boomers

The Great Depression was one of the darkest economic times in the United States. Americans resorted to new levels of frugality out of necessity and survival. People went to great lengths to save, preserve, and reuse things.

The generations that lived through the Great Depression were the Greatest Generation (born 1901 to 1927) and the Silent Generation (born 1928 to 1945), and their children and grandchildren gleaned many lessons in frugal living.

In a discussion among Boomers and Gen Xers on Reddit, they shared stories about frugality and frugal habits they learned from their relatives who survived the Great Depression. From clothing to food and more, these are some of the most interesting ways they made it through.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"My grandmother kept all the clothes. They wore it, then cut it up into quilts or made rugs out it. Cut the buttons off. She had jars of buttons. All sorted by color. Once, I poured the potato water down the drain after boiling them. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She saved that for soups, gravy, or put it on her body as lotion after a bath." - Key_Investigator1318

"My grandmother worked in a boarding house for room and board while my grandad was on a rail gang painting train overpasses for the WPA. My grandma was taught to waste nothing, so she learned to can fruits and veg and salt cure meat. She also learned how to make cakes and pies from practically nothing. She had a lifelong habit of hoarding washed-out food containers- literally had a tower of margarine tubs- and newspapers. She used them for stuffing cushions, filling cracks in the wall (with wallpaper paste- like papier-mâché) and even make some Christmas decor out of old comics. Probably my most fond and direct memory/lesson is staying with them for the week or weekend- my mom was a travel agent who traveled often on "fam trips"- and she left me with the grandparents) were the cheap snacks they made on Saturday nights for games of cards and watching the late movie on a local TV channel: popcorn, slices of apple, and a snack I came to know as 'depression s'mores-' saltines, peanut butter and half marshmallows made into sandwiches and baked in an oven. Delicious." - AnalogAficionado

"My grandmother also never wasted anything. If the collar on a shirt got worn, she would unstitch it, reverse it and sew it up again." - evaniesk

"My mom was a great cook & baker. I asked her once why she worked so hard to get every last bit of batter, etc. 'Because you never know when you'll wish you had that bite.' My dad's mom made wonderful homemade bread. As kids he and his 6 siblings would eat fresh bread with milk and a little sugar as a special treat." - Single-Accountant306

Worried mother and children during the Great Depression era. Photo by Dorthea Lange via Library of Congress

"Turning off the lights when you left a room. 'Kill the lights' my dad would say." - Notch99

"Recycle, reuse, how to make an awesome meal from leftovers. We used to call it 'Fridge Stew' and 'A Never Have Again meal'. Only because you will never have the exact same ingredients." - FOAD1951

"My parents were teens/20s during the depression and learned to never waste anything. Ever. Shoes worn out? Cut out cardboard and put it in your shoes like inner soles. Just don’t prop your feet up. Cold at night? Put newspaper between your sheets and blankets to keep the warmth in. Apple peels? Make jelly. Leftover potatoes? Make soup. Any vegetable leftover? Make soup." - tigerowltattoo

"My mother saved all the plastic bread bags and the twist ties. Also saved all paper bags from the grocery store. Used them to wrap our school books." - Tb182kaci

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"Sweet Jesus where do I start? Frugality and self sufficiency were the major themes. But they both were teenagers during the depression, both raised by single mothers in larger families. I was surprised we could throw away used toilet paper. I'm not a hoarder but I hate throwing things out. Just this morning my wife made me get rid of two pair of shoes. They were both less than 20 years old. I remember being taught to never live on credit, save and pay cash. I also remember my dad saying in the 70s that there were exceptions when interest rates were going over 15%. I bought my first house on a 17% mortgage and that was a VA loan. Still a good deal...It was rough being raised by two children of the depression. But they made me the man I am today and I wouldn't change a thing." - Tasty_Impress3016

"The tradition of an orange in the toe of your Christmas stocking. Sometimes it was all they could afford and it was treasured. The tradition continues in our family along with the story of why. Homemade bread because it was cheaper than day old store bread for school sandwiches. Winter coats as Christmas gifts." - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Always maintaining good credit because when you were dead broke you could at least pay for groceries on credit. That meant contacting your creditors before the payment was due if you didn’t have enough to pay the bill in full and explaining you acknowledge the debt, but hope that x dollars will be enough for now, until the weather makes work possible again. Also when you have money, don’t waste it. Put some by for the future. I’m old, and have followed this my whole life. At 74, my credit score is above 800." - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Hairdressers were for the wealthy. Get a friend to give you a perm/trim. Rags were better than rollers for curling your hair. (They are!!!! Soooo much more comfortable to sleep on.). Basically a clump of wet hair was wound around a small strip of fabric, the fabric ends were tied together and you slept on it all night so your hair could look nice for church on Sunday. Shoes that fit well were worth the money. (Too many hand me downs as a child caused foot problems.)" - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Keeping used fat in a jar in the fridge." Stardustquarks

"There was zero snack food in the house because money was not to be wasted on things like pop and chips that had no positive nutritional value. We did have cookies and other desserts - just always home made." - OaksInSnow