On her Timeless Secrets YouTube channel, Angela Braniff published a video dedicated to old-fashioned frugal living tips that are just as relevant and effective now as they were in the old days. The idea of saving money like thrifty people from generations past is so popular that the video has tallied 347,000 views.
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GOBankingRates spoke with financial professionals who revealed how people can apply Braniff’s timeless tips from yesteryear to their modern lives today, because as it turns out, saving money never goes out of style.
Cook From Scratch at Home (and Wear an Apron)
Braniff starts in the kitchen, advising her followers to cook from scratch at home using simple recipes and avoiding those that call for exotic and expensive ingredients.
This frugal living tip not only saves money, but allows for endless experimentation and simplifies your family’s culinary life.
“You almost don’t need a meal plan if you’re cooking from scratch,” she said.
Stick to true old-timer form and keep costs in mind throughout the entire process, including protecting your clothes while you cook.
“Our grandmothers were apron-wearers,” said Braniff.
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Cook With What You Already Have Before Going Back to the Store
Hope Ware, founder of the personal finance site Under the Median, raised four sons with her husband debt-free — including paying cash for her home — on a low income. Her YouTube channel has earned her 175,000 subscribers and 16 million views.
She agrees with Braniff’s sentiments on cooking from scratch but she goes even further by creating meals based on what she has on hand until it’s gone, just like home chefs of previous generations.
“People go to the store because they believe they are out of food,” said Ware. “Using only what I have at home, I challenge myself to create a menu plan for the next three to five days. This habit helped our family save money by shopping less often and reducing food waste to near zero, even when we were raising four boys.”
Never Let Perishables Perish
Your grandparents grew up in an era governed by a “waste not, want not” mentality — and you’d be wise to apply the same outlook to your refrigerator by consuming food in order of priority.
“I cut our monthly food budget by 20% when I began doing a weekly perishable food inventory and menu planning,” said Ware. “An up-to-date pantry and freezer inventory is important.
“But, people don’t understand the importance of regularly looking at the contents of their refrigerator,” she continued. “Every Thursday, I write a list of my perishable items. This list is prioritized, meaning that items with the shortest shelf life go at the top of the list. For instance, lettuce, which will wilt within days, appears close to the top, while cabbage, which will last a couple of weeks in refrigeration, is near the bottom of the list.”
Reuse Jars, Boxes and Anything Else You Can Give a Second Life
When something you buy comes in a good jar or box, Braniff considers the container to be part of the purchase. She almost always hangs onto them to avoiding buying a similar container later.
“If you’re an uber-minimalist, this might be hard for you because your brain is geared toward getting rid of things,” she said.
But throwing out something you can use again isn’t minimalism. It’s waste.
Vice president of brand with Achieve, a digital personal finance company in San Mateo, California, and consumer finance expert, Tanya Peterson illustrates the point with a familiar rhyme from a bygone era.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without,” she said. “This is old-school language for ‘recycle, re-use, re-purpose.’”
Declutter and Get Organized
While saving useful things like old jars can save you money, living in jumbled disarray can have the opposite effect, whether you realize it or not.
“Decluttering, while on its face doesn’t seem like it’s saving you money because you’re just getting rid of stuff, can save you money,” Braniff told her viewers. “If I don’t stay on top of it, I will waste money by buying something I think I don’t have, but it’s just that I can’t find it because it’s buried somewhere.”
Peterson agrees.
“Past generations generally owned much less stuff and didn’t have access to all the retail options we do now,” she said. “Decluttering has well-documented benefits ranging from lower stress to money saved, not only by selling unneeded items online or at a yard sale, but by knowing exactly what you have so that you don’t duplicate purchases.”
Let Mother Nature Dry Your Clothes
Laundry lines are one of the most familiar and nostalgic images from generations past — and they’re a permanent fixture in Braniff’s own yard.
“I love the way that clothes dried in the sun smell,” she said in her YouTube video. “It brings the brightness back to clothing.”
It can also save you money on utilities.
“A dryer is likely the highest-energy use of any appliance besides your furnace,” said Peterson. “Wash in cold water and you could save up to 90% of the energy the machine uses. Then, hang as many clothes to dry as possible, either indoors or out.”
Braniff’s Other Frugal Tips Include:
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Old-Fashioned Frugal Living Tips That Still Work (And Can Save You Big Money)
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