While many rely on modern tools to manage money, core budgeting lessons can be found in history. The Great Depression forced people to embrace frugality, not by choice but out of necessity.
At Simply On Budget, we certainly have nothing against using modern tools to manage money. In fact, we have developed several very easy-to-use budget spreadsheets to help you get started on your frugal living journey.
Lessons from the era offer powerful, practical ways to control your finances, reduce waste, and develop resilience. Adopting this mindset can help address your financial challenges and reach goals such as paying off debt, saving for a down payment, or living more intentionally.
Let’s explore some of these time-tested frugal living tips from the Great Depression and see how we can apply them to our modern lives.
The “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without” Philosophy
This phrase was all too well-known during the Great Depression. It depicts a powerful four-step approach to consumption that can radically change how you manage your resources and your budget. It’s about being intentional with every item you own and every dollar you spend.
1. Use It Up
This is the first and most crucial step. It’s the simple act of using what you have to its absolute fullest potential before even thinking about replacing it.
- In the kitchen: This meant no food waste. Leftover vegetables and meat scraps were saved to make soups, stews, or broths. Stale bread was turned into breadcrumbs, croutons, or bread pudding. Fruit peels were simmered with sugar to create simple syrups. Today, you can adopt this by doing a weekly “fridge clean-out” meal, where you get creative with leftovers instead of ordering takeout. You can also learn to regrow kitchen scraps, such as green onions, celery, and lettuce.
- Household goods: A bar of soap was used until it was a tiny, hard-to-hold sliver. Those slivers were then collected in a mesh bag to be used until they completely dissolved. Toothpaste tubes were squeezed and rolled flat to get the last bit of content.
2. Wear It Out
In an era without fast fashion, clothing was a significant investment. People bought durable items and wore them until they were truly beyond repair. Are you looking for a useful hobby you can pick up that can teach you valuable skills? Read our 25 Creative Hobbies You Must Try article.
- Mending and patching: People actually mended their broken or worn-out belongings, rather than throwing them away and replacing them completely. Learning basic sewing skills is a fantastic way to extend the life of your wardrobe. A simple sewing kit is an affordable investment that can save you hundreds of dollars over time.
- Hand-me-downs: Clothing was passed down through families, from older siblings to younger ones, and even between neighbours. While you might not want your cousin’s old jeans, the concept of a circular economy is more relevant than ever. Participate in clothing swaps with friends, or shop at and donate to thrift stores.
3. Make It Do
This step is about ingenuity. When something broke, the first question wasn’t “Where can I buy a new one?” but “How can I fix this?”
- DIY repairs: People became amateur repairmen for everything from household appliances to shoes. Worn-out shoe soles were repaired at home with leather scraps or even old tire pieces. Broken furniture was glued, nailed, or reinforced. Today, with countless YouTube tutorials at our fingertips, we have an incredible resource for learning how to repair almost anything. Before you replace a wobbly chair or a faulty appliance, search for a repair guide.
- Repurposing: When an item could no longer serve its original purpose, it was given a new life. Flour sacks were a prime example. Made of patterned cotton, they were famously washed, bleached, and sewn into dresses, aprons, quilts, and curtains. Old sheets were torn into cleaning rags. Glass jars were washed and used for canning or storage. Think about what you can repurpose before you recycle or discard it. Glass jars from pasta sauce are perfect for storing bulk grains or packing your lunch.
4. Do Without
This is perhaps the most difficult but most impactful part of the philosophy. It’s about honestly assessing wants versus needs. Are you looking for ways to reduce the amount of objects in your home, read our article Minimalism and Money: How Owning Less Saves You More.
- Delayed gratification: If you didn’t have the cash for something, you simply didn’t buy it. Credit was not widely available, so debt was not an option for most families. This forced people to save for purchases and to seriously consider whether an item was worth the cost. Try implementing a 30-day rule for non-essential purchases. If you still want the item after a month, you can reconsider buying it. Often, the urge will have passed.
- Finding free entertainment: Families couldn’t afford movies or concerts. Instead, they gathered around the radio to listen to shows, played board games and cards, had picnics in the park, or visited with neighbours. This built strong community bonds and provided entertainment at no cost. You can apply this by exploring local parks, having a potluck with friends, or finding free community events instead of always opting for costly outings. There are many other ways you can save money every month.
Growing and Preserving Your Own Food
One of the most significant ways families stretched their budgets was by controlling their food source. Victory gardens, as they were later called during WWII, became a staple of life.
5. The Kitchen Garden
Even a small plot of land could produce a surprising amount of food. People grew hardy, high-yield vegetables like potatoes, beans, squash, and tomatoes. These weren’t ornamental gardens; they were survival plots.
- Start small: You don’t need a huge yard to start gardening. Many vegetables and herbs grow wonderfully in containers on a balcony or patio. Start with something easy, like lettuce, spinach, or herbs like basil and mint. A few fresh ingredients can elevate your meals and cut down on your grocery bill.
- Focus on high-value crops: Consider the most expensive items to buy at the store. Fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, and salad greens can be pricey, but they are relatively easy to grow at home.
6. The Art of Canning and Preserving
A bountiful harvest was useless if it couldn’t last through the winter. Canning became an essential skill for every household. Fruits were made into jams and jellies, while vegetables were pickled or canned for enjoyment months later.
- Modern preserving: While traditional water-bath canning is still a great skill, you can start simpler. Freezing is an easy way to preserve produce, from berries to chopped vegetables. You can also try making refrigerator pickles or simple fruit jams that don’t require complex canning procedures. Learning these skills helps you take advantage of produce sales or use up everything from your own garden, slashing your food budget.
From-Scratch Cooking and Baking
Convenience foods were a luxury few could afford. Actually, they almost didn’t exist, and definitely not in the form we have them today. Most, if not all, meals were made from scratch using basic, inexpensive ingredients.
7. Baking Your Own Bread
A loaf of bread was a staple, but buying it daily was an expense. Many people baked their own bread once or twice a week. It required only simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. Not only was it cheaper, but it was also more filling and nutritious.
The smell of freshly baked bread also adds a sense of home and a good atmosphere like few other things do.
- Try a no-knead recipe: The idea of baking bread can be intimidating, but modern recipes have made it incredibly simple. No-knead bread recipes require just a few minutes of active time and yield a delicious, crusty loaf for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought artisan loaf.
8. One-Pot Meals
To save on fuel and effort, one-pot meals were very popular. Hearty stews, soups, and casseroles could be made with cheap cuts of meat (or no meat at all), root vegetables, and beans. These meals were filling, nutritious, and created leftovers for the next day.
- Embrace your slow cooker or Instant Pot: These modern appliances are perfect for recreating the one-pot meal tradition. You can use budget-friendly, tougher cuts of meat that become delicious after hours of slow cooking. Add in some vegetables and beans, and you’ll have a delicious dinner waiting for you in the evening.
9. A Legacy of Resilience
The Great Depression showed that resourceful habits foster financial security and control. Embracing these practices helps reduce expenses and build lasting resilience, empowering you to manage money in any climate.
You don’t have to start darning all your socks or give up every modern convenience. Instead, pick one or two of these ideas and master them first. Plant a small garden. Learn to bake bread. Fix that broken lamp instead of throwing it away. Reject the throwaway culture we have become part of. Each act of frugality is a step toward greater financial control. Live intentionally. These lessons from our grandparents and great-grandparents are not about deprivation; they are about appreciation, ingenuity, and the quiet satisfaction of making the most of what you have.
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