In the "olden days", when I was a child, my family lived in Utah. In those days, there were yearly sales where if you bought a whole case of something, they gave you a discounted price per can. When we moved to Illinois, I remember Dad going into one of the local stores and asking if they had case lot sales. They had never heard of such a thing. Dad was so disappointed!
Now I am living in Utah again, and there are still case lot sales. They may be a bit different now days. Some stores you have to buy a whole case to get the sale price, but other stores you can buy a can or a case and pay the same price per can. This is a very popular time to stock up on pantry staples. Now they come twice a year, and I look forward to them, even saving money to be able to stock my pantry. I am finding more and more , though, that I have to be careful to be sure the "sale" price really is a bargain.
The spring case lot sale season has started here, and I have been able to get some great bargains. But you have to know what a good price is, because not all the case lot prices are any cheaper than normal everyday sale prices. For example, a recent case lot sale had cans of spaghetti sauce for 99 cents a can. Not a bad price, but not a super bargain. In fact, just the week before, I got the exact same brand of spaghetti sauce for 79 cents a can, just on a regular sale. The best thing to do, is to know your prices. You may want to make a price book, or at least know what normal sale prices are for your area. Don't just assume that because it is a case lot sale that it is the best of the year. Then study your weekly sales flyers, and stock up on whatever the best bargains are every week.
Having said that, do take advantage of those items that are truly bargains, and stock your pantry. If you buy enough to last you until the next great sale, you can eat all year for those bargain prices. My mother-in-law used to buy a can of tuna every week. At the time, she usually paid 79 cents a can for it. But it often went on sale for 50 cents a can. By buying a case when it was on sale, she could have saved $15 a year. That may not sound like a lot of money (of course, this was 20 years ago, too), but using that principle with many items could save a substantial amount of money each year. With the economy the way it is, and food prices rising, we need to take whatever savings we can find.
Happy shopping!
Vicki
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sticker Shock
A few weeks ago, much of the nation was in the deep freeze. That cold weather extended down into Mexico, where much of the produce we buy in the winter is grown. The crops froze. Guess what that does to prices? Yup, they skyrocket! After hearing of the problem on the news, I was in the store to pick up a few essentials, so I checked out the lettuce prices. Yikes! The head of iceburg lettuce that I paid $1 for last week, was nearly $3 this week! I also checked the celery, and it was in the $3 range as well. A single piece of celery was a bit cheaper, only $2. Wow!
So, what do you do when faced with such price increases? Is there any way to insulate yourself from the sticker shock? It is definitely a painful situation, but I have a few ideas that may help.
1. Cut back. This is something we see a lot when gasoline prices rise. We start to watch how often we drive, we consolidate trips or just stay home more. Maybe that pot of soup could get by with one piece of celery rather than 2. We can serve green salads twice a week rather than 4 times. It's a little painful, but better than paying the full price for our previous levels of excess. Unless it wasn't excess, and then it is just painful.
2. Price shop. Anytime I go into a grocery store now, I check the price of lettuce and celery. The store to the north of me had lettuce and celery both for alnost $3 a head/bunch on Sat. Today I was in the store just south of me. Their lettuce was only $1.59 a head, although the celery was nearly $3 still. I picked up a head of lettuce.
3. Buy in bulk/stock up. Admittedly, this is hard to do with lettuce because of the short shelflife, but it works for other things. I expect sugar prices to rise soon, also. So when I go into a store, I check their sugar prices. When I find a reasonable price, I buy some, usually in a larger size package. For example, a local store has 5 lb. bags of sugar for $2.59. That same store has 25 lb. bags of sugar for $11.78. Sugar in the smaller 5 lb. bags would cost 12.95 for 25 lbs., or $1.17 more than the 25 lb. bag. Sometimes there are reasons to buy the smaller bag and spend a few cents more per pound, such as if you don't use much sugar, or if it wouldn't keep long enough to use it up (more a problem with lettuce than sugar), or if it is difficult for you to physically handle a larger bag. I like to keep some smaller bags around so that when my kids come "shop" in my basement, there are smaller bags for them to take home. But I usually buy the larger bags because I use a lot of sugar when I am canning, and it usually saves me a few cents per pound. Do the math though--sometimes a special sale will put sugar in the smaller bags at a better per pound price than the larger bags; don't just assume. Buying a 2 pack of whole chickens can save 10 cents a pound over buying them singly. Warehouse stores often sell large sizes or multi-packs, and they can be real bargains. Sometimes. Again, do the math. Whe you find a real bargain, you may want to stock up with as much as you can afford or as much as you can use before the expiration date. Then everytime you use that item, you have paid that bargain price for it.
4.Substitute. If you can't have a lettuce salad, maybe cole slaw would be a good substitute. Or a fruit salad, or jello. Try other vegetables. Maybe try growing your own sprouts. They are easy to grow, and add a similar crunch and flavor to lettuce. One shape of pasta can be exchanged for another. If beef roasts are expensive, maybe a pork roast would work. Ground turkey or chicken is often cheaper than ground beef. Many store brands are as good as the name brands. Substitutions are very subjective, though. What one person finds acceptable, another person might not. Be open minded and try the substitution, and if it doesn't work for you, you know it is worth it to you to pay extra for the real thing. I have yet to find a salad dressing that we like as well as the name brand Miracle Whip, so I just watch for a good price for the name brand.
5. Buy simpler. A head of lettuce is often cheaper than a pre-made salad. You can marinate and season your own meat much cheaper than buying the pre-seasoned cuts. Peel and cut your own carrots rather than paying the premium for pre-cut versions. Again, do the math, but usually, the more processed something is, the more cost is added to it.
6. Produce your own. I can't grow oranges here in Utah. And I am not going to produce my own gasoline. But I can grow lettuce. I meant to grow some in pots in my house this winter, but didn't get any started. Oh, well. I started some seeds yesterday, and in a month or so, I will have some lettuce to harvest, and then the price the store wants for lettuce will no longer matter to me. That money will be able to go toward some other essential on my list, and we will be that much better off.
Anyone else have any ideas of what to do when essentials skyrocket in price? Your comments are welcome.
Vicki
So, what do you do when faced with such price increases? Is there any way to insulate yourself from the sticker shock? It is definitely a painful situation, but I have a few ideas that may help.
1. Cut back. This is something we see a lot when gasoline prices rise. We start to watch how often we drive, we consolidate trips or just stay home more. Maybe that pot of soup could get by with one piece of celery rather than 2. We can serve green salads twice a week rather than 4 times. It's a little painful, but better than paying the full price for our previous levels of excess. Unless it wasn't excess, and then it is just painful.
2. Price shop. Anytime I go into a grocery store now, I check the price of lettuce and celery. The store to the north of me had lettuce and celery both for alnost $3 a head/bunch on Sat. Today I was in the store just south of me. Their lettuce was only $1.59 a head, although the celery was nearly $3 still. I picked up a head of lettuce.
3. Buy in bulk/stock up. Admittedly, this is hard to do with lettuce because of the short shelflife, but it works for other things. I expect sugar prices to rise soon, also. So when I go into a store, I check their sugar prices. When I find a reasonable price, I buy some, usually in a larger size package. For example, a local store has 5 lb. bags of sugar for $2.59. That same store has 25 lb. bags of sugar for $11.78. Sugar in the smaller 5 lb. bags would cost 12.95 for 25 lbs., or $1.17 more than the 25 lb. bag. Sometimes there are reasons to buy the smaller bag and spend a few cents more per pound, such as if you don't use much sugar, or if it wouldn't keep long enough to use it up (more a problem with lettuce than sugar), or if it is difficult for you to physically handle a larger bag. I like to keep some smaller bags around so that when my kids come "shop" in my basement, there are smaller bags for them to take home. But I usually buy the larger bags because I use a lot of sugar when I am canning, and it usually saves me a few cents per pound. Do the math though--sometimes a special sale will put sugar in the smaller bags at a better per pound price than the larger bags; don't just assume. Buying a 2 pack of whole chickens can save 10 cents a pound over buying them singly. Warehouse stores often sell large sizes or multi-packs, and they can be real bargains. Sometimes. Again, do the math. Whe you find a real bargain, you may want to stock up with as much as you can afford or as much as you can use before the expiration date. Then everytime you use that item, you have paid that bargain price for it.
4.Substitute. If you can't have a lettuce salad, maybe cole slaw would be a good substitute. Or a fruit salad, or jello. Try other vegetables. Maybe try growing your own sprouts. They are easy to grow, and add a similar crunch and flavor to lettuce. One shape of pasta can be exchanged for another. If beef roasts are expensive, maybe a pork roast would work. Ground turkey or chicken is often cheaper than ground beef. Many store brands are as good as the name brands. Substitutions are very subjective, though. What one person finds acceptable, another person might not. Be open minded and try the substitution, and if it doesn't work for you, you know it is worth it to you to pay extra for the real thing. I have yet to find a salad dressing that we like as well as the name brand Miracle Whip, so I just watch for a good price for the name brand.
5. Buy simpler. A head of lettuce is often cheaper than a pre-made salad. You can marinate and season your own meat much cheaper than buying the pre-seasoned cuts. Peel and cut your own carrots rather than paying the premium for pre-cut versions. Again, do the math, but usually, the more processed something is, the more cost is added to it.
6. Produce your own. I can't grow oranges here in Utah. And I am not going to produce my own gasoline. But I can grow lettuce. I meant to grow some in pots in my house this winter, but didn't get any started. Oh, well. I started some seeds yesterday, and in a month or so, I will have some lettuce to harvest, and then the price the store wants for lettuce will no longer matter to me. That money will be able to go toward some other essential on my list, and we will be that much better off.
Anyone else have any ideas of what to do when essentials skyrocket in price? Your comments are welcome.
Vicki
Thursday, February 10, 2011
How did you fare through the storms?
I hope everyone is safe and sound after the wild winter storms that have been happening. We were lucky here, and although the weather got very cold, we had little snow. I saw plenty of news reports, though, with pictures of cars half buried in snow, and sliding around on the roads. Brrr! It makes me cold to think of it. When I hear about such things, I like to think about what I would do in such a situation. I go through it in my mind, and imagine what I would need to get through it the most comfortably.
For example, when I saw pictures of cars half buried in snow on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, I thought about what I would have needed in my car to survive buried in snow much of the night. Blankets, water, food, light, warm clothing, charged cell phone. A shovel might not have done them much good, but in other winter situations, it would be helpful. And coarse salt or kitty litter for if you get stuck on icy roads. And wouldn't that be a horrible time to run out of gas? It is easy enough to always keep the gas tank at least half full, once you develop the habit.
How about those plagued by power outages? If it were you, would you have had food, water, a way to keep warm, light? A way to cook the food? A way to entertain yourself and the rest of the family that doesn't involve power? This is a good time to evaluate your preparedness, while the recent winter storms are fresh on our minds. Don't think that if a storm is forecast you can just run to the store and pick up what you need, because everyone else will beat you there. A family friend posted pictures on Facebook of his local grocery store 2 days before a snowstorm was predicted to hit his Atlanta neighborhood with an inch or two of snow. The shelves were literally empty. Do you know how to bake bread? Do you have powdered milk to top your cereal with? Do you even have an extra box of cereal (or whatever you eat for breakfast)? Remember, when the power is out at your house, it is likely to be out at McDonald's, too, so you may not be able to rely on breakfast out, even if you wanted to brave the weather.
Another consideration is, what if you or a family member is sick when the storm hits? Would you have enough medications to get you through the crisis? Probably the only thing worse than having to go out in the storm, is having to go out in the storm while sick. Or having a sick child you can't comfort because you are out of infant Tylenol.
It is easy enough to learn from experience, but it is much more comfortable to learn from someone else's experience, and not have to go through the discomfort yourself.
We recently got an early morning phone call from our son. His car had died on the freeway a few miles from our house. We went to help him tow his car to the local repair shop. Fortunately we had tow straps in DH's car, but the thing we didn't have was a flashlight. At least, there wasn't a flashlight in DH's glove box. Or in DS's car. (I still say there was a wind-up flashlight in DH's 72 hour kit, but he wasn't willing to dig through it to find it.) So there we were in the early morning dark, trying to connect a tow strap by feel. We managed, just barely. By the time we got to the repair shop, the tow strap had come un-hooked, and was just wedged in place. DH learned from that experience, and immediately made sure that everyone in the family had a flashlight for their glove compartment. Do you have a flashlight in your car? Tow straps? Basic tools? A little mental exercise now could save a lot of discomfort in the future.
Stay warm and safe.
Vicki
For example, when I saw pictures of cars half buried in snow on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, I thought about what I would have needed in my car to survive buried in snow much of the night. Blankets, water, food, light, warm clothing, charged cell phone. A shovel might not have done them much good, but in other winter situations, it would be helpful. And coarse salt or kitty litter for if you get stuck on icy roads. And wouldn't that be a horrible time to run out of gas? It is easy enough to always keep the gas tank at least half full, once you develop the habit.
How about those plagued by power outages? If it were you, would you have had food, water, a way to keep warm, light? A way to cook the food? A way to entertain yourself and the rest of the family that doesn't involve power? This is a good time to evaluate your preparedness, while the recent winter storms are fresh on our minds. Don't think that if a storm is forecast you can just run to the store and pick up what you need, because everyone else will beat you there. A family friend posted pictures on Facebook of his local grocery store 2 days before a snowstorm was predicted to hit his Atlanta neighborhood with an inch or two of snow. The shelves were literally empty. Do you know how to bake bread? Do you have powdered milk to top your cereal with? Do you even have an extra box of cereal (or whatever you eat for breakfast)? Remember, when the power is out at your house, it is likely to be out at McDonald's, too, so you may not be able to rely on breakfast out, even if you wanted to brave the weather.
Another consideration is, what if you or a family member is sick when the storm hits? Would you have enough medications to get you through the crisis? Probably the only thing worse than having to go out in the storm, is having to go out in the storm while sick. Or having a sick child you can't comfort because you are out of infant Tylenol.
It is easy enough to learn from experience, but it is much more comfortable to learn from someone else's experience, and not have to go through the discomfort yourself.
We recently got an early morning phone call from our son. His car had died on the freeway a few miles from our house. We went to help him tow his car to the local repair shop. Fortunately we had tow straps in DH's car, but the thing we didn't have was a flashlight. At least, there wasn't a flashlight in DH's glove box. Or in DS's car. (I still say there was a wind-up flashlight in DH's 72 hour kit, but he wasn't willing to dig through it to find it.) So there we were in the early morning dark, trying to connect a tow strap by feel. We managed, just barely. By the time we got to the repair shop, the tow strap had come un-hooked, and was just wedged in place. DH learned from that experience, and immediately made sure that everyone in the family had a flashlight for their glove compartment. Do you have a flashlight in your car? Tow straps? Basic tools? A little mental exercise now could save a lot of discomfort in the future.
Stay warm and safe.
Vicki
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Life Happens
I appologize for being missing in action. I was very caught up in canning season, and getting ready for Thanksgiving. We had a nice family celebration, and as I prepared for Christmas, I was planning a post I wanted to write. But life took a turn for us, which has changed things a lot. Early in Dec. my husband had an emergency medical situation. He ended up in the hospital, having surgery, and staying for a week. We thought he was doing well, and he came home. Unfortunately, the longer he was home, the worse he did. We ended up back in the hospital with a complication which made him seriously ill. He spent 12 days in intensive care, and 26 days in the hospital all together for the second round. We spent Christmas in intensive care, with him sedated and on a ventilator. We are home now, but he will have a long, slow recovery, with another follow-up surgery probably around the end of April.
This has been a very difficult time for us, but everyone has trials of one kind of another, and many people have harder trials than this. I believe that we can learn from our trials. One of the things I have learned is the value of preparation. We have been paying a substantial amount in order to keep our health insurance--what a blessing! We met our out of pocket cap the first week in the hospital. Our food storage was also extremely valuable, since there wasn't much time or energy left for shopping after spending 10-12 hours a day at the hospital. Our sweet neighbors were so wonderful to us. Someone always showed up to shovel snow off our driveway. Several neighbors showed up at the hospital to bring me lunch. What a great break that was, to sit and visit with a friend and eat something other than fast food or hospital food. I'm sure I should have taken a lunch with me, and a couple of times I did, but I just wasn't up to doing it. It was hard enough to eat something already prepared.
I also found some areas where we weren't as prepared as we should have been. Early into the second hospitalization, I realized there were probably bills that should be paid soon. I dug through some of my husband's papers to find the bills. Now, I know how to pay bills, but trying to figure out what was due when was a challenge. I found his checkbook, which was helpful, but only for the bills that recurred monthly. We had a few coming due that only occur every 6 months. I didn't know my husband's passwords, etc., to pay the bills on-line like he does, but I could write out checks. The problem came when I realized I would need to transfer money from one account to our checking account to pay the rest of the bills. And my name wasn't on that account. Oh, dear! Fortunately, we had done some trust documents earlier in the year, and the bank let me use the power of attorney documents to access that account. But it brought home to me that we hadn't finished the work on the trust. The lawyer put the house in the trust, and left the rest for us to do. We still need to list all our accounts in the name of the trust, so that if one of us should die, the other doesn't have to go to court to access any of the accounts. It is high on our priority list to get the accounts listed properly, as soon as hubby feels up to it. He has already taught me how he pays bills on-line. We are determined to learn from the lessons of this challenge.
Vicki
This has been a very difficult time for us, but everyone has trials of one kind of another, and many people have harder trials than this. I believe that we can learn from our trials. One of the things I have learned is the value of preparation. We have been paying a substantial amount in order to keep our health insurance--what a blessing! We met our out of pocket cap the first week in the hospital. Our food storage was also extremely valuable, since there wasn't much time or energy left for shopping after spending 10-12 hours a day at the hospital. Our sweet neighbors were so wonderful to us. Someone always showed up to shovel snow off our driveway. Several neighbors showed up at the hospital to bring me lunch. What a great break that was, to sit and visit with a friend and eat something other than fast food or hospital food. I'm sure I should have taken a lunch with me, and a couple of times I did, but I just wasn't up to doing it. It was hard enough to eat something already prepared.
I also found some areas where we weren't as prepared as we should have been. Early into the second hospitalization, I realized there were probably bills that should be paid soon. I dug through some of my husband's papers to find the bills. Now, I know how to pay bills, but trying to figure out what was due when was a challenge. I found his checkbook, which was helpful, but only for the bills that recurred monthly. We had a few coming due that only occur every 6 months. I didn't know my husband's passwords, etc., to pay the bills on-line like he does, but I could write out checks. The problem came when I realized I would need to transfer money from one account to our checking account to pay the rest of the bills. And my name wasn't on that account. Oh, dear! Fortunately, we had done some trust documents earlier in the year, and the bank let me use the power of attorney documents to access that account. But it brought home to me that we hadn't finished the work on the trust. The lawyer put the house in the trust, and left the rest for us to do. We still need to list all our accounts in the name of the trust, so that if one of us should die, the other doesn't have to go to court to access any of the accounts. It is high on our priority list to get the accounts listed properly, as soon as hubby feels up to it. He has already taught me how he pays bills on-line. We are determined to learn from the lessons of this challenge.
Vicki
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Lessons from the Depression Generation, part 2
I have been thinking about Grandma W. as I have been busily canning this summer. Grandma B. canned, too, but she passed away when I was only 6, so it is Grandma W. I remember canning. Grandma and Grandpa always grew a garden. It probably wasn't very big, but what they didn't eat, she canned, even if it was just a small amount. I remember the time I was there, and she showed me how the neighbor's apricot tree had a branch that hung over her yard. She taught me that that entitled her to pick that branch of apricots, which she did and made apricot pineapple jam with. I think my favorite thing that she canned was chokecherry jam, probably because I had never had it anywhere else. One year I went with her to pick chokecherries. It probably wasn't terribly far away, but it seemed far to me at the time. There were a number of chokecherry bushes in the middle of someone's lawn, which we picked. I remember her putting the cooked berries in a cone strainer to separate the flesh from the seeds. But more than anything, I remember the sweet-tart flavor of the jam--Heaven!
I always remember my Dad growing a garden. When I was very little, we had fruit trees and a large vegetable garden. I used to go out and watch him irrigate the garden, thinking how much work it was. Mom canned when she had to, but she never did like it. Dad told a story, though, about how her canning saved us. He was getting his doctorate, and money was very tight. Just before he graduated, he discovered there was a fee he hadn't known about, which took their food money to pay. He called Grandma B. and asked to borrow $20, which she willingly sent him, but it would take several days for it to arrive. Meanwhile, the only food in the house was, 1. a box of pie crust mix, and 2. some home-bottled green beans. Until Grandma's $20 arrived, we lived on green beans served with a gravy made from the pie crust mix. (As a side note, Dad also later found some money he had squirreled away in a drawer. I have also learned to have little pots of money squirreled away, usually saving them for some special purchase I have in mind. Hmm. . . wonder where I get that from?) Years later when we moved to Illinois, Dad planted a garden in the back yard. He was always rather disgruntled about how many trees the neighbors had, shading his garden. He was so excited when my husband and I bought our first house, with a large yard perfect for a large garden.
Canning must be in my blood, because when I was a teenager, I told my parents I wanted to learn how to can. Now, Mom no longer canned at this point, although she still had all the equipment. My parents liked to encourage me when I wanted to learn different skills, and this was a skill they wanted to encourage. So Dad went down to his favorite produce place, and ordered a box of peaches. To be shipped from Georgia. At the per pound price that peaches were going for, I am sure. Our area of Illinois was not known for being able to get bushels of fruit for canning, but Dad didn't care. When the peaches came in, Dad presented me with the peaches, the canner, jars, and lids, and the Ball Blue Book, and let me loose. (Brave man!) I read the instructions, and canned peaches and peach jam. I have been hooked ever since, but fortunately now I live in Utah where I can either grow what I can, or purchase bushel quantities for canning. I usually grow my own fruit. It is more work, but it is also a lot cheaper. My little 5-year old fruit trees at my new house gave me a bushel of peaches and a bushel of pears this year. (My apples all froze due to a late snowstorm while the apple tree was in full blossom.) I also got peaches and pears from the trees at my son's house, since he only eats some of the fresh fruit. Thus, I have been canning, and canning, and canning. And thinking about Grandma W., and the lessons she taught me. And how good my Dad was to encourage me to learn a skill that has lasted my whole life. And so I garden, and can, and not only feed my family, but carry on a family heritage in the process.
Vicki
I always remember my Dad growing a garden. When I was very little, we had fruit trees and a large vegetable garden. I used to go out and watch him irrigate the garden, thinking how much work it was. Mom canned when she had to, but she never did like it. Dad told a story, though, about how her canning saved us. He was getting his doctorate, and money was very tight. Just before he graduated, he discovered there was a fee he hadn't known about, which took their food money to pay. He called Grandma B. and asked to borrow $20, which she willingly sent him, but it would take several days for it to arrive. Meanwhile, the only food in the house was, 1. a box of pie crust mix, and 2. some home-bottled green beans. Until Grandma's $20 arrived, we lived on green beans served with a gravy made from the pie crust mix. (As a side note, Dad also later found some money he had squirreled away in a drawer. I have also learned to have little pots of money squirreled away, usually saving them for some special purchase I have in mind. Hmm. . . wonder where I get that from?) Years later when we moved to Illinois, Dad planted a garden in the back yard. He was always rather disgruntled about how many trees the neighbors had, shading his garden. He was so excited when my husband and I bought our first house, with a large yard perfect for a large garden.
Canning must be in my blood, because when I was a teenager, I told my parents I wanted to learn how to can. Now, Mom no longer canned at this point, although she still had all the equipment. My parents liked to encourage me when I wanted to learn different skills, and this was a skill they wanted to encourage. So Dad went down to his favorite produce place, and ordered a box of peaches. To be shipped from Georgia. At the per pound price that peaches were going for, I am sure. Our area of Illinois was not known for being able to get bushels of fruit for canning, but Dad didn't care. When the peaches came in, Dad presented me with the peaches, the canner, jars, and lids, and the Ball Blue Book, and let me loose. (Brave man!) I read the instructions, and canned peaches and peach jam. I have been hooked ever since, but fortunately now I live in Utah where I can either grow what I can, or purchase bushel quantities for canning. I usually grow my own fruit. It is more work, but it is also a lot cheaper. My little 5-year old fruit trees at my new house gave me a bushel of peaches and a bushel of pears this year. (My apples all froze due to a late snowstorm while the apple tree was in full blossom.) I also got peaches and pears from the trees at my son's house, since he only eats some of the fresh fruit. Thus, I have been canning, and canning, and canning. And thinking about Grandma W., and the lessons she taught me. And how good my Dad was to encourage me to learn a skill that has lasted my whole life. And so I garden, and can, and not only feed my family, but carry on a family heritage in the process.
Vicki
Sunday, September 12, 2010
What I learned from the Depression Generation, part 1
My 85 year old aunt passed away a couple of weeks ago. I probably had more contact with her than any of my other relatives, mainly because one of her daughters is my age. Whenever my family came to visit Grandma, which we did yearly, I spent a few days with my cousin. When we went to college, we roomed together. And when she went home for the week-end, I went with her. After all, home for her was 1 1/2 hours away. Home for me was 1300 miles away. So my aunt became a surrogate mother, giving me chores along with her own kids, and treating me like one of the family. They lived in an old farm house on a small farm. She never set out to teach me things, she just lived life and I watched. And learned. Since her passing, I have thought a lot about what I learned from her. A lot of it had to do with being frugal.
About the time my aunt passed away, my youngest son was home visiting for an hour or so. I had been out running errands, and suddenly realized, "Oh, I forgot to cash my check." DS asked me who gave me a check. I told him, "Nobody, it is my check. I just need to cash it so I have grocery money for next month." "You mean you write a check out to yourself?" When he continued to look at me puzzled, and then asked me why I didn't just make a withdrawal, I started to realize we had a bit of a generation gap going on. My kids seldom carry much cash, they rely on debit cards mostly. If they need cash, they go to the ATM. I have never actually used an ATM (I know, I am terribly old-fashioned, and a bit of a techno-phobe). And what I need to cash a check for to run our household on a cash basis, is more than the ATM limit is, anyway. After all, I am getting cash for food, gas, household expenses, allowances, entertainment, gifts, etc., for the next month. We have also been woeful failures as parents when it comes to teaching them to balance their checkbooks. No amount of explaining seems to get through to them; they just don't "get" it. Why should they balance their checkbooks, when they can just look on-line for their balance? I can talk until I am blue in the face about outstanding checks that don't get cashed for extroardinary amounts of time, and they just roll their eyes at me. But how can you manage your money well, unless you know how much you have?
So I am going to make a series of posts commenting about some of the things I have learned from my aunt, and others who lived through the depression. My grandparents were adults during the depression, and my parents, aunts and uncles, and my husbands parents were children/youth during the depression. It probably didn't affect them as much as their parents, but they learned certain attitudes and ways because of it. My dad used to say that he knew they didn't have much money, but nobody else did either, and they never lacked for food--because they lived on a farm and could grow their own food. But even in that semi-insulated situation, he learned frugal ways from his parents that he passed on to me.
Probably the most important thing I have learned from my elders, is to have the money for what you want, before you buy it. In other words, don't go into debt unless you have to. What a novel concept! The credit card companies would melt like the wicked witch in Oz if everyone in the country decided not to borrow what they can't pay back that month. You know, Visa and Mastercard are fairly new inventions. When I was a teenager, most people had a gasoline credit card, and maybe a department store card or two. When I first heard about the bank cards, I couldn't fathom how one card could be good at so many places. We've come a long way since then, and not for the better. It is common for college students to have thousands of dollars of debt before they graduate, for things that are long gone, like pizza and soda. It is so easy to think, I can pay it off later. But then something else comes along that we want, and something else, and next thing we know, we owe too much to pay off that month. And we quickly dig ourselves a hole that is difficult to get out of again. The depression generations I knew made sure they had the money before they bought something, except maybe cars and houses and college educations. But if the kids needed new shoes, they saved up and then bought the shoes. If they didn't have the money to go out to eat, they didn't go, they ate at home. When I was a child, we looked forward to payday, because sometimes we got to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant, and it was a real treat because it didn't happen often.
When I got married, my husband had a Mastercard. I was so impressed that he was that financially savvy. He had my diamond ring paid for before the wedding. Now, we were very frugal newlyweds, but we were both going to college, only supported by his part-time job, and pretty soon there was a baby on the way. We started to look at that credit card as a form of a student loan. It got us through college. But there was a trap there, too. We started shopping only at places that took our card (not everyone did). And we often bought a little extra, since we didn't have to come up with the cash. I remember the day we bought a gallon thermos jug, just because it was on sale. We used that jug for 20 years, but at that time it wasn't a necessity, and it went on the card. When DH finally graduated and got a job, we decided it was time to pay off that credit card, but by then we owed several hundred dollars, and it wasn't an easy process. It wasn't until DH changed jobs, and had a payout of his retirement account, that we were able to pay off that card. Since we were so young and still starting out, we decided it was best to use that retirement money to pay off the debt, and from then on to live on a cash basis. Yes, we do have a credit card, and we do use it on larger purchases, but we pay it off EVERY month, without fail. We are determined to never be in that position again, of having a debt we struggle to pay off. We had finally learned from our own experience that we should pay attention to the examples of those wise elders who had lived through the depression and really knew how to handle money.
Watch for more posts on the lessons learned from the Depression Generation.
Vicki
About the time my aunt passed away, my youngest son was home visiting for an hour or so. I had been out running errands, and suddenly realized, "Oh, I forgot to cash my check." DS asked me who gave me a check. I told him, "Nobody, it is my check. I just need to cash it so I have grocery money for next month." "You mean you write a check out to yourself?" When he continued to look at me puzzled, and then asked me why I didn't just make a withdrawal, I started to realize we had a bit of a generation gap going on. My kids seldom carry much cash, they rely on debit cards mostly. If they need cash, they go to the ATM. I have never actually used an ATM (I know, I am terribly old-fashioned, and a bit of a techno-phobe). And what I need to cash a check for to run our household on a cash basis, is more than the ATM limit is, anyway. After all, I am getting cash for food, gas, household expenses, allowances, entertainment, gifts, etc., for the next month. We have also been woeful failures as parents when it comes to teaching them to balance their checkbooks. No amount of explaining seems to get through to them; they just don't "get" it. Why should they balance their checkbooks, when they can just look on-line for their balance? I can talk until I am blue in the face about outstanding checks that don't get cashed for extroardinary amounts of time, and they just roll their eyes at me. But how can you manage your money well, unless you know how much you have?
So I am going to make a series of posts commenting about some of the things I have learned from my aunt, and others who lived through the depression. My grandparents were adults during the depression, and my parents, aunts and uncles, and my husbands parents were children/youth during the depression. It probably didn't affect them as much as their parents, but they learned certain attitudes and ways because of it. My dad used to say that he knew they didn't have much money, but nobody else did either, and they never lacked for food--because they lived on a farm and could grow their own food. But even in that semi-insulated situation, he learned frugal ways from his parents that he passed on to me.
Probably the most important thing I have learned from my elders, is to have the money for what you want, before you buy it. In other words, don't go into debt unless you have to. What a novel concept! The credit card companies would melt like the wicked witch in Oz if everyone in the country decided not to borrow what they can't pay back that month. You know, Visa and Mastercard are fairly new inventions. When I was a teenager, most people had a gasoline credit card, and maybe a department store card or two. When I first heard about the bank cards, I couldn't fathom how one card could be good at so many places. We've come a long way since then, and not for the better. It is common for college students to have thousands of dollars of debt before they graduate, for things that are long gone, like pizza and soda. It is so easy to think, I can pay it off later. But then something else comes along that we want, and something else, and next thing we know, we owe too much to pay off that month. And we quickly dig ourselves a hole that is difficult to get out of again. The depression generations I knew made sure they had the money before they bought something, except maybe cars and houses and college educations. But if the kids needed new shoes, they saved up and then bought the shoes. If they didn't have the money to go out to eat, they didn't go, they ate at home. When I was a child, we looked forward to payday, because sometimes we got to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant, and it was a real treat because it didn't happen often.
When I got married, my husband had a Mastercard. I was so impressed that he was that financially savvy. He had my diamond ring paid for before the wedding. Now, we were very frugal newlyweds, but we were both going to college, only supported by his part-time job, and pretty soon there was a baby on the way. We started to look at that credit card as a form of a student loan. It got us through college. But there was a trap there, too. We started shopping only at places that took our card (not everyone did). And we often bought a little extra, since we didn't have to come up with the cash. I remember the day we bought a gallon thermos jug, just because it was on sale. We used that jug for 20 years, but at that time it wasn't a necessity, and it went on the card. When DH finally graduated and got a job, we decided it was time to pay off that credit card, but by then we owed several hundred dollars, and it wasn't an easy process. It wasn't until DH changed jobs, and had a payout of his retirement account, that we were able to pay off that card. Since we were so young and still starting out, we decided it was best to use that retirement money to pay off the debt, and from then on to live on a cash basis. Yes, we do have a credit card, and we do use it on larger purchases, but we pay it off EVERY month, without fail. We are determined to never be in that position again, of having a debt we struggle to pay off. We had finally learned from our own experience that we should pay attention to the examples of those wise elders who had lived through the depression and really knew how to handle money.
Watch for more posts on the lessons learned from the Depression Generation.
Vicki
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Summertime, and the living is. . . BUSY!
School starts Mon. here, and I am wondering where the summer went? I have been busy with gardening, and canning, and holidays, and birthdays, and gardening, and canning, and family re-unions, and Mom's surgery, and babysitting, and gardening, and canning, etc. You get the idea, lol.
I am so thankful for my garden, though. It is wonderful to have enough fresh vegetables to have different ones each night, without having to pay what the grocery stores are asking. And fresh picked tastes so good! I preserve what we can't eat fresh, so this winter when the snows hit and the winds howl, we will have a taste of summer; jars full of sunshine, where I know every ingredient and how it was handled.
As I spend time weeding or picking my garden, I have ample time to think. I am constantly amazed at the way my garden works. Our Creator has been so generous to us. We go through the season in a progression. Early in the spring, lettuce and spinach and green onions are ready to pick. A little later come the strawberries and peas. About the time the strawberries are finished, the raspberries and boysenberries are starting. Broccoli, beets, green beans, tomatoes-each has their time. In the fall we get peaches, pears, apples. We are ensured of having something to harvest all summer long, without having everything ripen at once. Can you imagine if the whole garden ripened at once? There is no way I could preserve a fraction of what I do if it all came on at once. It is hard enough to can a tree full of peaches and another full of pears at approximately the same time, without adding in apricots, cherries, apples, plums, green beans, tomatoes, beets, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, etc., at the same time. There is an order to summer which becomes apparent to one who works in a garden.
I love getting gourmet food from my garden. Fresh bunches of beets, baskets of peas or raspberries, crisp stalks of asparagus; these are things that command a high price, if they are available at all. But I can have an abundance, for the cost of a few seeds or plants, some water, and fertilizer, and some elbow grease. It makes me feel wealthy and incredibly blessed. I certainly couldn't afford to buy the wonderful produce my garden provides me with, even if it was available. What a luxury I have just outside my back door!
Yes, I am busy this time of year. But it is a busyness that is well worth the effort, and makes me feel incredibly blessed. The housework and other projects will wait, for I must show my gratitude for my blessings by making the best use of what I have been given. So forgive me for my sporadic posting. I'll be in the garden.
Vicki
I am so thankful for my garden, though. It is wonderful to have enough fresh vegetables to have different ones each night, without having to pay what the grocery stores are asking. And fresh picked tastes so good! I preserve what we can't eat fresh, so this winter when the snows hit and the winds howl, we will have a taste of summer; jars full of sunshine, where I know every ingredient and how it was handled.
As I spend time weeding or picking my garden, I have ample time to think. I am constantly amazed at the way my garden works. Our Creator has been so generous to us. We go through the season in a progression. Early in the spring, lettuce and spinach and green onions are ready to pick. A little later come the strawberries and peas. About the time the strawberries are finished, the raspberries and boysenberries are starting. Broccoli, beets, green beans, tomatoes-each has their time. In the fall we get peaches, pears, apples. We are ensured of having something to harvest all summer long, without having everything ripen at once. Can you imagine if the whole garden ripened at once? There is no way I could preserve a fraction of what I do if it all came on at once. It is hard enough to can a tree full of peaches and another full of pears at approximately the same time, without adding in apricots, cherries, apples, plums, green beans, tomatoes, beets, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, etc., at the same time. There is an order to summer which becomes apparent to one who works in a garden.
I love getting gourmet food from my garden. Fresh bunches of beets, baskets of peas or raspberries, crisp stalks of asparagus; these are things that command a high price, if they are available at all. But I can have an abundance, for the cost of a few seeds or plants, some water, and fertilizer, and some elbow grease. It makes me feel wealthy and incredibly blessed. I certainly couldn't afford to buy the wonderful produce my garden provides me with, even if it was available. What a luxury I have just outside my back door!
Yes, I am busy this time of year. But it is a busyness that is well worth the effort, and makes me feel incredibly blessed. The housework and other projects will wait, for I must show my gratitude for my blessings by making the best use of what I have been given. So forgive me for my sporadic posting. I'll be in the garden.
Vicki
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