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old-timey money-saving skills

December 30th, 2010 at 04:55 pm

Just wanted to ask all of you what "old-fashioned" skills you have/use that save you money now.

Mine is canning, and I suppose gardening-- particularly growing tomatoes. Old-fashioned, yes, but my family is cooking with free diced tomatoes at least once a week.

What are yours?

10 Responses to “old-timey money-saving skills”

  1. Swimgirl Says:
    1293729044

    Canning here, too. I didn't get much canned last summer, compared to past years, and I doubt we will make it to April before I have to buy tomatoes and jam.

    Sewing, too. I make curtains and table linens and quilts and gifts for people. I'm always amazed at how many people don't sew.

    I might put "from scratch cooking" in the old fashioned category, too, mainly because many people don't do it. I buy almost zero convenience foods, unless you count bread (but I make a lot of that, too.) I don't consider opening the bag of ravioli and the jar of spaghetti sauce from Costco to be real cooking, but some of my friends do.

  2. ThriftoRama Says:
    1293730925

    So far, my thoughts were
    gardening
    canning
    sewing
    and baking

    I was thinking of all the cool things my grandma and great grandma could do, that my mom never bothered with and I am struggling to learn.

  3. ceejay74 Says:
    1293731826

    If you combine my family's skills (we have different strengths), ours are:
    -Mending and altering clothes.
    -Making craftsy things to give as gifts.
    -Using more basic ingredients to (washing soda, Borax, vinegar, baking soda, etc.) to clean.
    -Home-cooked meals nearly every night (usually from scratch, though sometimes we use convenience foods like baked beans or Manwich).
    -Making baby food (no jars of stuff from supermarket).
    -Baking from scratch (pizza crusts, biscuits, desserts, breakfast pastries...we buy some premade, but not nearly as much as is probably normal).
    -Handyman stuff (installing faucets/garbage disposals, fixing pipe leaks, etc.)
    -Biking/walking/bussing to get groceries. (Seems like in old movies/TV shows, people go to market in other ways than by car.)
    -Making sure we always spend less than we earn, and paying off credit cards immediately after use.

  4. Petunia in an OP Says:
    1293732872

    I would put cooking from scratch in the old-timey category. The number of people who don't or haven't learned how to cook from scratch always surprises me. We have that skill. I also can sew and mend cloth things.

    Mr H can fix things around the house (install toilets, fix leaks, paint and he even installed our new windows a few years ago). That definitely helps the budget.

  5. Ima saver Says:
    1293741405

    I married a handy man carpenter, plumber, electrical, etc. so I never have to hire anyone. right now he is cutting down a dead tree.

  6. retire@50 Says:
    1293744181

    Not joining the 21st century. I have a computer, but no cellphone and no gaming system and no ipod or music things. My stereo of 15 years or the radio works for music. The land-line still works for a phone at $30/month and card games, played with actual people, work for the gaming system. Smile

  7. MaryB26 Says:
    1293744682

    I bake from scratch and sew my own clothes when it is cheaper. This week I have made 5 pair of pants. I have a difficult time finding pants that fit so this is a big time and money saver for me.

  8. CB in the City Says:
    1293757270

    I read and play cards for entertainment, use the library, do most of my shopping at thrift stores and garage sales, cook from scratch, mend my clothes, hand wash a lot. I'm also pretty good at putting together creative gifts with a little bit of money. And I bring my lunch to work almost every day.

  9. baselle Says:
    1293772903

    Me: Walking. The more you walk, the longer a distance you consider walking distance. John Muir was famous for considering any distance walking distance; and how many people do you know consider even a block to be worth driving to? If its a mile and I have a spare 20 minutes, might just as well walk. I consider 2-3 miles pretty easy walking distance.

    I also invest in stocks that pay a dividend. If that isn't an old-timey thing, I don't know what is. Smile And I like to barter! Just with friends and acquaintances, not with anybody cold.

    Sister: soap and candle making.

  10. ThriftoRama Says:
    1293808799

    Bartering. I hadn't thought of that, but it's true!

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