he got another promotion. Money wasn't tight of course at the same time we weren't rich by any means. He was a spendthrift.

Then he got out of the army and 2 1/2 years later went back in with a loss of one stripe. This meant a huge pay cut, from what it would have been had he not gotten out.

He got out again after 16 years, I am now a widow totally dependent on his social security I have to be frugal. I learned long ago not to skimp on nutrition so I spend more then many seniors on food.

A few weeks ago I discovered that inexpensive top blade roasts make very good roast beef. They can be dry roasted in the oven. Yes there is an ugly gristle running through the roast. I am not serving it for a party dinner. I don't mind when I slice it for the freezer cutting around that gristle. I put the individual portions into plastic bags and then put those into a larger labeled freezer bag. I got 11 servings from my last roast which was $8.35 The roast was $ 2.99 a pound).The past 3 weeks I have taken advantage of asparagus at $1.48 a pound. So I have had several wonderful meals for very little.

I try and cook as much as possible from scratch.

There are a lot of frugal things I used to do when I was younger. I live alone so many of these things are just not practical.

Penny
Heloise
Posts: 835
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:11 pm

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by Heloise »

itspennyc wrote:My mom grew up in a family with money, my grandfather sent 2 children to college during the depression.

My dad worked his way through college, while at the same time helping to put his older brother through medical school.

I was just 4 1/2 when my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the brain. He died when I was 17. He had one of the best surgeons and treatments of the day. He was able to work up until about a year and a half before he died.

My mom worked first as a clerk in a company that had bookclubs, later as receptionist clerk in a small company.

Later she was able to use her education to become a social worker. She later got her Masters in social work.

When I was first married money was tight. My husband enlisted in the army, Our toddler son and I joined him when he was a Private First Class stationed in West Germany, while we were there he got 2 promotions. We had a second child. Money was not as tight. I rarely had more month then the money. No matter when he got paid I divided up the money to pay bills then what was left was for each week.

When we came back to the states he got another promotion. Money wasn't tight of course at the same time we weren't rich by any means. He was a spendthrift.

Then he got out of the army and 2 1/2 years later went back in with a loss of one stripe. This meant a huge pay cut, from what it would have been had he not gotten out.

He got out again after 16 years, I am now a widow totally dependent on his social security I have to be frugal. I learned long ago not to skimp on nutrition so I spend more then many seniors on food.

A few weeks ago I discovered that inexpensive top blade roasts make very good roast beef. They can be dry roasted in the oven. Yes there is an ugly gristle running through the roast. I am not serving it for a party dinner. I don't mind when I slice it for the freezer cutting around that gristle. I put the individual portions into plastic bags and then put those into a larger labeled freezer bag. I got 11 servings from my last roast which was $8.35 The roast was $ 2.99 a pound).The past 3 weeks I have taken advantage of asparagus at $1.48 a pound. So I have had several wonderful meals for very little.

I try and cook as much as possible from scratch.

There are a lot of frugal things I used to do when I was younger. I live alone so many of these things are just not practical.

Penny
Loved your story and situation along with all the others. You touch on something that totally resonates with me and that is, cheaper meat cuts. Crockpots and other methods of cooking and preparing cheaper cuts makes for frugal and smart eating, yet I'm amazed at the vast number of consumers who balk at the idea of cheaper cuts.
Grannysewstoys
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:37 pm

Re: Frugal Experience (your younger days)...

Post by Grannysewstoys »

I don't own or use a crock pot. I don't like them.

I do make a lot of slow cooked meals done on the top of stove.

Cooking for one is very different from cooking for a family.

Penny
Post Reply