Frugal-Living Lessons Passed Down From Mom

Mother was raised during the Great Depression and World War II, when economizing was considered both patriotic and smart. She lived frugally her entire life, never wasting so much as a piece of wax paper that could be re-used or re-purposed. That meant her kids wore a lot of hand-me-down clothing and carried re-used lunch bags to school. Our family of eight left very little garbage at the curb and dined on vegetables from Dad's post-victory garden.

The Greatest Generation's philosophy to "Make do or do without" is one we can all live by during this recession, not just because its cheaper but also because it's better for our environment. Here are the top seven lessons Mother left indelibly etched on my mind.

1. Garbage Stew: The sound of plates scraping leftovers into the trash drove my mother crazy. Every little scrap went into the freezer until she had enough for a savory soup or stew. Leftover bread and muffins also were tossed into the freezer, ready to be turned into turkey stuffing during the holidays.

2. Reduce, Re-use and Recycle: Mother was green before green was cool. Our kitchen drawers were stuffed with crinkly tin foil and washed plastic bags. We snipped buttons off clothes ready to become rags. Years later, I dug into Mother's button tin to create some unique earrings and necklaces.

3. Free entertainment: We never missed a free day at the museum or zoo and autumn always meant hikes in the country to admire the changing leaves. Story time at the library was a weekly treat and Christmas found us touring light displays throughout town. You can find plenty of free events through your local newspaper and Convention and Visitor Bureau.

4. Never buy books: I still find it difficult to shell out cash for a book that's readily available at the library. (Online hold systems allow card holders to place holds on desired books as soon as reviews are purchased...or earlier.) We had plenty of books throughout the house but most were purchased at second-hand stores or during the library's annual sale.

5. Hang it up: I have many childhood memories of stretching high to hang endless rows of clean diapers and sheets on our clothes lines. They smelled fresh and, better yet, circumvented use of an energy-sucking clothes dryer.

6. Use paper towels sparingly: I always envied women in TV commercials who grabbed paper towels for the smallest spill. We practically had to pass an interrogation before using a single sheet of these expensive and wasteful paper products. Mother felt God made sponges and dish rags for a reason.

7. Darn it! Socks didn't hit the rag pile until repeatedly repaired heels and toes made it darned difficult to walk. It's time we stopped tossing "perfectly good" garments and re-learned the fine art of darning socks, repairing clothes and replacing worn elastic.

Photo by Jo and Paul's pics