NOTE: I found this article today in my email from RedPlum and felt it worthy of sharing. I've added my "two-cents worth" in places, as well. Good article!
Our grandparents could live on very little money compared to what it takes to keep us going these days. We may not want to live without those modern conveniences and vacations Grandma wouldn't have even dreamed of. But once in a while we should at least remember what we're spending money on that Grandma seemed to be able to live without!
How many of these things did your grandparents never pay for?
1. Air conditioning - at home and in the car.
Ok, so most of us won't let this go - but at minimum look into a programmable thermostat for your heating/air conditioning system at home and before you flick on the A/C in your car (or heat for that matter) ask yourself if rolling down the windows and letting in the fresh air would be just as soothing/AH
2. Plastic bags that zip up.
aka Ziplocs! Ziploc bags are convenient and disposable. They can be used for toting food to school or work, for keeping leftovers fresh and for storing frozen foods. The trouble is, Ziploc bags can also get expensive, and they are not good for the environment. Fortunately, several other convenient storage options are re-usable, green-friendly and cost you less money in the long run. I just had this conversation with my mother over the holidays. Waxed paper was used all the time for wrapping sandwiches, cookies, etc. going into lunch bags. No plastic wrap was used or sandwich bags.
If you use Ziploc bags for sandwiches and snacks, replace them with reusable cloth bags and SAVE MONEY while you protect the environment. Reusable bags need to be washed regularly, but varieties with plastic linings are easy to wash with soap and water. Reusable bags are convenient for school lunches and picnics, and come in a variety of colors, styles and sizes/AH
3. Movie rentals.
First of all my grandmother did without this service because this service wasn't available - however, the principle is there. I subscribe to REDBOX and get once a month text message to my iPhone the first Monday of every month which provides me with a 'code' for a FREE movie rental. I recently got in on a deal through GROUPON that gave me 3 rentals through Redbox for the price of one ($1.00). This is how I rent movies. I do love movies, don't get me wrong, but as the example I just related shows, there are other means now of seeing movies that don't cost you money. Many municipal libraries have movies you can check out. Be sure to return them on time or your FREE movie rental won't be so 'free' (as true with RedBox, as well/AH
4. Cruises.
5. Cell phone service. If she wanted Grandpa to come in from the back yard, she had to actually step out back and wave at him. Or just wait.
6. Canned vegetables. That backyard garden was no trendy hobby. She used it to fill hundreds of glass jars with green beans, tomatoes, and other good food, ready for winter.
7. Gym memberships. By the time she got done working in the garden and tracking down Grandpa without a cell phone, she didn't need the gym.
8. Computers, laptops, upgrades, new mice, and other accessories. Certainly not.
9. Internet service. Ditto.
10. Cable. If it wasn't on TV, forget it. (Fiddling with rabbit ears - now that's a vanishing skill!)
11. Pedicures.
12. Eating out, except for special occasions like birthdays. Imagine Grandma saying, "I don't feel like cooking - let's eat out!"
I lived and grew up in a small rural farming/logging town where fast food consisted of A&W (yes, they brought it out to your window on trays) and DairyQueen. We had a pizza parlor (not a chain) and a Chinese food restaurant and one (that I can remember) family style restaurant/bar and grill. I think there may have been a couple more like that. But nonetheless, there wasn't a stream of fast food joints lining a strip of pavement in town or a McD's lining the corners downtown. We ate at home. Special occasions like Mother's Day or Father's Day would warrant a trip to 'the bay' as we'd say where choices of eating establishments were more. As the article writer suggests, tho' - there was no "oh I don't feel like cooking, let's eat out". If for some reason my mom couldn't cook (sick or injured, my dad did it or us girls cooked). I'm so thankful that I learned to cook at an early age. I'm continuously amazed at how many girls/young women make it to married life and can't cook! I mean something beyond popping pre-packaged food in the microwave or oven. It's amazing. /AH
13. Massages. She'd have looked askance at that.
14. Hair foils.
When I was little my mom would rinse my hair with lemon juice, after washing it,and I would sit and let it dry in the sunshine to get streaks of blond running through my hair. Now what a money saver that was!/AH
15. Housecleaning services.
I've never paid for housecleaning services myself, but I know people that have. Again, "back in the day" (as they say) I use to dust all the glass/ceramic birds in my great-grandma's bedroom and she would pay us (my sister and I) each $5.00 for dusting her room. A fond memory and a great lesson of how we learned to work for money at a very young age./AH
16. Child care.
17. Life insurance on her children.
18. Having a tailor change a hem or sew on a button.
19. Feng shui consultations.
Ha! I can hear her now, "Feng what?" - She probably thought it was a dirty word!
20. Catering.
21. A second car.
My grandparents did have the luxury of a second car.
22. Frozen pizzas.
23. Delivered pizzas.
There was no pizza delivery, not even in our small town...not when I was growing up and not when my mom was growing up. I remember moving to the "big city" as my family calls it and one of the things I use to love to do was have my pizza delivered. It didn't matter what hour of the day or night it was, you could find a pizza joint open that delivered!/AH
24. Dog grooming.
My grandma did need to pay for dog grooming - she had two granddaughters to do it!
25. Health insurance for pets.
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