Are Old Fashioned Money Saving Tips Still Valid?

If you want to save money how will you do it? One great idea is to look back at what our parents and grandparents did in the past. Which of those old-fashioned savings tips are still valid today?

Avoid Debt

The level of debt the average family has in the UK has risen to ridiculous levels in recent years. If we include mortgages then the average UK debt is now over £50,000. Yet, it wasn’t always like this. Back in the old days, people hated the idea of owing money. Wouldn’t it be great if we could start to think like this again? The first thing to do in this respect is probably to get rid of your credit card, as this is just too tempting an option for some people. However, it is even more important that you change your way of thinking and avoid debt wherever possible. Try to think as people did before; if you can’t afford something then you will just have to try and save up for it.

Use Coal Instead of Toothpaste

A trick that some people used in years gone by was to use coal to brush their teeth instead of toothpaste. It sounds weird but some older people swear by it. This tip probably is longer as valid as the first one, as coal isn’t really much cheaper than toothpaste, is it?

Squeeze Together Old Bits of Soap

If we go back to old-fashioned savings tips which are still valid we find this one. It is easy to just throw away little bits of soap, thinking that they are no longer useful. However, the idea of squeezing all these pieces together into a new bar is a very good one. You won’t save a fortune doing this but it will save you a little bit of money.

Spend Less on Entertainment

If you speak to more mature members of your family you will probably discover that in the past they spent a lot of time making their own entertainment at home. There is no need to buy an old piano and learn wartime songs, but you could consider how you might spend less on entertainment. Board games, parlor games, and new hobbies are all ways of having fun on a budget.

Enjoy More Home Cooking

For many members of the older generation eating out is a bit of a luxury. If grabbing a takeaway meal on the way home from work has become a habit for you then it might be time to change this. By cooking at home instead of bringing home-cooked food you can cut your monthly outgoings quite well. Cooking at home is also more fun than it might sound and will ensure you eat more healthily too. Finally, if you have the time to do so then growing your own vegetables is a great hobby that will let you save even more on your food.