Happy Throwback Thursday! What lessons can we learn from the past? Although our economy has (hopefully) been on the mend. I always try to be smart and savvy when it comes to how much I spend, how and where I invest, and how much I save.
I've also been watching the stock market, which has been rising for quite a while now. As the saying goes, everything that goes up, usually comes down. Take for instance the housing crash in 2008. I want to be prepared in case the U.S. has a "money bubble".
We can all learn a tip (or ten) from the past. If you aren't practicing a frugal life, now is the time to start - just in case our economy doesn't fully recover from this recession. In order for our society to prosper, we must try to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Here are 10 thrifty throwback tips and practices from a bygone era:
1. Grow your own - even if your yard is not large enough for a vegetable garden, you can still grow your own with potted herbs. Save money over time by planting basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc. If you have the space, plant fruit trees which are organic and will give you an abundance of food for years to come. You can even keep chickens that will lay fresh eggs!
2. Don't be wasteful - if it's still usable, don't throw away anything, whether it's food, products, furniture, etc.. For example, be creative with leftovers, squeeze out the last drops of beauty products, create a compost, refinish an old dresser, etc..
3. Make it yourself - are you handy and/or creative? You can save a lot of money by making your own meals, clothes, jewelry, liquid soap, baked goods, etc.. By making things yourself, you can also give these unique items you've created as gifts - instead of buying them from a retail store or a restaurant.
4. Recycle stuff - we all know you can recycle such as items like plastic, bottles, cans, magazines, newspapers, etc.. and get cash for them at your local recycling center. You can also reuse or repurpose some of these same items (with a little creativity) into flower vases, gift wrapping, containers, and other misc. items.
5. Use it - if you have clothes (or shoes) that are perfectly wearable... continue to wear them. Many people (mostly women) buy too many clothes and other stuff. If you have items that you simply don't wear, are tattered or are tired of - you can donate them or sell them at a garage sale. This applies to other items as well.. such as tech gadgets, purses, accessories, bedding, home decor, furniture, etc..
6. Walk or bike more - be like an Amish... walk to places instead of driving. Not only will walking or riding your bike save you gas money, they are the best ways to exercise. Have a purpose or destination when you go walking to make it more pleasurable. I walk around a tree lined street and get inspired by the beautiful homes, I walk to the store to pick up some essentials, and most recently I started walking dogs to earn some extra money.
7. Borrow stuff - back in the day, people lived amongst close tight communities where the neighbors all knew each other and would borrow things from each other. Today, we can adapt that same concept. Instead of buying things, you can borrow them - which can save you a lot of money. For example, instead of buying or even renting DVDs, go to your local library and borrow them.
8. Share things - instead of buying the latest fashion magazine, my friends rotate magazines amongst each other. Carpooling is a means of sharing rides, where everyone involved takes their turn in driving. When traveling with one or more people, bring one set of necessities so that there's no need to check in your bags. Share as many things as possible, such as recipes, books, clothes, meals, tools, etc..
9. Spend less - why pay more when you can pay less for products or services! Before I buy anything, I check whether I can use a coupon, get cash back, get a promo code, ask for a discount, or get it for free! For more tips and ideas of how to spend less on practically everything, click here.
10. Get free stuff - one sure way to spend less is getting stuff for free! If it's your birthday, many places reward you with free treats. For more freebie ideas, click here. The best things in life are free!
I've also been watching the stock market, which has been rising for quite a while now. As the saying goes, everything that goes up, usually comes down. Take for instance the housing crash in 2008. I want to be prepared in case the U.S. has a "money bubble".
We can all learn a tip (or ten) from the past. If you aren't practicing a frugal life, now is the time to start - just in case our economy doesn't fully recover from this recession. In order for our society to prosper, we must try to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Here are 10 thrifty throwback tips and practices from a bygone era:
1. Grow your own - even if your yard is not large enough for a vegetable garden, you can still grow your own with potted herbs. Save money over time by planting basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc. If you have the space, plant fruit trees which are organic and will give you an abundance of food for years to come. You can even keep chickens that will lay fresh eggs!
2. Don't be wasteful - if it's still usable, don't throw away anything, whether it's food, products, furniture, etc.. For example, be creative with leftovers, squeeze out the last drops of beauty products, create a compost, refinish an old dresser, etc..
3. Make it yourself - are you handy and/or creative? You can save a lot of money by making your own meals, clothes, jewelry, liquid soap, baked goods, etc.. By making things yourself, you can also give these unique items you've created as gifts - instead of buying them from a retail store or a restaurant.
4. Recycle stuff - we all know you can recycle such as items like plastic, bottles, cans, magazines, newspapers, etc.. and get cash for them at your local recycling center. You can also reuse or repurpose some of these same items (with a little creativity) into flower vases, gift wrapping, containers, and other misc. items.
5. Use it - if you have clothes (or shoes) that are perfectly wearable... continue to wear them. Many people (mostly women) buy too many clothes and other stuff. If you have items that you simply don't wear, are tattered or are tired of - you can donate them or sell them at a garage sale. This applies to other items as well.. such as tech gadgets, purses, accessories, bedding, home decor, furniture, etc..
6. Walk or bike more - be like an Amish... walk to places instead of driving. Not only will walking or riding your bike save you gas money, they are the best ways to exercise. Have a purpose or destination when you go walking to make it more pleasurable. I walk around a tree lined street and get inspired by the beautiful homes, I walk to the store to pick up some essentials, and most recently I started walking dogs to earn some extra money.
7. Borrow stuff - back in the day, people lived amongst close tight communities where the neighbors all knew each other and would borrow things from each other. Today, we can adapt that same concept. Instead of buying things, you can borrow them - which can save you a lot of money. For example, instead of buying or even renting DVDs, go to your local library and borrow them.
8. Share things - instead of buying the latest fashion magazine, my friends rotate magazines amongst each other. Carpooling is a means of sharing rides, where everyone involved takes their turn in driving. When traveling with one or more people, bring one set of necessities so that there's no need to check in your bags. Share as many things as possible, such as recipes, books, clothes, meals, tools, etc..
9. Spend less - why pay more when you can pay less for products or services! Before I buy anything, I check whether I can use a coupon, get cash back, get a promo code, ask for a discount, or get it for free! For more tips and ideas of how to spend less on practically everything, click here.
10. Get free stuff - one sure way to spend less is getting stuff for free! If it's your birthday, many places reward you with free treats. For more freebie ideas, click here. The best things in life are free!
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