14 Habits I Learned From Women Who Lived Through Harder Times
ThriftyMaureen
2,026 views
My grandmother kept a tin of buttons on her shelf, hundreds of them, cut from every worn-out shirt. As a girl I thought it was a little silly. Now I understand: nothing ever left that house unused.
She lived through the Depression and then the war. My mother raised us through the seventies, when prices kept doubling and there were lines at the gas pump. My neighbor's mother grew beans in a victory garden and never stopped. None of them had much money, but not one of them ever looked poor, and not one of them was ever helpless.
When prices climbed these last few years, I realized I was the first woman in my family who did not really know how to make do. So I wrote down everything I remembered those three women doing, and tried every habit for a year. In this video I count down all fourteen: mending before replacing, keeping good jars, cooking from a few plain staples, growing even one pot, putting food by in season, a price book, fixing things yourself first, the thirty-day list, rainy-day money, sharing with neighbors, and the hardest one of all, which is about pride. Number one is not about money at all. It is the reason those women never felt poor, even when they had almost nothing.
By the end of the year, these habits were saving me well over two thousand dollars. But the money turned out to be the smaller part.
The full handbook (every habit, every number, and 17 printables): https://thriftymaureen-shop.fourthwal...
CHAPTERS
00:00 Grandmother's button tin
02:08 #14 Mend it before you replace it
03:25 #13 Keep every good jar, bag and box
04:47 The full handbook (my shop)
05:31 #12 Cook from a few plain staples
06:54 #11 Grow something, even one pot
08:08 #10 Put food by when it's cheap
09:23 #9 Keep a price book
10:37 #8 Try to fix it yourself first
11:54 #7 Lights off, heat down, sweater on
13:10 #6 Wait thirty days before buying
14:22 #5 Give everything three lives
15:34 #4 Keep rainy-day money
16:45 #3 Share, swap and borrow
18:00 #2 Stop keeping up with anyone
19:08 #1 Never helpless
21:01 Where to start
THE 14 HABITS
14. Mend it before you replace it
13. Keep every good jar, bag and box
12. Cook from a few plain staples
11. Grow something, even if it is only one pot
10. Put food by when it is cheap
9. Keep a price book
8. Try to fix it yourself first
7. Lights off, heat down, sweater on
6. Wait thirty days before you buy anything big
5. Give everything three lives
4. Always keep a little rainy-day money
3. Share, swap and borrow
2. Stop keeping up with anyone
1. Never helpless
Watching on your TV? The QR code on screen at 04:47 (and again at 21:14) opens the handbook on your phone. No typing needed.
I'm Maureen. At 55 I started paying attention to where my money was actually going, and I've been sharing what works ever since. Old-fashioned habits that still work in 2026. New videos every Wednesday and Saturday.
DISCLAIMER
This video is for general education and entertainment only. It is not financial, legal, tax, safety or home-repair advice, and I am not a licensed professional. Everything I share comes from running my own household, and the family stories are my own memories, not historical records. The dollar amounts are my own and are for illustration only; your costs and results will be different. Keep your home safely warm, especially if you have health concerns. For home canning, use a tested recipe from a trusted source such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Always call a licensed professional for gas, electrical or roof work.
Product disclosure: The Old-Fashioned Frugal Living Handbook is my own product, sold through my shop, and I earn money when you buy it. Buying it is never required; every habit in this video is free to use.
#ThriftyMaureen #frugalliving #moneysavingtips #over50 #depressionera
2 Comments
14 Habits I Learned From Women Who Lived Through Harder Times
ThriftyMaureen
2,026 views
My grandmother kept a tin of buttons on her shelf, hundreds of them, cut from every worn-out shirt. As a girl I thought it was a little silly. Now I understand: nothing ever left that house unused.
She lived through the Depression and then the war. My mother raised us through the seventies, when prices kept doubling and there were lines at the gas pump. My neighbor's mother grew beans in a victory garden and never stopped. None of them had much money, but not one of them ever looked poor, and not one of them was ever helpless.
When prices climbed these last few years, I realized I was the first woman in my family who did not really know how to make do. So I wrote down everything I remembered those three women doing, and tried every habit for a year. In this video I count down all fourteen: mending before replacing, keeping good jars, cooking from a few plain staples, growing even one pot, putting food by in season, a price book, fixing things yourself first, the thirty-day list, rainy-day money, sharing with neighbors, and the hardest one of all, which is about pride. Number one is not about money at all. It is the reason those women never felt poor, even when they had almost nothing.
By the end of the year, these habits were saving me well over two thousand dollars. But the money turned out to be the smaller part.
The full handbook (every habit, every number, and 17 printables): https://thriftymaureen-shop.fourthwal...
CHAPTERS
00:00 Grandmother's button tin
02:08 #14 Mend it before you replace it
03:25 #13 Keep every good jar, bag and box
04:47 The full handbook (my shop)
05:31 #12 Cook from a few plain staples
06:54 #11 Grow something, even one pot
08:08 #10 Put food by when it's cheap
09:23 #9 Keep a price book
10:37 #8 Try to fix it yourself first
11:54 #7 Lights off, heat down, sweater on
13:10 #6 Wait thirty days before buying
14:22 #5 Give everything three lives
15:34 #4 Keep rainy-day money
16:45 #3 Share, swap and borrow
18:00 #2 Stop keeping up with anyone
19:08 #1 Never helpless
21:01 Where to start
THE 14 HABITS
14. Mend it before you replace it
13. Keep every good jar, bag and box
12. Cook from a few plain staples
11. Grow something, even if it is only one pot
10. Put food by when it is cheap
9. Keep a price book
8. Try to fix it yourself first
7. Lights off, heat down, sweater on
6. Wait thirty days before you buy anything big
5. Give everything three lives
4. Always keep a little rainy-day money
3. Share, swap and borrow
2. Stop keeping up with anyone
1. Never helpless
Watching on your TV? The QR code on screen at 04:47 (and again at 21:14) opens the handbook on your phone. No typing needed.
I'm Maureen. At 55 I started paying attention to where my money was actually going, and I've been sharing what works ever since. Old-fashioned habits that still work in 2026. New videos every Wednesday and Saturday.
DISCLAIMER
This video is for general education and entertainment only. It is not financial, legal, tax, safety or home-repair advice, and I am not a licensed professional. Everything I share comes from running my own household, and the family stories are my own memories, not historical records. The dollar amounts are my own and are for illustration only; your costs and results will be different. Keep your home safely warm, especially if you have health concerns. For home canning, use a tested recipe from a trusted source such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Always call a licensed professional for gas, electrical or roof work.
Product disclosure: The Old-Fashioned Frugal Living Handbook is my own product, sold through my shop, and I earn money when you buy it. Buying it is never required; every habit in this video is free to use.
#ThriftyMaureen #frugalliving #moneysavingtips #over50 #depressionera
My grandmother's button tin still sits on my shelf. Every shirt that is too far gone gives up its buttons first, and I have not bought a button in years.
So tell me: which woman in your family lived through harder times, and what did she teach you?