Reducing Costs Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Reducing Costs To Stretch Your Dollar
By Frank Russelton
The Depression was a famous time in our history, and many people
marvel over how those people living during that time, made do
with very little at all and managed to survive while reducing
costs.
Items we take for granted and throw away easily today would never
have seen such a fate during the Depression. Taking the time to
look at our own lives and how we live today, then comparing that
to how Depression-era people managed to get by, can provide a
valuable lesson which could improve our overall lives.
The cause of what set off the Great Depression still remains
somewhat of a mystery, though it’s clear that individuals
between 1929 and through the 1930s had to review their options
and rethink how they lived and ate to survive.
Every Scrap Of Food Was Eaten
Every possible morsel of food and what we today would consider
scrap was used to its maximum potential while reducing costs.
The last drops in a ketchup bottle would be used to flavor meat
dishes, and every bit of a turkey was cut up and used. Sacks from
flour or feed were turned into clothing and anything was reused
as much as possible.
Socks were mended and when finally too worn to wear, were used
as mops. Pantyhose were never thrown away, but rather holes were
stopped up with clear nail polish or mended with thread.
Worn Out Clothes Cut Up Into Rags
Clothing, when worn out, was cut up into rags, with the better
material being used to make quilts. If a piece of thread or string
came loose on a piece of clothing, the thread was cut off and
added to the "string ball" that was used to mend clothing.
Many holidays were celebrated in spirit but no decorations or
presents were to be had. It was considered a gift if you received
an orange in your stocking on Christmas morning.
Wrapping Paper Used More Than Once
If there was anything available for gifts, the children received
those presents while the parents went without. When wrapping paper
was used, it was carefully folded up and saved for another purpose.
While we don’t necessarily need to go to this extreme of frugality
today, we can definitely learn from the philosophy of using and
reusing that Depression era individuals were forced to live while
reducing costs.
Being Careful With Your Money
Think of things this way: When you look at the average debt for
an individual in the United States, a whopping $8000, ask yourself
whether all those things purchased were really needed? Most likely
not.
Wouldn’t it be better to scrape that last little bit of peanut
butter out of the jar before throwing the container away? Of course.
You can go a step further by washing out the container and using
it for another purpose, such as to organize nails and screws in
your garage workshop or as a pencil holder.
While there are many ways we can save money and be environmentally
responsible, the point is to stop and appreciate what we have,
instead of taking things for granted. If you do decide to incorporate
some money-saving habits, kudos to you!
About the Author:
Frank Russelton has written a number of articles on food and cooking including
Cooking Recipes,
New Recipes,
Cooking Potatoes,
Steam Cooking,
Cook Books.
Keep a lookout for more articles on this website.
Did You Know?
If you think that bread making is limited to just a plain old
loaf of white bread that you can buy in any grocery store you
are seriously mistaken. There are hundreds of varieties of delicious
breads that are out there just waiting for you to try your hand
at making.
Just imagine the smell of a crusty French loaf sitting on your
kitchen counter. All you need are the right ingredients, the special
recipe and the right equipment and you can begin making that homemade
bread right in the comfort of your own home.
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