Things your parents did to save money

[cglaura]

My dad would cut the paper towels while still on the roll, but not the roll itself. So it looked like 2 rolls of tp instead.

Then Bounty came out with select a size, and we were all, Dad, should have taken out a patent, you could have been a paper towel mogul

 

[tinkermom23]

My dad would cut the paper towels while still on the roll, but not the roll itself. So it looked like 2 rolls of tp instead.

Then Bounty came out with select a size, and we were all, Dad, should have taken out a patent, you could have been a paper towel mogul

We never had paper towels growing up, nor napkins. We lived on a diary farm so no powdered milk, thankfully, but we seldom had anything that was bought. We had a family of 8 (1 mom, 7 kids) and if we couldn't raise it or grow it, bake it or make it, we probably didn't need it.
I remember one time mom bought a box of generic Rice Krispies and she put them in a tall cupboard in the back, and my brother was about 15 at the time, and he ate the whole box one afternoon. My mom was so furious! She never bought any cereal of any kind ever again!
We did handmedowns, the problem was my older sister and I were almost the same size so I got my older brothers old clothes, and he was quite a bit taller, I had 8" cuffs on the bottom of my jeans! My first pair of girl jeans was when i was 13...
The only time we ever went out to eat was once or twice on Mother's day we went to a "Smorgasboard" or buffet as we know it today. Wow, I feel old!
We had a black & White TV with one channel, but it didn't matter 'cause we were always outside playing or working.
Every year when school started, we'd get one pair of shoes, that would be way too big! One year we'd get tennis shoes, the next year dress shoes, the next year tennis shoes....

 

[cglaura]

RE: tinkermom23: Sorry, I meant no disrespect by that, it was just something lighthearted I remember from growing up.

At age 12, I started working babysitting 4 days a week after school and 5 days all day during summers, then same in high school but a various places. I guess my family didn't struggle (or I didn't see it) because I only kept about $25 per week of that money (until high school when I realized what was going on).

I mananged to graduate in the top % of my class so was very fortunate to get scholarships, and I used my money from high school I saved for college to buy a house at 19 & get the heck out of dodge (dh at the time with me, not all my $$).

Although I am ok now, unfortunately through certain life problems, divorce, ex's new wife identitly theft, etc (I've written about this here a few times), I have had times in adult life to choose if I eat this spoon of peanut butter, will dd have food for lunch? Many days I just didn't eat. So while I may not know what it was like to grow up like that , I know exactly what it is like to actually live it. I've worked 3-4 jobs at a time at some points just to tread water.

Sorry if my post was making other seem foolish, it was just one of the rare funny things I remember.

 

[jemgumby]

I too got the panty hose fake cabbage patch kid doll!!!!! I had forgotten about that!We NEVER ate out. Eating at McDonald's was a huge treat and very rare. We didn't have any candy, soda, chips, etc. in the house. We drank ALOT of Kool-Aid. It was either that or water or milk (we didn't do the powdered kind). We didn't go on vacations. I only remember 2 vacations and one was just basically an overnighter to an amusement park (not Disney). We rarely went to the movies. Our fun was just going to the mall and looking around. We might get a dollar each to play some video games and sometimes we got a pretzel! My entertainment was playing with friends in the neighborhood and making our own water slide by putting a piece of plastic on the frontyard and lathering up with dish detergent to go extra fast!

 

[tinkermom23]

RE: tinkermom23: Sorry, I meant no disrespect by that, it was just something lighthearted I remember from growing up.

I was absolutely not offended at all....it just struck me that what one family thinks is "normal" and another family's "normal" can be so different. And how each of our "normal" can change too.

It's funny now, that my mom doesn't use hand towels in the bathroom or kitchen, she only uses paper towels!

When I was about 9-10 yo. I went to a restaurant with my Aunt & cousins. My one cousin was a few years older than me and I wanted her to like me so bad, but she thought I was a pest. Anyway, when we were leaving the restaurant I noticed she had forgotten a bunch of quarters next to her plate. I thought I would make her day! I collected the change in my pocket and when we got to the car I gave it to her saying " You forgot your money on the table, I got it for you" needless to say she called me an idiot, that it was the tip for the waitress, and I felt very stupid. I just didn't know about tips since our family didn't eat out.

 

[tinkermom23]

making our own water slide by putting a piece of plastic on the frontyard and lathering up with dish detergent to go extra fast!

We did that too! Those where the days... when we thought it was fun to run as fast as we could, then hurl our wet, soapy bodies down a hill, on a burning hot piece of black plastic, only to slide off the side into the grass, but we were laughing the whole time and ready to do it again!

 

[Vivianne]

One thing I remember are the stamps given at checkout in the supermarket in the '60's. My mother let me fill the books, it was fun to look through the catalog. I think she got a sewing machine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&H_Green_Stamps

 

[amylevan]

---Frequently ate Creamed Chipped Beef over toast....AKA = S.O.S or Sh*t on a Shingle.....is that just a Midwest thing?

Gag...oh how I hated that stuff!!! And believe it or not, my parents, who are now in a much different tax bracket then when we used to eat that stuff...still make it to eat because they like it! I think they are nuts....it's called sh*t on a shingle for a reason!!!!


(And no, we aren't from the midwest, my parents are from western pa...)

 

[Cindy B]

I also remember having jean shorts. Whenever I got too tall for my jeans, my mom would cut them off (at an appropriate length of course!) and make jean shorts.

My mom also did the fold over hem stuff for pants. We would also go to flea markets, swap meets and such for household items.

I also had a pantyhose doll!

 

[punkin]

If they'd said, "Hey, we know college is going to be rough for you financially, and we're really sorry that we can't help -- what can we do to support you? What can we do that doesn't take dollars?" I would understand that.

I am very sorry you had to go through this. My mother had no money either and I qualified for huge financial aid for college, but I always had a place to live and home-cooked food and help and just someone to talk to.

My DD17 is a senior in high school this year and I just cannot imagine kicking her out. I did tell her that if she wanted to take a year off before college, she had better have a job from day one. I am not subsidizing laziness!

 

[MrsPooh]

Until I was in about 4th grade my parents really struggled financially. Dad has his own business and worked nearly 24/7 but barely kept up with bills. From 4th grade until late high school things went well but by the time I was starting college things weren't so good any more.

My mom always stayed home and my parents always had only one car while we were growing up and it was usually ten years old. Meals were much more basic than what I serve. We went out to eat maybe once or twice a year with extended family. They only got cable about two years ago. They did, however, send all of us to Catholic schools.

We had no vacations until the business was doing better and I was about 14 and then they were work conventions we tagged on to and not real vacations.

I appreciate the example they set for us. I started earning money babysitting in 5th grade and babysat every day during the summers after 7th and 8th grade. I started paying into Social Security at the age of 14! I was fortunate in that my parents did help with college expenses for the first two years but junior and senior years I paid for tuition and expenses at a private college myself by working full-time and taking 15 hours at school.

We've struggled desperately for the past few years and I am so happy to have had the example of my parents.

BTW, I do serve Sh** on a Shingle once or twice a year. I found a great, slightly spicy recipe and we enjoy it for an easy meal every now and then.

 

[smiller]

Gag...oh how I hated that stuff!!! And believe it or not, my parents, who are now in a much different tax bracket then when we used to eat that stuff...still make it to eat because they like it! I think they are nuts....it's called sh*t on a shingle for a reason!!!!


(And no, we aren't from the midwest, my parents are from western pa...)

I grew up with this meal, too - Creamed Beef, as we called it. I still really like it! I made it all through college and even for some friends who had never experienced it.

As for what my parents did to save money, I do remember the whole family re-roofing our house. I was pretty young and ripping shingles off the roof, tossing them to the ground, and then filling up garbage bags on a weekly basis so as not to need a dumpster. It was actually quite fun!

 

[js]

I grew up with this meal, too - Creamed Beef, as we called it. I still really like it! I made it all through college and even for some friends who had never experienced it.

As for what my parents did to save money, I do remember the whole family re-roofing our house. I was pretty young and ripping shingles off the roof, tossing them to the ground, and then filling up garbage bags on a weekly basis so as not to need a dumpster. It was actually quite fun!

I'm trying to picture what this is. Is it regular beef that was cut into little pieces and then put on toast? What was the sauce? Was it like a salsbury steak?
Thanks.

 

[AuntMinnie12]

Not regular beef....actually it's Buddig brand "chipped beef".....like sliced beef lunch meat that came in little bags. The sauce was milk, butter, flour mixture with salt and pepper, cut up the beef slices into the sauce. Pour it over toast.

A little went a long way at our house!

My mom also made "hamburger goop"...which was hamburger with tomato sauce/stewed tomatoes over rice. And of course, the fan favorite, beans and weieners.

 

[phamy76]

I'm from Central PA and we love creamed chipped beef here.
If you go to any local diner, it's on the menu for about 5.95. Comes with toast and homefries.
It was actually a treat to have that at our house growing up.
But, we go out to eat every Sunday morning, and I always get it.

Love it!


When I was growing up, my grandparents wouldn't let any part of a vegetable/fruit go to waste. They pickled watermelon rind. AGH!

That was terrible .

 

[KimFIGFern]

Now a family joke ...

A warehouse in the neighborhood my parents grew up burned down to the ground. Before the bulldozers plowed everything under, my father went scrounging through the debris ... probably very dangerous at the time.

He found cases and cases of Irish Spring soap. Since the cardboard was all wet from being exposed to the elements, he brought it home and as a family, we sat down in the basement and picked all the paper off the soap. Then, we had to cut off the parts that were burned or dirty. When all was done, we had a BARREL full of soap. I don't think my mom bought soap until I was in college. To this day, my sister, brother and myself hate the smell of that soap.

 

[smiller]

I'm trying to picture what this is. Is it regular beef that was cut into little pieces and then put on toast? What was the sauce? Was it like a salsbury steak?
Thanks.

Not regular beef....actually it's Buddig brand "chipped beef".....like sliced beef lunch meat that came in little bags. The sauce was milk, butter, flour mixture with salt and pepper, cut up the beef slices into the sauce. Pour it over toast.

Yes - just like that! Make a roux, add milk, add the pressed beef lunch meat all cut up in neat squares, salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg, served over toast.

And to save even more money, it was always Aldi brand.

 

[Vivianne]

Now a family joke ...

A warehouse in the neighborhood my parents grew up burned down to the ground. Before the bulldozers plowed everything under, my father went scrounging through the debris ... probably very dangerous at the time.

He found cases and cases of Irish Spring soap. Since the cardboard was all wet from being exposed to the elements, he brought it home and as a family, we sat down in the basement and picked all the paper off the soap. Then, we had to cut off the parts that were burned or dirty. When all was done, we had a BARREL full of soap. I don't think my mom bought soap until I was in college. To this day, my sister, brother and myself hate the smell of that soap.

My Mom and Dad would have thought this was grrrrreat!! Lucky you!

 

[mng1310]

My dad was a little different. He very cheap, but in an unethical way. We lived in a apartment and he'd tell me to go grab the neighbors newspaper. He would read it and then try to fold it back up again and have me put it back in front of my neighbor's door. I refused to do that because I knew it was wrong, and he yelled at me for refusing to obey. My neighbors heard him through the walls and just told me to take the newspaper and give it to him whenver he wanted.

He would save the light bulb boxes after he bought one and would put the old lightbulb in the container and take it back to the store for a refund, credit or exchange. Dad's justification was that those hardware stores make so much money, they expect us to do this

As I got older he taught me some more gems like how not to pay taxes . I never listened to him though -- I wasn't about to risk penalties, jail,or my good name over not paying the government what I owed.

 

[Vivianne]

As I got older he taught me some more gems like how not to pay taxes . I never listened to him though -- I wasn't about to risk penalties, jail,or my good name over not paying the government what I owed.

To your own benefit, you have a conscience, Kudos to you....