It seems like the “in” thing today is to talk about being “green” and how we’ve damaged our environment. Did generations past know something we didn’t know?
One of the big pet peeves for mom and I is the big “Green” movement. Frankly, we think it’s a bunch a bologna! I received this email from a reader and just loved it!! Mom has been saying this for years!!!
-Tawra
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag, because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment.”
He was right. That generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled so the company could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn’t have the green thing back in that customer’s day.
In her day they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby’s diaper, because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a clothesline, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.
Back then they had the one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen they blended and stirred by hand, because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for them.
When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a throw away cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying new pens, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had the one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a
computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
Isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn’t have the green thing back then?
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Little things add up. My grandmother and aunts, uncles lived through the Depression. I never saw my great aunt use toothpaste, even into the 1990’s. She used a little recycled glass jar (maybe pimento size) that she kept baking soda in. She would dip her toothbrush in it every night. She never had cavities and had perfect teeth until the day she died in her 80’s. She had plenty of money at that point and could buy anything she wanted, but she never bought a pad of paper. She would use the back of envelopes from the mail, rip them off and make them into scratch paper where she wrote grocery lists, reminders, etc. She tore the back off of every envelope that came in the mail. Online bills have cut down our mail but I still get enough junk mail to do that. Everyone I knew cooked meals from scratch. I am 52, stay home and cook my meals from scratch for 99 percent of them. We do not go out to eat but occasionally (rarely) pick something up or go out to eat after church. I’d rather have the money it cost than what it cost for us to eat out. It’s not a deprival thing, we just don’t go out. We homeschooled from K-graduation and I learned to be thriftier than ever to pay for books, school things, etc. for our school. I always was able to spend money that we could never find on paper for curriculum–it always worked out. We always were able to go on field trips and get together with other kids for coop classes without it being a burden. When it came time to pick college, we picked one my son could get an ACT scholarship at a local community college. As long as he keeps a B, he can keep going for “free”. He’s got the average now, so thrilled with that. This enables him to live at home, too saving dorm money. Also, no food cost. This is just at a 2 year school, so he will have to transfer eventually but the goal is to get as good as grades as possible so that he can get in a better 4 year school and spend as little as possible. I have taught him to associate grades with money and he “gets it”. We’ve always lived on a budget and I am the keeper of the bills, budget, etc. I have no problem buying things we need at the thrift store, etc. For instance, we bought a new house a year or so ago and with multiple trips (took a couple of months to finish it), I was able to buy the bulk of the things for the house from the Goodwill or consignment shop. I found antique dining room chairs that matched my grandmom’s dining table at a consignment shop. I found a $950 oriental (tag on back of it) area rug (perfect) from my Goodwill for $40 for my den and so on and so on and so on. My couch came from an upscale consignment place that normally is very high priced–but I went in on the right day and got a couch that others probably thought was “dated” but it was perfect and had been in someone’s living room not used—the cushions were not even “squished” and were pefectly shaped and like new. It was like $180 but solid wood and a heck of a lot nicer than we saw at the furniture stores that don’t even use solid wood anymore. It was “fun” to furnish the house from getting out and thrift store shopping for a couple of months. I also bought my washer and dryer at a consignment shop. Now, this might turn some people off and that’s fine. We all choose our battles and habits. I buy clothes that are nice at the Goodwill or even places like Walmart or a dirt cheap sale (rare) like at Belk, etc. I may go to the mall once a year. I am not one to use a lot of clothes since I stay home. I wear shorts daily and t shirts so I only need my “dress” clothes for church or getting out, etc. There is so much that can be done to save money. One other thing I do is hit up the dollar tree for some staples that are cheaper there, like shampoo, shave cream, etc. Some things my husband is picky on (like razor blades) and I get some stuff online cheaply with coupons or deals (like those razor blades he prefers). I think the main thing is to be content, be happy with what you have and stretch what needs to last. Also, simple things like if you brown hamburger meat for tacos, etc… add some black beans or corn, etc. to make it go further and be a bigger amt. for leftovers. Plus, it’s better for you. And, as far as the tips above—yes, all my elder relatives rinsed out bread bags, used things over and over, etc. I keep and resuse what I can. My dad keeps used foil, rinses it off and cleans his grill with it wadded up. It’s been fun to read this post and replies. I see lots of “consumerism” in younger members of our extended family and they area throw away bunch of folks… which is fine for them, they work for their money just like we do. They constantly go out to eat (expensive places, too), buy new things, etc. I am probably old and unhip to them, but I enjoy my life and am happy and at peace with myself. I know my family loves me and I enjoy being frugal. I had a old school friend stop by the other day and she actually said, “So, you are just doing “this” now?” Talking about being a housewife. I said yes. It was like I was from Mars to her. She has always had a high paying job and very much a feminist (which is fine, not bashing that –we are just different). She probably sees me as “lazy” as being a homemaker and that’s okay. I’m happy!
We used things up when we were growing up! That meant eating left overs and using our tooth paste until we could not squeeze anymore out. We had a vegetable garden and it was huge. We would harvest and freeze the bounty for the winter! We had a huge freezer. My mother would buy meat on sale and she would freeze it! She would buy soup bones and make homemade soup! We would buy wood for the wood stove and we would split and stack it. For a bonus, Clothes were hung out in the winter to dry. If the weather was stormy in the winter, we would hang it it the basement to dry because our furnace had a blower on it that would dry them quick.
Oh yes I remember getting the soup bones for soup. Our butcher gave them to us for free then they started calling them dog bones (to give to your dogs) because people weren’t making homemade soup as much but I would still get the “dog” bones and make the best soup.
I am pretty blessed to have one of those houses that still only has two electrical outlets in each room. I love that this house was built by family and thankfully my family though about everything. I have no water or sewage bill because I have a well and septic tank thanks to family. I am very grateful that my mom and dad raised us kids to work hard, if you want something done, do your best to do it yourself, but we always have family to help us out with things we do not know how to do. However with YouTube we can really learn anything these days for free. My mom and dad taught us all how to grow our own food and can, dry or freeze what we are going to need. If you see someone in need, you help them and that you always treat everyone with respect. My parents had 8 kids and even though my dad was the only one who worked for years, we always had what we needed. My mom worked pretty hard raising us (cooking, cleaning, putting food away for the year to come while also keeping the large garden up and feeding the animals). As kids we never knew how blessed we were, but we really did have a good life. Somehow having less has always been more peaceful for me. The older generation were very wise and we should always take the time to listen to them, learn from them and be there for them. Somehow life seems more peaceful and good when you stop and live life slower and just be there for one another like the older generation did. We can still learn a lot from how they live and lived their lives.