How Old People Saved Money

June 24, 2009 by Debbie.

I don’t mean people who are old but people of an older time - our parents or grandparents or for some, even having to stretch back to their great-grandparents to find savers. I was blessed to grow up poor and budgeting was not a four letter word but just a fact of life.  A fact that made life more than livable. And budgeting wasn’t just for money, but for time and energy as well.  Anyway, my day today exemplifies how ‘old people’ saved money. Yes, I’m an ‘old people.’

Old people had a routine schedule that was pretty set. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing, Wednesday house cleaning,  etc., etc. This was not just something that was embroidered on tea towels, but was a disciplined way of life. Today is Tuesday (regardless of when I actually post this; I’m typing it on a Tuesday!) and I’m already behind as I mowed the grass yesterday instead of doing laundry. Well, since I don’t iron anything I’m not too far off schedule. My ‘normal’ Tuesday schedule is to have a free day  to quilt/sew as a treat. BUT  treats come after the work is done so my free day would start after

1. milk 3 does and feed/water all goats/chickens

2. wash laundry and hang on the line

3. make cheese - mozzarella and ricotta

4. clean up the kitchen/dishes

5. sweep the house

6. answer all the emails I’ve let go over the weekend

7. hem the dress I made so I can wash it with today’s laundry

8. water the west garden

9. make and pack John’s lunch

10. give the broom a ‘hair cut’ so all the ends are even - does anyone else remember their mom doing this - cutting all the straw even at the bottom of the broom? Mom would do this til the straw was too short to use be useful as a broom. I’m going to recycle mine to the barn when that happens.

I think that’s it. Of course, that’s not in the order I did everything and I mixed up various chores, being able to run laundry/hang out clothes while in stages of cheese making but having started at 5:00 am it’s now lunchtime and I’m done with almost all of my list. Still have to finish sweeping the rest of the house. I did the kitchen and living room and am working my way out from there. All of the laundry is on the line and probably dry from our summer temps that may hit 100 today.

So what does this have to do with saving money???

Consider  that a lot of people use shopping as their ‘treat or reward’ as I use quilting/sewing. If they followed the old people’s way, that shopping treat would only come after doing the normal chores as my quilting/sewing treat. Frankly, I’m too tired to quilt or sew right now. I’m ready for lunch and short rest so I can take down the clothes and start afternoon chores.  So, shopping would be pushed away for another day and hence, money would be saved. Treats and free days weren’t every day, every week or even every month occurrence. Along with that came a true appreciation for treats and free days.  Smaller treats were greatly appreciated and not just an ‘oh, gee’ thing. People weren’t jaded by overabundance - do you remember the last time you were excited about getting a piece of gum or stopping for a small vanilla cone?

And frankly, I’m much more satisfied and happier than if I’d skipped ahead to the day’s treat, whether it be quilting or shopping.

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