Graceful Little Honey Bee

30 Old-Fashioned Frugal Tips From Grandma

by 33 Comments

Learn how to save money like a pro with this list of 30 Old-Fashioned Frugal Tips From Grandma on gracefullittlehoneybee.com

 This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.

 

  It’s no secret that grandma’s generation was made up of incredibly industrious women. They went through many hard times like the depression and WWII that forced them to use what they had, which normally wasn’t much. I admire their strength and wisdom and think the younger generations should employ some of their frugalness. So today I’m sharing 30 Old-Fashioned Frugal Tips from Grandma in hopes that we can learn what it means to use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!

 

  30 Old-Fashioned Frugal Tips From Grandma

 

Save old containers for reuse.

Line dry clothes.

Cook from scratch.

Bake your own bread.

Mend your clothes.

Make your own tomato sauce.

Use cloth instead of paper towels or napkins.

Save old sheets/clothes and make a rag rug.

Eat at home.

Grow your own food.

Learn to can what you grow.

Learn to dehydrate what you grow.

Make your own pie crust.

Make bookmarks or placemats from old greeting cards.

Use both sides of the paper before recycling it.

Learn to stock a frugal pantry.

Make several meals from one chicken.

Make your own cleaning products.

Make your own laundry detergent.

Eat simple meals such as beans or soup.

Make your own chicken broth.

Drink water instead of soda or juice.

Cook dried beans in your slow cooker and freeze the leftovers.

Make your own biscuits.

Make your own natural remedies for medicine.

Focus more on relationships than material possessions.

Live in a smaller house.

Exercise for free by cleaning your house or working in the garden.

Make your own applesauce.

Grow your own flowers for bouquets.


What is your favorite tip? What would you add do the list? I’d love to know!

 

Other posts you might enjoy:

Check out these tips for building an old-fashioned frugal pantry just like grandma on gracefullittlehoneybee.com See how to make 25 Old-Fashioned Recipes Your Grandma Knew by Heart including biscuits, pie crust, fried apples and more on gracefullittlehoneybee.com

Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. I am new to he site but I love what I've seen. I've lived the frugal life for 40 years and I still appreciate finding ways to cut the budget. So thank you for helping me.
    Reply

  2. All of these are fantastic idea's that I've been looking for & can't wait to try them ALL! Thank you for sharing.
    Reply

  7. My dear Mother did all these things, and I try!! Another thing she did was to actually WASH used aluminum foil! She would lay the used sheet out flat and wipe clean on both sides. Then allow it to dry. Fold and put away. I saw her do this on foil that was 'barely dirty' Not the one you used on mac and cheese :) She used the sheets over and over. She made quilts from her ragged clothes. Never threw any useful item out. Thanks for the post, makes me think of her!!
    Reply

  8. Good post and while there are some I wouldn't bother with (make your own chicken stock, etc.), lots of great ways to cut your living expenses. Reminds me of all my old aunts and my grandma's habits.
    Reply

  9. I'd add: find low cost entertainment, i.e., movie nights at home with friends, trade movies with friends and, family, free museum days, local festivals, library, picnics, fishing, low cost hobbies (or hobbies you can make money at). Find friends to swap babysitting nights with. The list is probably endless!
    Reply

  10. My grandmother cut tissues in half when she opened a new box. A half was plenty to blow into. She used newspapers around her tomatoes to discourage weeds. She reused aluminum foil after cleaning it. Paper towels were not used in her kitchen. She used a manually pushed mower: no gasoline to power. Grandmother used old nylons to tie up her tomatoes. She placed her old coffee grounds and egg shells around her plants. Nothing was ever thrown away that had any life or use. I wish our millennials would learn and live the same way.
    Reply

  11. Instead of buying expensive facecloths, I buy an extra bath towel and cut it into 8 squares. I turn the raw edges under once and zig zag stitch around all the raw edges. My mother had a bias binding attachment on her commercial sewing machine and used bias tape which was even better. I hit Kohl's when their Big One towel is on sale for 3.99 and for $12 I have 2 large bath towels and 8 face cloths!
    Reply

  12. My mom grew up during the Depression and nothing was wasted. She "turned" her sheets, i.e., cut them down the middle and resewed the less worn outer edges to the middle. Never done it. But, I like lots of pillows on the King-sized bed. I get an extra double sheet and get at least 4 pillowcases from it. I use the top pretty edge first with the 3" hem, then make a bigger hem using the bottom half of the sheet. Thrifted sheets work well, too! If there is material left, it makes a good hem on a solid color pillow case or mamtching curtain tiebacks. 1 1/4 yards of clearance material or flannel on sale makes a good-sized pillowcase and adds much needed color to my rooms. Besides, I sew short, almost straight lines best!
    Reply

  14. Happy that we already do a lot of the above tips. Bone broth is easy and so good for you. I freeze it in empty yogurt, sour cream containers and use it for making soup. They stack nicely. We compost a lot and use the compost to improve our garden soil. Cloth diapers and wipes have saved us thousands of dollars with four children. Trading extra things you grow or make for different items. I exchanged different jams, relishes, and veggies with neighbours this year.
    Reply

  15. I hate to throw away anything that still has some use. Here are some of the things I do: cut the end off "empty" tubes. You'd be amazed at what is still left ---- old towels make excellent rags ----- don't waste your money on toilet bowl cleaners containing bleach, plain bleach works just fine; besides it has a multitude of other uses.
    Reply

  17. I wash vegetables before I trim them, put the trimmings in a bag in the freezer and when I have enough, I cook them, drain them, and have an amazing vegetable broth. Toss leftover bones in one bag in the freezer and leftover veggies in another (only plain ones--no sauces). When you have enough, boil the bones and pick off any leftover meat, add the vegetables, ta da, soup. Sometimes I need to add something to round out the flavors but not often.
    Reply

  18. Recycle what you cook, today's left over hamburgers can be ground up and become pizza topping or sloppy joes, leftover baked potatoes and pieces of meat become dinner hash, extra leftover veggies can go in an omelette or quiche.
    Reply

    • cake mixes are a good way ti throw your money away, Do them from scratch it takes 2 additional minutes but on top of spending quite less you avoid lots of additives they usually have
      Reply

  20. I grew up in the50, s we were poor lots of kids.my mother did these things to save $.canning, knitting crochet& sewing.she used our older towels for face cloths. Just cut them to squares &zigzaged the edges if the were too thin she would double them & people would give use old but usable clothing& she would take them apart & make clothes for lil kids.her homemade bread was the best..she did all this without complaining. We learnt alot .im proud of her .Catholic of course.
    Reply

  21. You forgot to say make your own deserts from scratch. Like blueberry breads. Anf how can I make my own butter ? Thanks
    Reply

  22. Love all of these! And homemade applesauce is the best, but sadly it is not frugal unless the apples were free. A bag of apples will be around $4-6 and only make about 1 jar. Whereas I can buy a big jar of unsweetened applesauce for $2-3. We make it every year and it's so much better than bought, but not cheaper.
    Reply

  23. Freeze fresh bread, muffins, & other baked goods in a freeze-proof container or bag. It will last at least a month. They will defrost at room temperature in 30 to 40 minutes if put in a basket wrapped in wax paper, or 3 1/2 minutes in microwave oven on low (2).
    Reply

  24. I gather edible wild berries and wildflowers such as violets, honeysuckle, and roses to make jellies and wine rather than buying fruits.
    Reply

  26. I love all of these old school frugal tips! It is crazy once we realize how being frugal is just common sense and natural, simple living. I really want to work on towards growing most of our own food and start composting. Great read!
    Reply

  28. I grew up during the energy crisis of the 1970s. During that time, coffee and sugar were both in short supply. My grandmother used everything to the last drop by turning bottles of cough syrup, shampoo, dish detergent, etc., upside down to get all of the product out. She taught us to turn out lights when we left a room, use cold water to brush our teeth, close doors to keep heat inside, match pots/pans to the size of stove elements, buy on sale and stock up on things you use often. I can still close my eyes and "see" her guest room's bookcase stocked with coffee and sugar! She took me to "flea sales/rummage sales" and instilled in me a love of finding a good bargain. I am now age 53 and still practice all of these things, plus a few more I've discovered over the years. I cut the ends off tubes of toothpaste, lotion, and hair care products when most people would toss them. We often get 3-4 more uses of these things simply by cutting the tubes open. Most of my clothes are from thrift stores or garage sales. We recycle, re-use, repurpose, and donate to thrift stores whenever possible. My husband is not quite as frugal as me but he has definitely improved over the years. Waste not, want not...The little things really do add up!
    Reply

  29. I certainly appreciate the frugal living .I have always recycled the leftovers which saves lot of money and also come out with better results .
    Reply