History often repeats itself.
That’s great news for anyone looking for more frugal tips, as there are tons of “vintage” options that are having a renaissance. Here are four examples of tips from days past that can help you save some considerable cash.
Growing Your Own Food
Even though others might be flocking to Erewhon for a boutique smoothie, many of us are much more interested in something a bit more salt-of-the-earth: growing fruits and veggies ourselves.
If you’re new to gardening, start small. Choose a few easy-to-grow plants like herbs (basil, mint), tomatoes, or peppers.
Container gardening is an excellent option if you don’t have much space. The reality is that it’s so much easier than you think, which is why it’s having such a resurgence in popularity.
Conserving Water and Energy
Conserving water and energy used to be a way of life. But now that rising utility costs and growing environmental concerns are on everyone’s minds, these vintage practices are becoming more common.
Simple actions like turning off lights whenever you leave a room or taking shorter showers add up to significant savings over time.
Write down ways you can cut back on water or energy usage and consider switching to more energy-efficient bulbs.
If you want to take it a step further, unplug your devices when you aren’t using them. We didn’t even have all these energy-hungry appliances in the past, and that makes it even more vital to pay attention to how you’re consuming energy.
Paying Yourself First
The concept of “paying yourself first” is all about putting money aside for savings before you even think about handling your expenses.
People are waking up to it being a legitimate way to build more financial security, especially now when things feel less stable than they used to.
You can easily build an emergency fund with this method, which is something every person should have.
Start by determining a percentage of your income that you can comfortably set aside each month.
Open a separate savings account to make it easier to track your progress. Automate your savings by setting up a direct deposit from your paycheck or scheduling regular transfers from your checking account.
It really is that simple, and over time, you’ll find that paying yourself first is one of the best avenues if you care about financial peace of mind.
Repurposing Everything
Sustainability is more popular than ever, but that’s actually a vintage concept.
Reusing and repurposing items used to be a social norm. And now that people are waking up to just how wasteful and expensive always buying new is, it’s slowly making a comeback.
Look around your home for items that can be repurposed before you buy something new.
Everything can have a second use if you give it a chance.
And many other things can have a second life if you’re willing to put in the effort to fix them or give them a glow-up. Get creative and challenge yourself to find new uses for items before tossing them in the trash.
