My Frugal Life - My Frugal Grandfather

Sounds a lot like my Grandpa. Thanks for sharing

My grandmother worked in a sewing factory during the Great Depression, then came home with tossed
remnants from her boss and pieced them together for blankets. Other times the family tells of how she'd take my grandfather's old suits and tear them

The Great Depression for many was a time without running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and
everyone had to eat whatever they could grow or

My mother picked cotton until she was 18 only to become an entrepreneur with more than 3 million dollars before it was confiscated by crafty and deceitful family members, my mother losing all of her rights and belongings JUST when she planned to
retire, relax and travel at last. She developed dementia and the "wolves" were behind every tree ready to lunge and attack, taking control of all she had.

She was frugal in some things and extremely wasteful in others. Sound familiar? She wore bed clothes, socks, underwear, robes, until they were threadbare, as she was taught by my grandmother. She accumulated money, invested it in stocks/bonds at the suggestion of one of the "wolves" who got paid for it, then lost GREAT
amounts during the last crash.

However, my father left home at age 12, raised, supported, and defended himself until old enough to teach himself and learn everything he could to try to make up for lost time, becoming wealthy in Steel

Fruit, chocolate, candy, nylon, rubber products, and many other things became almost non-existant. Everything was rationed and lovely plants were pulled up out of every yard across America, Europe, in favor of edibles. (We may not get that chance but at least we can hope that we might and prepare ourselves for such times in light of what is threatening.)

People drew closer to God and churches were filled
every time they were opened. Songs, poetry, diaries
and class-work before field-work kept the common people's mind off what could have happened in this
nation and didn't then, but might NOW.

Few folks had money. Most learned to do without or
create solutions to all problems where possible. One
story my grandmother tells is how she had to sew
animal wounds with her sewing thread/needle, since
there were no vets or money had there been.

Their only makeup was wet red crepe paper they'd come by from celebrations at school or church, and cornstarch and alcohol for body sweat. They
were so poor they had to use catalogs for toilet paper until the children grew up and got jobs in the city, having to give all they made to my grandfather
who'd raised them, and who gave them only lunch money in return for their efforts. Each lost motivation and moved away to their own homes at about age 19.

Upon their arrival home after school, their only snack
was to go to the field/garden and pull a green onion or a raw turnip, then return to the kitchen for a dried biscuit. (As it turned out, the onion helped to keep mosquitos away and build their resistance.) They were given Castor Oil routinely to cleanse their bowels, which made them gag, even when mixed with orange juice. Vasoline was their only topical medicine. Garlic bags were hung everywhere out of superstition, but likely kept flies to a minimum and
intruders must have kept their distance? lol

In Texas most folks then road in wagons once a week to town to sell their crops and buy only needed
supplies if they got enough money, and to pay their
debts/rent on their property, because few owned land
and homes.

Their parents were Circuit Riding Preachers and Free
Masons, honorable back then, but when the Great
Depression hit, many folks lost everything, including
their papers, which is what happened to my Grandmother's proof of being Indian, losing her claim to Okla. land she was entitled to, which likely
has oil on it even to this day. She lived to see all of her children become wealthy and live long lives during times when money was easier to come by for all your hard work. Each family member had walked about five miles twice a day in every kind of weather
to/from all schools. Most had only one pair of shoes, usually handed down.

Only the remaining male got college by the family scrimping and saving once the girls left for their careers. He is brilliant, but not so smart that he took care of his health, suffering untold agony with one thing then another.

My grandmother's famous words were to "take anything anyone will give you, or that you find, and make something out of it. The time will come again when you will need and use every single thing you have. Be caring, helpful and generous, and know that God loves you always." This is why I do what I do and believe that since I was raised several years
by her that I may be financially poor, but materially and spiritually wealthy, taught that being godly and frugal pays off. Thank you, Thrifty Fun for your site.