Money-Saving Tips From Grandma
Many of our grandparents were alive during the great depression. Therefore, they have a great deal of knowledge about how to cut corners and save money.
Here are some money savings tips from Grandma...
Save butter wrappers to grease cake and muffin tins.
When you throw away the butter wrapper, you are also throwing away butter. But if you bake, put the wrappers in a ziploc bag and keep that bag in the refrigerator. Then, use the butter wrappers to grease your pans.
Make blankets from old clothes and upholstery fabric.
Quilting is much more than an art form. It was born out of necessity to create blankets and bed covers from nothing. Worn and damaged clothes and other fabric were often used, as opposed to the special printed fabric that is used these days. There is no reason that you cannot use old clothes to make quilts.
Learn more about making quilts from old clothes.
Use teabags 2 or 3 times before throwing them away.
Our grandparents used a tea bag more than once to make the tea last. Even if people laugh at you for being cheap, this is an easy way to save on tea bags. If you're planning to have more than one cup of tea, why not re-use the tea bag?
Hang clothes on the clothesline.
This may not be for everyone for numerous reasons -- such as high smog areas, or neighborhood covenants. But if you don't have these issues, drying your clothes outside will save you a great deal of money.
Re-use aluminum foil.
Simply clean it off and fold it up after each use. When that piece of aluminum foil is no longer good to use for food, it can be recycled.
Learn how to garden and can foods.
You can save a great deal of money by growing your own food. While it's not the easiest thing to do, the money savings and nutritious organic food will be well worth it in the end.
Related Resources:
Check out these money-saving tips for the 50s to be reminded of good habits worth considering, such as storing your batteries in the refrigerator, and lowering the thermostat .
A couple books that will teach you about old-fashioned frugality are:
And don't miss What Your Grandparents Can Teach You About Saving A Buck And Saving The Planet. The tips include wasting nothing, learning to sew, and being kind to the environment.
I always like to show my clients how small savings can add up to big money over time:
Save $1 per day = $30 per month = $365 per year
Save $50 week = $200 per month = $2,400 per year