Hard Times

Hard times are upon our nation. Some of us feel the effects of this more than others. Lost jobs, lost homes, more homeless, more despair by many. those of us who are feeling the effects less than others need to be truly thankful, and, perhaps, compassionate toward those in need. In these hard times we all tend to become more conservative. We waste less. We try to stretch our dollar. We become more frugal in many ways. I was just thinking of ways we were frugal in the past.

1)   We washed out our bread bags and saved them for re-use.

2)   We ironed our Christmas wrapping paper so we could use it again next year.

3)  We took the buttons off our shirts before we discarded them.

4)      We remove the zippers from our jeans before discarding them.

5)  We handed down our jeans, we patched their knees, seats, and crotches, we cut the legs   off for cut offs. Then we finally used the good remnants for quilts.

6)  We used our tea bags more than once.

7)  We never threw food away.

8)  Bicycles were handed down.

9)  Lumber was recycled.

10)  We took a bath in a galvanized wash tub, We fought over who got to use the water first!

11)  Milk bottle were glass and sent back with the milk man

12)   Coke bottles were also glass. We hunted for them and turned them in for 5 cents each.

13)   We trapped gophers and got 3 cents for striped gophers and 25 cents for pocket gophers.

14)  We hunted deer for venison, not sport.

15)   We fished to eat them, not throw them back.

16)   We made our own bread.

17)  We re-used the tin foil and waxed paper.

18)   We bought used or retreaded tires.

19)   We patched our bike tires.

20)  We re-spoked our bike wheels.

21)  We grew our own vegetables.

22)   We ate vegetables.

23)   We shoveled snow up against the house to insulate it.

24)  We repaired our shoes.

25)   We drove our cars until they quit.

There are many more things, but these have come to my mind. Perhaps you can add to the list.