Frugal living used to involve a lot of interesting habits, and it turns out some of the best ones are making a comeback from the 1940s and ‘50s.
The pot at the back
People in the 1940s and ‘50s used soup pots for one thing and one thing only. Leftovers. Yes, they’d throw onion skins and celery leaves in there, along with carrot tops, chicken bones, and half a cup of rice. Anything went in there.
They did it to stretch their dinner, and that sort of habit is making a comeback. Just look at freezer scrap bags, for example. They make sense. The average American loses around $1,500 on wasted food. Think of all the soup you could make with that.
A night in
Modern life acts as though every fun night needs to be expensive. We’re convinced that we need to pay for parking and tickets to enjoy ourselves. Drinks and snacks? They’re essential expenses. But that’s not what families in the ‘40s and ‘50s used to do.
They stayed in to have fun. Maybe they’d do some puzzles, maybe they’d play some board games. It didn’t really matter. They did it at home. They did it for free. That sort of thinking has started reappearing because people get that maybe, just maybe, it’s better hanging out at home.
The messy drawer
Let’s get one thing straight. A rag bag isn’t meant to be cute. No, it’s just a collection of fabrics, like old shirts, dish towels, torn sheets, and fabric scraps. But it worked. People in the past used the fabrics to clean up any spills, then they’d wash the rags later.
They even took it one step further during World War II. They used flour and feed sacks. It figures, honestly. Cotton fabric was short in those days. Now, some people are doing the same, but with Swedish dishcloths and cut-up T-shirts. They call it ‘paperless towels.’
The fuller plate
There was a time when meat wasn’t the star of a meal. Seriously. People used it, sure, but they made sure to stretch it with other food. It was pretty important when money was tight. With a little ground beef and oats, you’d have meatloaf. Got beans? Then you could make chili.
These sorts of meals have always been popular. But they’re making a comeback as a cost-saving measure because, honestly, you still get dinner when you’ve got less meat. Tacos? Soups? Bowls? Casseroles? They all work.
The long simmer
That’s not all for meat. Younger people are starting to work out that cheap meat can be just as good as more expensive meat, as long as you treat it right. Chuck roast and pork shoulders are easy. So is brisket.
Make them into stews or pot roasts for an easy dinner. Braises and soup bones are the same. People in the past used ovens or stovetops, but today, slow cookers are winning. It’s pretty easy to stick some meat in there and be done. Just like the good old days.
The plain shelf
Boxes of mixes. They’re tempting, there’s no doubt about that, because they make cooking way easier. But really, there’s no point in getting them. That’s why some people are avoiding them. They’ve already got flour, sugar, baking powder, oats, cocoa, and salt. Why get a box mix?
It’s more fun making your own homemade pancake mix. It’s more rewarding making your own biscuit mix. No wonder people are scrapping the pre-made stuff.
The list nobody sees
Sure, a pantry inventory sounds like a lot. But it’s a great idea. All you have to do is write down what’s already there, like three cans of tomatoes and two bags of rice. It was normal to track food like that in the ‘40s. Shopping was more limited, after all.
It’s making a comeback now. Makes sense, really. Grocery runs are getting more expensive, so it figures that keeping track of what you already have will keep the costs down. Is it boring? Sure. But is it useful? Absolutely.
The sunny option
Let’s be honest. Having a dryer is nice, and nothing can replace the feeling of fresh towels in the dryer. However, there’s something so special about hanging clothes on the clothesline. It’s probably because it’s cheap. But it wasn’t exactly a lifestyle choice in the ‘40s or ‘50s.
It was laundry day. Simple as that. These days, more people have started to discover the simplicity of using backyard lines and folding racks to hang their clothes. They’re not looking so silly anymore.
The closet pause
The thing is, a lot of older closets were undeniably kind of boring. They had hardly any shirts. They had far fewer shoes. People had a single coat to survive every winter, instead of having something for a single season.
Thrift shopping and clothing swaps have made a major return. Why? Because young people recognize there’s no point in paying a little for many clothes that get ruined after a short time.
The small fix
Most household problems start as basically nothing. A loose screw here, a slow drip there, what’s the problem? It’s harmless. Then it isn’t. Home repairs were the standard way of living during the ‘40s and ‘50s because you had no easy fixes. You did it yourself.
The habit’s starting to return these days. It’s all thanks to YouTube and hardware store videos. It doesn’t make small maintenance issues feel any less annoying, of course, but they’re sure better than dealing with a huge bill.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
