In hard times what did your grandmother and grandfather do?

Question

With more people becoming concerned about both the impact we are having on the environment and on the rapidly rising costs of living, I wondered if there was anything to be learned from the past. Were they frugal in day to day living or what about in hard times what did your grandmother and grandfather do?

Answer 1

My grandma (who turned 89 this year) became head of her household at age 16 when her mom, my great-grandmother, died of pneumonia.  She worked hard, took over the family's finances and budget, and oversaw food and savings.  She also refused to marry my grandfather until she finished her nursing degree, as she knew that her and her future family's best chance for a stable future financially was through education, so that she could make herself as employable as possible.    That is something that I believe very strongly in, too, especially now that the economy is sucking more and more.  Everyone's best chance is to better themselves in any and every way possible in order to secure the best chances of a stable, decently-paying career.

Answer 2

They saved everything - and reused [some] of it!  Because my grandparents grew up during the depression, they were careful not to waste anything later in life, including money.

Wrapped paper, jars, and boxes were all saved and reused.  Vegetables were grown in the garden during the summer, and sometimes canned for the winter.  Paper trash was thrown into the furnace to help heat the house.  Food scraps were composted and used to enrich the soil.  Spare change was saved in jars and later redeemed.

Entertainment was reading to each other, watching the same slew of shows on the tv (the news, wheel of fortune) at the same time every night.  Families got together for meals at the house rather than go out - except on Sundays.

Answer 3

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, then do without."

My grandmother's words have reminded me my whole life to use as few resources as I could, and to stretch those resources whenever possible.  The saying encouraged recycling, and reusing, as well as reducing purchases.  

The final and most important message, her admonition to"do without," sounds really harsh, but I always took it to mean that we have more "stuff" than we need, and often if we simply do without something, we find it was a want rather than a need in the first place.

I try to live a minimalist life.  I don't want for possessions, but I try to make good use of the possessions I have, and I am systematically trying to unclutter my life to make more time and space in it for the things I love to do and for the people I love to spend time with.

Answer 4

My Grandparents saved everything, from elastic bands to old buttons off clothing, if anybody needed anything they would have it. At Christmas, they would save the wrapping paper from presents to reuse.

Grandma sat every evening with something in her hands, she darned socks, turned collars, and made everyone's clothes. She did rag rugs, patchwork quilts and unwound old jumpers and re-knitted them into new things. My mum's most treasured possessions are her mums button box and a patchwork quilt made for her by her mum. It has all the bits of fabric from her pre-married life, her christening gown, the fabric that made her school gym knickers, a patch of her first pair of flared jeans, her dresses, her PT bag, even some of the material that was made into her wedding dress.

Grandad had a shed, full of old tins of paint, screws and washers in boxes, bits of bikes, if you ever needed it, Grandad had it. He could fix and make everything and anything. I remember every one  of my christmas presents from my grandparents from aged 4 up to their death, because they were usually things they made me, I always had the best bogey on the street, a metal and wood hand made sledge, my ted, bows and arrows, a wigwam, a proper treehouse and massive wooden fort, child size so we could all play in.

My grandparents, grew a lot of their own food, they had an orchard too. The made jams and chutneys and shared their harvest with all their neighbours. They saved seeds and did cuttings which they swapped with neighbours. They collected bits of soap in a jar and mashed it up so we had hand soap liquid.

Grandmas house always smelled of baking and cooking, she was a fantastic cook. She could make a meal out of a few scraps that was the best I ever ate. Grandma cooked pigs trotters, brawn, brains, pigs ears, they ate every part of an animal. Grandad kept chickens, pigs, goats and geese but would rarely kill them for his own table. He would promise to do so then would take me out hunting for rabbits or pigeons for a pie. He sold his own livestock and invested the money for his children's education and the deposit for their first homes.  

Grandma and I spent a lot of autumns collecting wild berries. Blackberry picking is still something I look forward too. She made all of her own medicines, I can remember going out to find rosehips for a tonic to bottle each year from being a tot.

Grandad made his own 'tonics' or 'brews' as he called them, and would spend the evenings gossiping to his mates outside, only to stagger in as the light faded. They never went out much, except on very special occasions, but they always had a houseful of friends and family. They exchanged favours of skills, so Grandma would make Mabel a dress in return for her cutting and setting her hair.  

Grandad would write lists on backs of envelopes and bits of cardboard, he was too tight to buy paper. He wrote his funeral instructions on a chocolate box lid. They died within a few days of each other and everybody was delighted when they saw his last wishes never deserved a new piece of paper. They died wealthy, not just in terms of money but in the quality of the friendships and love of their family.

  

Answer 5

there were hard times in the 60s they went to venice beach and swam in the ocean they also made peanut butter sandwhichs and drank lemonade,  those days were the ruff ones they lived 2 miles from me      Me and my friend benjie would go swimming in there pools  hard times means different things to different people the hard times are now for they have traveled ahead now wave after wave rolls in and out while the ripples of time wash away the memmories  unless you can retrace them it's  that simple I know what their hardships were they had faith I would find their trail and that I have they are doing what they have always wanted to do and that is there vision one I can see clearly so when you look into the night sky one clear night remember a tear is the hard times of travel it's not that hard to see think about it  

Answer 6

Mine grew their own fruit and veggies and canned and froze everything - grandma's homegrown homemade frozen apple pie on the 4th of July - yum! Everything got used as much as possible. Bags got washed and re-used, socks got darned, toothpaste got squeezed to the last drop, soap shards got put in the wash or collected in a snagged nylon for a homemade body pouf.  Clothes were worn twice, line dried, and when too threadbare to wear got sewn into kitchen rugs.  TVs, vacuums, cars and such got used until they couldn't be used anymore, then they got repaired and used some more. Yep - going green's not a new trend - these were Depression era folks.

Answer 7

My family was poor - they wasted nothing. Times were always tough, but everone worked and was productive.  We grew much of our own food and made many of our own clothes.  We shared with others and gave to the needy - we didn't even have to think about doing it: it was automatic.  My grandparents taught me self-sufficiency and the value of working hard to achieve a goal.  We didn't expect an easy life, but things were always improving.  

If my granparents look at the family today they will see a group of homeowners, well educated, law-abiding, generous people.  They would be satisfied with the fruit of their labor.  

Answer 8

Oh, I LOVE this question!  I'm going back to my Great Grandparents though, since they are the ones who lived through the Great Depression.

My GGP (Great Grandparents) were the first of my family here in the U.S.A. (from Poland).

My GGFather worked at a coal miner in Illinois.  They lived on a small farm in the country, and raised 8 children, while GGFather worked the mines.

GGMother raised a garden, a couple of cows, a few meat rabbits, fruit trees, and a LOT of chickens.  Because she raised chickens, the family ALWAYS had protien to eat.  When other coal miners were showing up with a boiled potato in their lunch, my GGFather had chicken to eat (during the Great Depression).

My GrandMother use to tell a story.  She absolutely loved to go to her friends house for dinner when she was a little girl, because they had bisquets and gravey for dinner, EVERY NIGHT.  Her friend loved to come over to her house, because they had chicken and vegtables, EVER NIGHT.  This was during the Great Depression.  It didn't occur to my GrandMother until much later in life that bisquets and gravey were probably the ONLY things her little friend ever had to eat.  

During a stike by the coal miners, which lasted two YEARS, my GGP and their children still ate well.  They had fresh and preserved fruits and vegtables, as well as meat, eggs, and dairy all raised by my GGMother on their farm.  

At this point I should also note that my GGMother was an EXTREMELY unsual person.  The Maternal side of my family was royalty...blue bloods.  My GGMother had danced with the last Csar of Russia as a little girl, at royal balls.  As a little girl, six years of age, she refused to attend any schooling lessons, and went off to live with HER GGMother!  My GGMother survived small pox.  When she grew up, she married into a working family!  Coal miners/farmers.

Because of my GGMother's drive to farm, grow their own food, and preserve their own harvest, not once did her children know hunger, or suffer.

My GGFather was badly wounded in a mining accident.  There was a cave-in, and both of his legs were crushed.  My GGFather spoke Polish, but understood a LOT more English than people knew.

This is an approximation of the conversation that took place outside his hospital room, because they didn't realize he understood that much English.

Mining Supervisor,"How bad is it?"

Attending Doctor, "We have to amputate his legs, or he will get gangreen and die."

Mining Supervisor, "Then let him get gangreen and die!  Do NOT amputate his legs!  If you amputate his legs, we ill have to pay him a pension for the rest of his life.  If he gets gangreen and dies, we only have to pay his widow once."

Attending Doctor, working for the mining company of course agrees to allow him to die.

My GGF not only completely recovered, he went back to work at the mines, and survived, and help rescue other workers after several more mining accidents!

Things I have learned from my Great GrandParents:

Be independent, and think for yourself.

Grow, harvest and preserve your own food....you never know if bad times are around the corner.

Doctors/modern medicine are not always right....people can recover from horrific injuries, with thier own strong will, good food, and love and help from family.

Pride in indepence and self sufficency are not bad things....it is good to be able to take care of yourself, and your family, even during the worst of times.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Who is the last member of this completely remarkable Polish family.

Answer 9

They were very frugal. They raised their own livestock and grew their own vegetables and fruit. I remember helping them pickle stuff and skin deer, squirrels, rabbits, livestock... whatever. We tanned the hides and used as much of the animals as we could.

They even made their own ketchup.

Clothes were patched and shoes were resoled.

Answer 10

I never knew my grandparents.

My parents however were much older and went through some hard times with 6 children.  They would plan their budget and buy groceries once a week.  ALl meals were delicous homecooked meals.  Eating plenty of vegetables also is cheaper than meat.  Cooking from scratch is also cheaper than buying premade meals and mixes.  Use everything you buy.  Create a budget.  Plan ahead, and limit yourself.

Answer 11

they recycled before it was called recycling. flour sacks became curtains or clothing. when a suit was badly worn, grandma took out the seams and turned the cloth inside out and resewed it, doubling the life span. grandpa resoled his boots. seldom was anything thrown out. clothing was handed down, everyone had a garden and chickens and pigs. the pigs ate slops, we ate the pigs. too much to mention here. watch little house on the prairie or something.

Answer 12

The dollar is collapsing. Paul Craig Roberts (Reagan's economist) said it himself, so did many others. Your grandmother and grandfather would know that gold and silver are the only things that can secure your financial future at this point. The American dollar is poised for collapse.  

Answer 13

My grandmother was born in 1908.  When her mother died shortly after childbirth several years later, my grandmother, who was the eldest unmarried daughter, took over household duties and raised her younger siblings.  

While young women her age were dating and having a blast during the roaring twenties, then marrying and starting families, she was keeping house.  She married late and had my father during the Depression.

She talked about it a lot, how people "nowdays" don't really know what "hard times" are.  She was the original recycler...elastic bands from retired undergarments, plastic jugs and cottage cheese containers.  

She's been gone for 8 years this December, and I think of her often.

Most recently when I was waiting with several other women for an appointment.  A woman, I'd guess mid 50's was lamenting the desperate times in which we presently find ourselves.  She commented matter of factly about how her parents and grandparents talked about the depression, and this was just like what they talked about.

We were at the nail salon waiting for our mani's and pedi's.

I truly wonder if our generation even understands what tightening the belt and sucking up means.

Answer 14

Alot more people used to grow their own food in a garden or on a farm than they do now.  That would save money.

Answer 15

Just a thought to the poster who seems to think that the Dollar is poised for collapse.. the Dollar is backed up by what is at fort Knox.. that's not only the U.S Gold reserves, but LOTS of Tanksand infantry fighting vehicles.

Don't beleive me?   every time there is major trouble in the world, everyone with money in the world bets on teh US by buying dollars. Georgia invaded by Russia? Buy dollars...

Our grandparents would roll up their sleeves, spit in their hands and bust their butts til something gives.