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Are you looking for ways to save money? Trying to live frugally? Wondering how to make meals for less?
Amen! You are not alone! In fact, even in 1913 people were looking for ways to live more frugally (and thankfully, taking notes)
My great-grandmother grew up in England at a time before television, telephone, internet, credit cards, and shopping malls. She owned few clothes by today’s standards and it was not a fashion faux pas to wear the same thing more than one day in a row. When her family purchased food, a whole family meal could be made for 8 pennies.
Her lifestyle more than 100 years ago seems quite far-removed from our modern lives in 2016.
And yet, it seems some wisdom never goes out of fashion.
Tucked among her recipe books, letters, and scraps of notes, I discovered one of her school exercise books.
I know what you’re thinking, these tips might have worked in 1913, but we live in a different age. I don’t have time to make everything from scratch and spend hours running here and there to save a buck.
There’s something to be said about those who went before us. They lived through tough times most of us haven’t seen and learned how to more with less, lessons you and I both need in order to save money. This much needed wisdom lives on for all of us in these pages from 1913.
I totally understand that, which is why I’ve rounded up 4 of our favorite EASY and FRUGAL recipes from the 1900’s to get your started.
If you try to make everything from scratch when you’re not used to it, you’re going to pull your hair out. I’m going to show you:
There’s something to be said about those who went before us. They lived through tough times most of us haven’t seen and learned how to more with less, lessons you and I both need in order to save money. This much needed wisdom lives on for all of us in these pages from 1913.
It was in this book, written in 1913, I found some economic wisdom that still applies to us today.
In those days, frugality was important enough that it was taught in school. And although there are no great revelations in these words, most of this advice has stood the test of time, and will probably continue to be stated as components of good money management for another century to come.
Here it is, in her own hand:
Hello, is it just me or does anyone else struggle to stick to a budget…
(My own comments are written in parentheses)
Click Here for 4 Easy Frugal Recipes from the early 1900’s
Management of the Income
A few pages later, she has also written advice specific to saving money on food. Many of these made me smile due to the references to foods from a very different country and era! (Although British readers might be more familiar with them.)
I don’t know about you, but the one place I know I can save money (and often times blow it) is on our food bill. It’s so important to remember:
Economy means “no waste.”
What it all boils down to is making sure you use every bit of what you have.
What are your favorite ways to save money and eat economically? Do you have any financial wisdom from other generations?
Andrea is an artisan and teacher trying to live a handmade and homemade lifestyle with her husband in Eastern Canada. She is passionate about growing her own food, cooking healthy meals, using herbs for healing, nurturing creativity, and finding joy and blessings in the every-day moments of life. She writes about all of this, plus her adventures in sewing, crafting, and pattern design at http://www.artisaninthewoods.com/
