There are several old-fashioned, frugal ways of doing things that are still around today because, well… they work. If you’re looking for more ideas on how to save money or simply how to get better value for your buck, then you’ve come to the right place.
These are some of the best “old-timey” frugal living hacks. Yes, they may be old-fashioned, but they’re still around today because they work in today’s age.
Work With What You Already Have
Many times, people go to the store because they think they need some magic ingredients. The truth is most of our pantries are usually loaded with at least a few ingredients that can easily whip up a meal. Every time we casually visit a store to purchase food, despite already having food in our pantries, we just end up spending more money on things we don’t necessarily need.
Reuse Jars and Boxes Where Possible
Every time you purchase something that comes in a jar or a cute little box, the jar and box pretty much come as a bonus with the purchase that you made. You may as well save these for a rainy day, as you never know when you’ll need that jar or box. This will prohibit you from specifically having to go out and buy these things when you need them one day.
Cook From Scratch
Another way to live a frugal life is to simply cook your meals from scratch. You can take it a step further by sticking to simple recipes that avoid expensive or exotic ingredients in their recipes. When you cook things at home, you are opening yourself up to a whole world of experimentation and healthy culinary choices for you and your family.
Don’t Let Perishable Items Perish
It’s easy to stock our fridges and pantries with perishable foods like potatoes, chicken, and whatever else your family eats. But it can be just as easy to forget about that purchase you made and let the whole thing go rancid before you even get the chance to cook it.
It’s, therefore, necessary to purchase only the perishable foods you know you will cook in the coming days to avoid any disappointment of the food going to waste.
Get Organized and Decluttered
Yes, keeping old jars saves money, but that also doesn’t mean that one should live in a jumbled and cluttered house. The problem with a disarranged house is that you may not find something that you have already stashed away and, therefore, buy a new thing for something that’s already there but untraceable due to a cluttered mess.
Let Your Clothes Dry Naturally
Laundry lines should be a permanent fixture in anyone’s garden if they are going to save themselves from using a dryer. Dryers are great for when it’s raining or the weather doesn’t allow for hanging clothes to dry, but ultimately, they should be avoided where possible. Dryers use a lot of heat and energy to dry clothes, and using Mother Nature to air dry your clothes is a far better option!
