Waste Not, Want Not

Jules

Jules

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Many/most of us were raised by parents who grew up in the Depression era and with that went a waste not, want not philosophy of life. Did you adopt their attitudes about never being wasteful?

I’ll admit to being thrifty. I tend to buy what I want but am conservative about what those wants are. Generally now, I don’t do without something, just wait until it’s on sale.
 

I remember some very cold winters when I was a youngster.
My Mam and her sisters used to put a shovel of coal into leather bags and meet up at my Grans house.
Gran had a back boiler behind her cast iron fireplace/ cooking range.
They used to stoke Gran's fire up to heat the water, and then do all their washing in a big tub in the yard.
They would then have their lunch, usually toasted bread done on the fire, then it was time to put the big cast irons onto the range, and all the clothes were ironed dry.
Before we left, Gran would give us all a screw top glass bottle with hot water in to take home and put into our beds.
Gran lived about 200 yards away from a park, where she used to send us kids to brush up lots of fallen leaves which she would use to light her fire.
When it came to thrifftyness, my Gran was the Queen. 😊
 
My parents grew up during the depression while I grew up during unbridled prosperity but I do remember the sayings of my parents and grandparents and incorporate them into my life. They were right and preparing for a rainy day is a good idea.
 
Yes, very much so. I'm always collecting free wood and metal to repurpose into something useful. I take some real joy in doing it. Helps me feel I'm doing my small part to help the planet, and save some money at the same time, but if I truly need something I buy it with no regrets. I have been trying not to by non essentials as I feel I would be adding to this manufactured financial/inflationary mess we're in. Always watching the heat, lights, water, etc. "A penny saved" and all that.
 
Yes, I don't buy thing I want, only things I need.
There was no plastic wrap for leftovers when I was a child.
We used waxed paper because tin foil was too expensive.

Those who lived through the depression seem to hate old, used things.
but, I love old, primitive antiques. I seem to like old things better than new.
because they have character and memories.
 
Gaer said:
Yes, I don't buy thing I want, only things I need.
There was no plastic wrap for leftovers when I was a child.
We used waxed paper because tin foil was too expensive.

Those who lived through the depression seem to hate old, used things.
but, I love old, primitive antiques. I seem to like old things better than new.
because they have character and memories.
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I agree with just about everything you post, Gaer, (and please don't take this as criticism) but...you don't buy anything you want, just need? Even though I'm considered pretty cheap by most standards, you have a lot more self control than I do! I couldn't live my life in such an austere manner. I didn't need a hummingbird feeder, but I love hummingbirds, so I went and bought one just because I wanted it. I don't need to crochet, but I love doing it, so I bought some yarn just because I wanted to.

Sometimes you just have to treat yourself a little to make life worthwhile. So, go and buy some of those antiques you love! Just because you want to! :giggle:
 
I remember my grandmother washing plastic wrap and draping it over the dish drainer to dry.

She had never been poor in her life, but would squeeze a nickel until the buffalo's nose bled.

When I went to live with her for a year, every light in the house was 40 watts or less. It was like living in a cave. I insisted on a 100-watt bulb in my bedroom and you'd think I had unlocked the door the wolf was knocking at.
 
jujube said:
I remember my grandmother washing plastic wrap and draping it over the dish drainer to dry.

She had never been poor in her life, but would squeeze a nickel until the buffalo's nose bled.

When I went to live with her for a year, every light in the house was 40 watts or less. It was like living in a cave. I insisted on a 100-watt bulb in my bedroom and you'd think I had unlocked the door the wolf was knocking at.
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Here in Canada the expression is....She could squeeze a nickle until the beaver fainted . JimB.
 
I've never thought of myself as cheap but am frugal.

I am the guy who adds a bit of water to the last of the salad dressing just so I can shake it around the bottle to get every bit of what I paid for. I wash my face with cold water every morning because I see no reason to fill fifty of pipe with hot water to get to my bathroom. I've walked my hallway for thirty three years, seems silly to turn on a light since I know the way.

That's me and I ain't ashamed!
 
LOL..I don't think this thread is for me, as all of you who know me to be not afraid to spend money.. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

However..I grew up in abject poverty while living in the most prestigious area of our city. However behind closed doors.. no-one knew we had nothing on the floors.. we had barely anything in the food cupboards, and we had no bedding.. except old coats .. No sheets no pillowcases.. just a couple of old coats... not even pyjamas. We had no heating aside from one small gas fire in the livingroom.. the windows froze inside in the winter, but there was no money to buy us hats or gloves.. I learned to knit, and knitted scarves at school, but could only do 2, one for me and one for my brother closest to me in age because my mother couldn't pay for the wool that was needed.

We kids went to school with cardboard in our shoes to cover the holes.. ( not the 1920' 30's or 40's.. but the late 60's and 1970's..) we weren't allowed to invite anyone home because they'd see how we lived.. and anyway we'd never be able to afford to let them eat with us for tea...

We never got hair cuts at the hair salon, we never got to go on school trips, because they couldn't be afforded.... I could go on and on, but I suspect there are a few people here who could tell a similar tale..

When I got married, nothing much changed except my surroundings.. My ex was in the Navy just 19 and a rating on the most minimum wage. We had a baby.. . Ex sent as much money as he could but it was starvation level.. just enough for me to buy nappies and milk for the baby.. and he'd be at sea for weeks at a time with his ship ( aircraft carrier).. enjoying good food , and rightly so.. but in the meantime I could only afford to buy eggs and potatoes.. I'd live for weeks on end on every which way to cook a potato and eggs..

Once we divorced when DD was 8 years old, I was left to raise her alone with no maintenance from him at all..not a single penny did he make as a contribution to her upbringing.. so I had to be the best money manager in the land to ensure she never , ever went to school with cardboard in her shoes, that she got to go on school trips, that I could afford all her sports events and musical instruments ( she eventually was able to go to Music college) . and because of that , I went without myself , painting my shoes with gloss paint when they got scuffed because I couldn't afford new...eating the cheapest of foods and so on... no pity party ... but now when you see me tell you I've been out and bought a couple of new pairs of Boots, and a handbag or 2.. you can be darn sure I worked my backside off to earn the ability to do that... but if ever there was a time again when real thrift was needed you can be sure I'll know how to survive.
 
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My father made a decent living and we always had enough but was never extravagant. I learned from that to be careful with money but not to the point of doing without and I'm the same now. I did not buy a new car until I was 40.
 
Lawrence said:
I like to be thrifty and to take care of what I have so it will last a long time. I like to repair things that have broken and keep them running. But there comes those time when the cost of repairing it is more than buying a new one.
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I drove my '97 GMC truck til about 5 years ago, when it was no longer worthy of repairing. A young mechanic ended up with it, and is still tinkering it.
 
I grew up in the country and we raised a good deal of our food. Gardens for veggies, chickens for meat and goats for milk. Money was tight and only once in awhile did we go for ice cream at the Imperial restaurant or Woolworths.

It has stayed with me and I practice trying to be practical. Now because we are on a fixed income, but if we want or need a pricy item, we save up for it.
 
My husband calls me cheap because I don't buy anything for myself unless I really need it. I'd rather buy things for the family. From when I was a kid and when I got any money for my birthday in November I would save it to buy presents for the family on Christmas.
 
Chet said:
My father made a decent living and we always had enough but was never extravagant. I learned from that to be careful with money but not to the point of doing without and I'm the same now. I did not buy a new car until I was 40.
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same... I was 40 years old the first and only time I bought a new car... now I buy used, I refuse to be saddled by car payments again.. that was a long 5 years ... , so now I pay cash for a second hand car rather than saddle myself with repayments.
 

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