The only thing that really sticks out in my mind is my mamaw saved every little bit of veggies. If they had corn and there was a spoonful left it went into a bowl (greenbeans, etc) in the freezer. When it was full they had veggie soup.

My other grandma also had bacon every morning for breakfast, lunch and dinner (she loved bacon). And cooked everything with the bacon greese. (she was the best cook). Not to mention she smoked two packs of unfiltered cigarrettes a day but that is beside the point she lived well into her 80's!


If you save bacon greese, does it have to be refrigerated???

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My gourds made the front page of the paper!!

If you save bacon greese, does it have to be refrigerated???[/quote]

Yes, I put mine in a glass jar and put it in the fridge. Then you just scoop it out by the spoonful.

My mom also had paper doll families from catalogs! And the sears catalog was the TP out in the outhouse. No bit of food would be tossed - even scraps would be put in the freezer or reused in some recipe like meat pie or soup. I reuse the wax paper from cereal/cracker boxes as wax paper to cover stuff in the microwave, etc.

I am so fortuate to still have my grandparents. They are both in their late 80's and still eat their bacon grease in everything, with very little health problems. My grandmother still quilts and that is everyones Christmas present every year. And if your sick, she will fix you right up with a homemade remedy. You may not like it but it will make you better! They still grow a garden, that feeds the majority of the community. She has taught me so much about canning vegetables and fruits. And you never tell her that you don't have time to pick your share of the garden, because she will get you!!!! I love spending time with them. I learn so much from them.

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ALABAMA MOM

my gram was little during the depression but she told me how they would get day old bread and if they were lucky there would be cupcake crumbs in the bottom of the bag and they would use it for cereal.

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WIFE TO MIKE
MOTHER TO HUNTER 3YRS OLD AND HEATH BORN 9/22

Not all of these are really "depression era" but have been passed down in our family, stemming from the Depression Era mentality:

-washing and reusing ziplock freezer bags
-reusing bread bags for anything and everything
-using Shoe Goo to repair holes in soles of shoes
-saving and reusing aluminum foil
-cloth napkins
-repairing rips or holes in any clothing
-"if it's yellow, let it mellow..."
-wearing clothes several times before washing
-becoming an expert in stain removal
-accepting any and all "hand-me-downs"
-Go back in time: don't shop, don't even look at ads, internet shopping sites, or shopping channels, it is surprising how many things we can really live without, especially if we don't know about them!

Yes, I think we do most of the things listed so far (except meat related stuff since my kids are vegetarians.) I do other odd stuff like save and reuse calendars (you can find charts online to show you what years duplicate each other), remake old clothing or fabric remnants into gift bags (which we use instead of wrapping paper) and into doll clothes and cloth dolls, and save and use just about anything for craft projects. I'm pretty visual, so I don't like things looking too messy, which means I attempt to keep stuff organized and put away. I've been buying those rattan picnic hampers at yard sales to store things in. They are stackable, and they look nice in various rooms. Old trunks/ footlockers are good too.
Some things that used to be common sense ways to save money have seemed to have gone out of fashion pretty fast.....like dressing for the weather instead of turning up the thermostat, venting a clothes drier inside, opening the stove door after you've finished baking in the winter to get a bit more heat for your money, leaving bathwater in the tub after a bath until it cools to heat the air (don't do this if you have little kids who might decide to get into the tub!) and using draft blockers in front of doors or window sills in old houses. Gail

This sounds crazy, but my grandma would tie money in her clothes. She would never keep her money in a bank after the Depression. When we were cleaning out her house we found over $10,000 dollars.
Happy Saving!
tina4545

My grandparents use ziploc bags and tin foil over and over again. if meat or chicken are in the ziploc bag it shouldnt be reused.

I happen to be a big believer in bacon grease, real butter, lard, etc....it is the "new" oils that I think are causing all of the problems! That said, both of my grandparents ( both sides ) ate bacon, lard, full fat milk, etc and were satisfied with their meals and did not snack all day on junk...they all lived well into their 90's!! A really GREAT website on traditional foods is price compare prices coin airline at westinaprice.org. Since I started eating "real food" I have never felt better! , I highly recommend a cookbook from the 30's or 40's..I use my war issue cookbook every day!