Long before budgeting apps and cashback sites, people stretched every dollar with old-school know-how that worked because it had to.
And while they may sound quaint now, many of those vintage money habits still hold up.
In fact, a few might just be the refresh your budget needs.
So grab a cup of coffee, maybe a notebook, and let’s revisit the clever, scrappy tricks that helped past generations thrive on less. These vintage budgeting tricks deserve a comeback.
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.
Buy Used When Available
Most folks who are frugal are second-hand savvy, and their wallets weep for joy, thanks to that. There are tons of appliances, homeware, furniture, and even clothes to thrift to save some serious coin.
Go For Quality, Not Quantity
Sometimes, less is more. Buying less in general but spending a little more on better quality is a great way to flex frugality.
Cook at Home
Cooking at home, as opposed to splurging at a restaurant, is a great way to practice frugality. As a bonus, you will get to control the ingredients that enter your body, plus you may have some fun by learning a new recipe.
Use a Budget
Frugal people don’t just spend money without having a clear plan of where the money is going or coming from. To have full control of your finances, it’s crucial to have a practical budget drawn out so that you can easily guide your spending and your savings.
Differentiate Between Wants and Needs
Everybody wants to drive a luxury car, but if everyone always bought into their wants, then everyone would also be broke. It’s crucial to know the clear differences between wants and needs and not waste money on something because you get confused with the two.
Make a Wishlist
If you have clearly defined your wants and needs, and there’s something that you want, then why not add it to a wishlist? You can revisit the wishlist a couple of weeks later and see if this is still something that’s going to add value to your life. If not, then you saved yourself from buying something that would likely have put a dent in your savings. Improve DIY Skills
DIY
We can’t repair everything on our own, but there are some things we can try to tackle by ourselves. The internet can be a wonderful place that is full of tutorials to help us fix things by ourselves. When possible, use this to your advantage as opposed to paying someone else to do it.
Find Joy in the Small Things
Overspending can sometimes result from boredom or a lack of contentment. If you can slow down and appreciate the things around you, you will hopefully feel less tempted to spend money. Getting out into nature is usually great to make you feel grounded again, and sometimes, all we need is a little bit of sun.
