30 Frugal Living Tips From The Great Depression

Life during the Great Depression was difficult due to widespread unemployment, poverty, and hardship. It was tough for families to afford basic needs like food and housing.

This was a time when people were forced to be resourceful and make do with what they had, such as growing their own food, repurposing items, and finding free entertainment.

Today, many people are adopting frugal habits and learning basic homesteading skills to help combat the rising costs of inflation.

If you want to achieve your financial goals, the key is to spend less than you earn. But it’s becoming more difficult when essential items like groceries are growing faster than the average wages.

Due to this, nearly half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. This means most of your income goes towards paying your needs, which leaves very little money for savings, investing, or unexpected costs.

I’ve learned a lot of old-fashioned frugal living tips from my Grandparents over the years. This isn’t about living cheap – it’s about being mindful with your spending. Below are 30 simple ways to save money and appreciate what you have.

30 Frugal Living Tips From The Great Depression

Table of Contents

1. Make a budget that you can stick to

No matter how much income you earn, everyone needs to have a budget. It’s tool that can help you decide what to do with your money. How you want to spend, save, and invest it.

If you’re just getting started, don’t set overly ambitious targets. You need to be realistic.

Set small goals in the beginning that are challenging, but easy to achieve. That can help you gain more confidence to work towards bigger goals in the future.

Track your spending to figure out where your money goes every month. Then based on your take-home income, find simple ways you can reduce your costs to save money.

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2. Grow a vegetable and herb garden

Growing a vegetable garden can have some upfront costs, but there are many ways that growing your own food can save you money, such as:

It’ll reduce transportation costs. Save money on transportation by being able to pick fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden for meals instead of driving to the store. This is helpful if you live in a rural area.

You’ll have less trips to the grocery store. You’ll also save money because you won’t be tempted to buy extra items you don’t need at the grocery store.

You can can and preserve food. Being able to can and preserve food during the summer season can help you save money on groceries during the fall and winter months.

Dry or freezer herbs. Fresh herbs can be expensive at the grocery store, but it’s cheap to grow herbs at home. At the end of the season, you can dehydrate herbs or freeze them in an ice cube tray will olive oil.

Plant vegetable scraps. To save money on seeds, there are many vegetables you can grow from their scraps.

This includes the tops of carrots, beets, and radishes. You can also grow vegetables from the roots or ends of green onions, romaine lettuce, garlic, and boy choy.

3. Cook from scratch

Cooking at home is cheaper than eating at restaurants, especially if you’re cooking from scratch. My grandma and mom taught me how to cook from scratch to save money and eat healthy.

Cooking from scratch means you have an ingredient household. Instead of buying packaged, processed, or ready-made meals, your pantry and fridge are stocked with basic items like fruit, vegetables, legumes, spices, and grains.

This can save you money on groceries because you’re not paying for the added costs of pre-made items. You can buy staple ingredients like flour in bulk, and you’ll reduce food waste by making meals and using up leftovers.

Watching cooking shows on YouTube and the television inspired my interest in cooking and baking. It can be a rewarding skill and hobby to learn.

You also have more control over the ingredients that go in your food so you can avoid seed oils, reduce sodium, and limit added sugar.

4. Repurpose and reuse what you can

Growing up, I saw how clever my grandma and mom was at repurposing items. Some common household items you can repurpose and reuse include:

Glass jar and containers (Use it as storage for food, art supplies, office tools, or makeup brushes).
Egg cartons (Use it as a seed starter, fire starter, or storage for small items like craft materials).
Textiles (Donate items to a charity, sell them, or transform them into something new like cleaning rags, a quilt, or tote bag).
Paper products (Use it for craft material, use newspaper for cleaning windows, use magazines to make collages, or use paper for packing material).
Furniture (Repair broken furniture, repaint or stain old furniture, update the hardware on old furniture, reupholster vintage chairs with new fabric).

5. Eat less meat

When my grandparents and parents were growing up, meat was not the main part of their meal. Instead, they ate a lot of meatless meals or viewed meat as a side dish by using it in smaller portions.

Many families did this to save money and focused on eating more plant-based sources of protein like beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh.

It can be difficult to feel like a meal isn’t complete without meat. Instead, reframe what a meal should look like by replacing “meat” with “protein”.

Instead of the Western-style square meal, where your plate has a meat, vegetable or fruit, healthy fat, and grain, try making more one-pot dishes. You can still include a source of protein, such as plant-based protein or a little meat if you prefer.

Below are some examples of one-pot dishes that use less meat or no meat.

Soups and stews
Curry
Stir-fry dishes
Pasta
Rice dishes
Asian noodle dishes like Pad Thai
Buddha bowls or nourish bowls
Tex-Mex food like burritos bowls, burritos, tacos, or quesadillas

6. Learn basic sewing

Growing up, my mom used to make a lot of our clothes by hand. She had a sewing machine and found patterns and fabric at the local thrift store to make items.

She would also fix our clothes by sewing buttons or patching up holes. She taught my sister and I how to mend what we have instead of spending money on new clothes all the time.

Learning basic sewing skills can help you save money and prevent waste. This skill is also a stress reliever and can help reduce anxiety.

7. Give the gift of time

If money is tight, it can be difficult to find room in your budget for gifts. If you have a particular skill, such as crocheting, sewing, baking, painting, candle making, soap making, or cross stitching, a handmade gift can be highly appreciated.

Another way to save money is to give the gift of time by spending quality time with someone. This can include planning an outing with someone or doing a helpful task for them.

Below are some more ways to save money on gifts:

Regift
Put together a fun photo album
Make a video tribute of your favorite memories together
Put together a book sharing your family’s favorite recipes
Gift them a plant that you’ve grown
Donate to a charity that is meaningful to them
Offer to be a babysitter (if they have kids)

8. Buy used (when it makes sense)

Buying used can be a great way to save money instead of paying full price for something. Many used items are in excellent condition and still have a lot of life left in them.

Below are some items that you should consider buying used:

Clothing
Textbooks
Smartphones
Exercise equipment
Hand tools
Toys
Open-box tech gadgets from stores like Best Buy
Espresso machines
Sports gear and equipment
Cars
Wood furniture
Bikes
Yard tools
Musical instruments

9. Use things until they’re worn out

There are new retail products that come out every day. Many people update and buy new things even if they already own something functional to get the job done.

You could save a lot of money by using up what you have until you need to replace it. For example, I will buy the best phone I can afford and use it until it breaks or is no longer functional. I’ve been doing this for years and have saved thousands of dollars this way.

But it’s important to do research before an item breaks or becomes no longer functionable so when it’s time to replace it, you’ll know what product will offer the best value for its price.

It’s also a good idea to know when the best time of year to buy a product is so you can take advantage of discounts and sales.

For example, if my phone has been giving me problems and I know that I will need a new one soon, I will buy it on sale even if I don’t need it yet.

I try to buy good quality items that I know will last a long time with the right care.

10. Make it, don’t buy it

If you needed something in the past, it was common for people to figure out how to make it themselves instead of buying it from a store.

The best things to make yourself include:

Food – Bread, vegetable stock, pickles, salad dressing, jam, and granola.
Personal care products – Soap, candles, and lotion.
Household products – Reusable paper towels, laundry soap, dishwashing soap, all-purpose cleaner, and glass cleaner.

11. Make do with what you have

Making do with what you have means being grateful for everything you have while using the resources that are available to you, even if it’s not ideal.

Take time to regularly notice and appreciate all the good things in your life, both big and small.

Romantinze the small things in your life, like waking up in the morning, making coffee at home, sitting down after a long day with a good book to read, or smelling the flowers on your daily walk.

Trying to keep up with what others have can lead to unhappiness and debt. Being satisfied and content with what you have is the true path to freedom.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work towards your goals or building wealth, if that’s what you want. You can still practice gratitude while taking action towards your financial goals.

12. Eat at home

The key to eating more at home is to plan ahead. Plan what meals you want to eat for the week. There are a few ways to do this.

Check your inventory at home. Look through your pantry, fridge, and freezer to see which food you need to use up.

Shop the local flyers to see what’s on sale that week. Plan your meals around what you have at home and what’s on sale at the grocery store.

Make a list of your favorite easy meals. This can make it easy to plan meals when you have several tried-and-true meal ideas to choose from.

Plan based on the weather. If it’s going to be raining, maybe you’ll make soup? If it’s going to be hot outside, maybe you’ll BBQ or make a meal that doesn’t involve cooking.

Plan around what’s in season. Grocery stores usually have in season produce and items on sale. This can save you some money and help you eat healthier.

Have a backup plan. While it’s good to plan ahead, having a backup plan is even better. Even if it’s something easy like boxed pasta with a jar of pre-made pasta sauce. This can still get you into the habit of cooking at home.

13. Cook once, eat twice

My great aunt used to say, “if you’re in the kitchen cooking every night, then you’re doing it wrong”. She was a big fan of cooking once and eating twice.

This means you can cook a new dinner on Sunday night and have leftovers on Monday night or repurpose those leftovers into a new meal.

Or you can cook a big batch of something, like your favorite soup, and freeze the leftovers so you can enjoy it another day.

14. Cook with simple ingredients

Now is not the time to by buying expensive cuts of meat or specialty cheeses. To save money, focus on making meals that involve just a few simple ingredients. Below are some ideas of simple meals:

Beans and rice
Lentil curry and rice
Frozen salmon, frozen broccoli, and rice
Chicken with frozen veggies and potatoes
Hamburgers or sliders
Chili or stews
Soup
Baked mac and cheese
Pasta
Homemade pizza
Tacos
Breakfast for dinner
Vegetable couscous

15. Prioritize needs over wants

To prioritize needs over wants, you need to cover the most basic expenses to keep your family going. Dave Ramsey calls these the four walls, which is food, utilities, shelter, and transportation.

Groceries are essential because you need to eat. Utilities include electricity, water, gas, and your phone bill, which keeps your house running.

Shelter means paying your mortgage or rent and insurance to keep the roof over your head. Transportation means paying for gas or public transportation so you can get where you need to be during the month.

When planning your budget, allocate funds to your essential needs first, then use any leftover money to go towards your savings, debts, investments, and wants.

Wants are your discretionary spending, such as restaurants, travel, and subscriptions.

Before you make a purchase, ask yourself if it’s a need or want and consider the long-term impact of the purchase. Does it help you get closer to reaching your financial goals? Have you set aside money in your budget for this purchase?

16. Learn how to DIY

This will depend on your skillset and resources, but most of us can learn simple DIY projects or ways to save money around the house.

For example, you can learn how to mow the lawn, unclog a drain, recaulk a shower, shovel snow from your own driveway, or paint your rooms.

Other DIY skills that can save money include cooking at home, basic sewing, making yogurt at home, making your own laundry detergent, baking bread, cutting your own hair, and so on.

17. Make your own cleaning products

I’m a big fan of homemade cleaning products because they are safer for your family and the environment.

By using natural items like white vinegar, lemon, and baking soda, you can save money and avoid the harsh chemicals and potential health risks that come with store-bought cleaners.

Use white vinegar and newspaper to clean windows.
Use one part white vinegar, one part distilled water, and a lemon rind to make an all-purpose cleaner.
Use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar to clean bathtubs and stovetops.
Use half a lemon and salt to clean wooden cutting boards.

18. Do regular no-spend days or weekends

When my husband and I were trying to aggressively save up for a down payment on a house, we use to challenge ourselves to not spend any money during the week.

This meant that we’d plan ahead so we didn’t have to spend money during the week. The only exception was if something unexpected happened or there was an emergency expense.

To make this possible, we’d pay for groceries, gas, monthly bills, and other planned purchases on the weekend.

During the week, we’d make our own meals and coffee at home and avoid going to stores or shopping online to help curb impulse buying.

If there was something I wanted to buy during the week, I’d wait until the weekend to purchase it.

Most of time, the simple of act of pausing and waiting until the weekend to spend money made me realize that I didn’t need to buy the item that I thought I wanted.

Instead, I put that money towards my savings, sinking funds, or investments.

When creating my budget, I would set aside fun money to spend on the weekends, such as eating at restaurants.

During the week, it was exciting to watch my savings grow and I would look forward to doing a fun activity on the weekend.

19. Sell things you don’t need

Many of us have things in our home that we no longer use or need. Chances are these items are in pretty good condition and worth selling.

I’ve made thousands of dollars over the past few years by selling my old stuff on Facebook Marketplace. This includes bookcases, dining table and chairs, desks, office chairs, pet items, sports equipment, books, and small kitchen appliances.

Make sure the items are clean and look presentable. Then use your phone to take photos of the item in good lighting so potential buyers can clearly see what they’re getting.

You can list items for free on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, OfferUp, or Mecari. My friends Rob and Melissa earn over $100,000 a year by selling stuff on eBay. You can learn more about their side hustle here.

20. Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk can save you money because you often get a lower price per unit. This can add up to significant savings over time.

When buying in bulk, it’s important to only buy items that you’ll use up before they expire. Things like toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissue, canned goods, soaps, and laundry detergent.

I would avoid buying perishable items in bulk like fresh fruit or vegetables, unless you plan to cook, can, or freeze them before they go bad.

21. Bring back homemade birthday cakes

When I was growing up, my mom always made a homemade birthday cake. It was usually from a box cake mix, but it was special, and my sister and I loved it.

Today, I see many people ordering gourmet and custom cakes from bakeries, which can get expensive. Of course, if you want to buy a custom cake and have the budget for it, then go for it!

But it’s also okay if you make a homemade cake, especially if you’re trying to save money.

22. Save glass jars and containers

To save money, I like to reuse glass jars and containers, especially if they are unique or interesting looking. Below are some ways you can reuse glass jars:

Flower vase
Store dry goods like spices or homemade spice blends
Candle holder
Gifts (like homemade granola, pancake batter mix, cookie dough mix, or soup mix)
Makeup brush organizer
Food storage for overnight oats or storing leftovers
Craft storage
Upcycled lamp (adding a fairy lights would look pretty)
Bathroom organization (cotton balls, cotton swabs, liquid soap, toothbrush)

23. Get a library card

If you enjoy reading, the library can save you a ton of money each year on books and magazines.

But this isn’t the only way to save money. Below are some more ways using the library can benefit you:

Free access to digital content – You can download eBooks, Audiobooks, and Magazines.

Free classes – You can learn something new by taking a free online course offered by the library.

Free entry to attractions and exhibits – Library card holders can visit select museums, attractions, and local exhibits for free.

Free in-library services – You can use your library card for in-house services such as the computer, print and copy machines, and some online resources.

24. Hang dry your laundry

I try to hang dry most of our laundry because it can be a great way to save money. I use an indoor drying rack which works great and collapses for easy storage.

Below are some benefits of hang drying your laundry:

Your clothes will last longer. I recommend hang drying delicate fabrics (lace, silk, and chiffon), bright colored coloring, heavy items like sweaters and denim.

You save energy. Hang drying your clothes can save you $100-$200 a year. I like to hang dry my clothes in a sunny part of the house during the spring and summer months to let the sunlight freshen up the clothes.

Dryers can heat up your house. Residual heat from the dryer can heat up your home, which is great in the winter months but not ideal in the summer. When your house is warmer, your air conditioning will have to work harder to keep you cool.

25. Be mindful of electricity usage

You could save a lot of money by being mindful about your electricity usage. Below are some simple ways you can save money around the house.

Use your dishwasher to save energy and air-dry your dishes
Use a fan to cool down the room
Use LED light bulbs
Use a dimmer light switch
Use your air fryer instead of your oven for small things
Use a smart plug to turn on and off electronic devices
Use a programable thermostat
Keep the lint trap clean in your dryer
Hang dry your clothes
Wash your clothes in cold water
Switch to a low-flow showerhead
Replace furnace filters every few months to reduce energy use
Weather-stripping around doors and windows to keep heat in
Use natural light during the day instead of overhead lights

26. Avoid using disposable products

Disposable products can help make your life simpler, but many of these items don’t help us save money. You can easily cut costs by minimizing the use of single-use products such as:

Bottled water
Paper towels
Coffee cups
Food containers
Cleaning supplies
Paper plates and disposable utensils
Single-serve coffee pods
Feminine hygiene products

27. Conserve water

Conserving water can be a good way to lower your bills and save money. Below are some easy ways to do this:

Take shorter showers
Use a low-flow showerhead
Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth, washing your face, shaving, or washing your hands
Fix any water leaks promptly
Use a low-flow toilet
Only do laundry when you have a full load to wash
Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load
Consider buying a water-efficient washing machine
Water your lawn less frequently
Choose plants that require less watering
Water your garden or lawn in the morning, when it’s the coolest part of the day

28. Rent out your spare room

If you have a spare room in your home, you can make extra money by renting it. This can help offset your mortgage payments and allows you to create a new stream of income.

If you just want to rent out your spare room on a temporary basis, becoming an Airbnb host can be a good place to start.

Airbnb is an easy option that allows you to host guests while still living in your home. You can control which dates you choose to host, even if it’s just for a few nights a month.

29. Save on transportation

Transportation is important because it helps you get to work so you can make money and run errands. But there are several ways you can cut costs in this area to save money.

Walk, bike, or use public transportation for shorter trips
Consider carpooling or car sharing for longer trips
Do errands during off-peak hours
Do regular vehicle maintenance to prevent costly repairs
Rent or car share instead of owning a vehicle for occasional needs

30. Use less and save more

We use laundry detergent to get our clothes clean, but using too much can actually leave your laundry dirty. This is because soap residue can get left behind on your clothes which makes them feel greasy.

Save money by following the instructions on your laundry detergent. A general rule of thumb is to fill the cap up to a third full for a normal load. For a heavy load, use up to halfway mark on the cap.

Other products where you can be mindful of to save money include toothpaste, face wash, lotions, cleaners, soaps, and cosmetics. When you use less of a product, it’ll last longer which can save you money.