Graceful Little Honey Bee

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Sides
    • Breads
    • Breakfasts
    • Main Dishes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Freezer Cooking
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • DIY Mixes
    • Preserving Food
    • Cooking Tips & Tricks
    • Meal Plans
  • Frugal Living
  • Simple Living
    • gardening
    • Preserving Food
    • Natural Remedies & Recipes
    • chickens
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

30 Old-Fashioned Frugal Tips From Grandma

June 12, 2017 by Missy Rakes 53 Comments

  • Yummly
  • Share

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

Check out this list of powerful life lessons learned from my thirfty grandma on gracefullittlehoneybee.com

Please consider sharing:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Print

Subscribe and Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address to receive new recipes and frugal living tips each week!

  • Yummly
  • Share

Filed Under: Frugal Living, natural living

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published.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

    Recipe Rating




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

  1. Janice Haskell says

    July 20, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Buy your food staples when they are on sale. Buy in bulk.
    Reply
  2. Peg says

    August 22, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    Keep old sheer curtains and cover your brassica crops to avoid cabbageworm
    Reply
    • Beverly Stiles says

      January 31, 2019 at 12:43 pm

      I love this!! I have some curtains that I can use!
      Reply
  3. Cheryl says

    October 8, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    When you've already got the oven hot, bake more than one thing at a time in it. That saves on electricity. If you can, do it on the weekend when electric consumption isn't high. Before 7 am and after 7 pm.
    Reply
  4. Constance T Faulkner says

    October 15, 2018 at 7:14 am

    The pinto beans are also good when making Mexican food. Just mash some up (and I like to add some salsa or taco seasoning to mine) for refried beans. I also like doing my red beans like this (just fry up some smoked sausage and add to the pot about 30 minutes to an hour before serving to get the smoked flavor through out the pot).
    Reply
  5. Jeff @ Mondaymorningpancakes.com says

    January 24, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Love the bread idea, we have a bread machine and make 1-2 loaves weekly. It has been a life saver since we can get the expensive bread taste for the cheap bread cost. Very valuable. I wish we could make our own laundry detergent. We have a high efficiency machine so it needs the liquid detergent. The powder detergent will clog it up.
    Reply
    • Ashley says

      April 29, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      I actually have used homemade liquid laundry soap in my high efficiency washer for about 6 years now. It works great!
      Reply
    • Gijanedoe says

      February 25, 2020 at 9:39 am

      I got rid of a bread machine and don’t knead my bread anymore. I use an artisan recipe, mix it the night before and it’s ready to bake the next morning!
      Reply
      • DEBBIE THOMPSON says

        December 8, 2022 at 10:07 am

        Awesome! Can you share the recipe for the overnight artisan bread?
        Reply
    • Julie says

      March 30, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      I have made powder detergent and used it for over 5 years in my whirlpool HE washer with no problems. Just add the detergent to the drum with the clothes. Takes two Tablespoons of mine for an extra large load
      Reply
    • Cheryl Xavier says

      November 24, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      Here is a very easy recipe on Pintrest by Ana White on how to make your own laundry soap. It makes 5 gallons at a time!😁 1 bicket lasts me a year!!!!!😍😁😍😁😍😁
      Reply
  6. Ena says

    August 6, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    Save buttons and zippers learn how to replace those zippers. Use old pillow cases as jelly bag. Make your own apple pectin for making jelly and jam. Learn to forage wherever nothing has been sprayed. Ask permission of land owners first of course. Teach others your skills!!!
    Reply
    • Kim says

      October 9, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      My grandma was very frugal.She even reuse d the plaslistic bag she washed them then turned them inside out to dry!
      Reply
  7. Diana says

    November 27, 2019 at 12:14 am

    These are some great tips! I started baking my own bread and trying to fit as much in the oven when it's on :) So much we can do pinch a penny, asking grandma is a great start!
    Reply
  8. Sam says

    December 24, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    It may sound dramatic but learning to make biscuits changed my life.
    Reply
  9. uncompaghre gal says

    April 3, 2020 at 9:13 am

    Make a sourdough starter and keep it going!
    Reply
  10. Vic lin says

    January 20, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    This is great, but I would add 1 more - to the cook from scratch - learn to cook one meal to make many. Eg batch cook mince to make bolognese or chilli beef or for a lasagne. A chicken can make a roast dinner and then be used for a number of other meals. I just think sometimes we talk too much about preserving food eg canning.
    Reply
  11. Deanna McKenzie says

    March 6, 2021 at 12:35 am

    You forgot the #1 grandmas tip! Wear an apron to cut down on laundry and preserve clothes!
    Reply
  12. Carole says

    July 16, 2022 at 8:05 pm

    Grandma didn't have a crockpot!
    Reply
    • Junior says

      September 4, 2022 at 12:38 am

      No grandma didn’t,but many if not most of us do nowadays so why not use it?
      Reply
« Older Comments

Welcome, I'm Missy and I'd love to help you cook from scratch, save money and live a more simple and abundant life. Click the buttons below to follow along on social media and get to know me better. Have a lovely day!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Popular Content

Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole
25 Old-Fashioned Recipes Your Grandma Knew By Heart
How to Make Bread Machine White Bread
15 Cheap Pantry Meals with 4-Ingredients or Less (FREE PRINTABLE!)
10 Bible Verses About Trusting God
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sheet Pan Dinner

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

search

categories

archives

Copyright ©2023, Graceful Little Honey Bee. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs