Hey sweet friends! Welcome to my blog where we’re gonna talk about how to get STARTED living that old-fashioned life! If you’re already living a slow, simple lifestyle, I hope these tips will ENCOURAGE and MOTIVATE you to keep going! And maybe you’ll find some NEW IDEAS too!
What Does “Old-Fashioned Living” Even Mean?
I looked it up, and technically it means “living a lifestyle or type of life that is no longer common or current or modern.” If that’s what it is, then SIGN ME UP! I am ALL FOR IT!
Here’s the thing we need to remember – back in the day, people had NO CHOICE but to live the way they lived. Times were hard, money was tight.
And more and more, that’s exactly what we’re seeing in our society today! People are reverting back to that wonderful way of life, and what a BLESSING it truly is!
Make Your Life SMALLER!
The first point we need to cover is how to make your life SMALLER – yes, SMALLER! We’re not talking about being minimalists (we’re definitely not!) but when it comes to non-essential purchases, we’ve slowed down TREMENDOUSLY.
Leave a smaller footprint all around! Don’t have a huge, grand wardrobe – keep it manageable with things you ACTUALLY WEAR.
Here’s a trick: take all your shirts and pants and turn the hangers one way. When you wear that item, turn the hanger around. After several months, you’ll be SHOCKED at how many hangers are still facing the original way – those are clothes you NEVER EVEN WORE!
So before making another clothes purchase, shoe purchase, or knick-knack purchase, ask yourself: How many do I have? How many do I REALLY NEED? Think SMALLER!
Keep your meals simple too! Our ancestors only ate grand meals on Sundays – during the week, they kept it SIMPLE and SMALLER. Let’s incorporate that simpler, smaller theme in our day-to-day lives!
What Are You DRINKING?!
I know this sounds funny, but SERIOUSLY – what are you drinking daily?
When you go to the store, think about how MANY items you can purchase to drink. Back in the day, there was water, coffee, tea, and possibly milk. THAT WAS IT!
Today, the amount of money people spend on beverages is STAGGERING! We’re talking sodas, caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, drinks with MASSIVE amounts of salt and sugar… Drinking was meant to HYDRATE our bodies, but consumerism has taken over!
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of dollars are spent each year on man-made beverages. Just pause and think about how much money YOU’RE spending on drinks. Can you switch some of those expensive drinks for good old-fashioned WATER? Think about where that money could go instead!
Find JOY in the Everyday!
My nieces visited from different parts of the country recently, and while driving to meet them (about an hour and a half away), I sat in the car while Paul drove and REALLY LOOKED at our surroundings. I saw how BEAUTIFUL our state is!
I don’t usually do this (I’m honest!) – I’m typically on my phone or cranking the radio, singing along, completely oblivious to everything. But this time, our phones were silent, and we just looked at the BEAUTY of our state as we drove.
It’s SO IMPORTANT to find joy in the everyday – in homemaking, even at your workplace if you work outside the home. Bring a little beauty with you! Mommies who are home with children, find the joy in the everyday!
We’re always so busy moving forward that we lose track of what’s happening around us. Back in the day, they worked slowly and steadily – they got a TON done, but I truly believe there was a JOY in the everyday!
Do You Have a HOMEMAKING ROUTINE?
Back in the day, they CERTAINLY did, and this SAVED THEM MONEY because they were organized!
Monday was laundry day, Tuesday was deep-cleaning kitchens and bathrooms… whatever it was, they had a schedule and STUCK TO IT!
They did errands on one certain day – they didn’t jump in the car and run to town every chance they got to pick up ONE item at the supermarket! Gas was expensive (as it is now) and not something to use frivolously.
So many times we think of routines as mundane, but they DON’T HAVE TO BE! A routine allows you to work efficiently and get things done in a timely manner. If Tuesday is dusting day and you don’t dust on Tuesday, then you’re dusting on Wednesday – and you already have Wednesday tasks to do!
Try setting up a simple homemaking routine. Even if you work full-time outside the home, this can still be done – maybe after work, before work, or on weekends. Have SOME TYPE of schedule that you adhere to!
Back in the day, they were EFFICIENT and followed a strict homemaking routine – they HAD TO! There was so much to be done. We’re so blessed now with many ways to make our lives easier.
When you’re efficient in homemaking, your life is easier, you save money, you know what you have and what you need – it’s an ALL-AROUND WIN-WIN!
Don’t Depend on Technology for EVERYTHING!
Technology is a BLESSING that enhances our lives SO MUCH! We can find out anything we need at the touch of a finger – that’s the truth! But we have to be careful not to depend on it for EVERYTHING.
Do you balance your checkbook, or do you leave it to the bank and just look at your balance and say, “Okay, that’s what it is”?
Even though I pay many bills online, I still use an old-fashioned check register book to log EVERY payment and balance it. My balance BETTER match up with the bank’s balance! People make mistakes, machines make mistakes – we CANNOT be dependent on technology!
By keeping track of your finances (yes, check them online all the time too!), but make sure you’re doing your own finances ON PAPER in a checkbook ledger. This way, you can truly live below your means and be aware of exactly how much money you have and how much you can spend!
Practice PATIENCE!
We live in a world where NOBODY has patience! We need to learn the EXACT OPPOSITE! We need to practice patience not only for the good and well-being of mankind but because it will SAVE YOU MONEY!
Back in the day, they did NOT have the luxury of taking a credit card, tapping it on a machine, and buying whatever the heck they wanted! They did NOT have the luxury of typing in numbers and purchasing anything they wanted with next-day delivery!
They had PATIENCE! When they needed to buy something beyond essentials, they would SAVE FOR IT. It was a SPECIAL and BIG DEAL! They would wait and save up for anything they needed to buy.
We don’t do that anymore! And you know what? When they finally got that item, they were able to pay for it in full! The majority did not live above their means because, basically, they COULDN’T!
Today’s society WANTS you to live above your means – they want you to live that fast-paced, charge-it-now, worry-about-it-later lifestyle. And we as old-fashioned, simple, frugal-minded people DON’T BUY INTO THAT!
How Much SLEEP Do You Get?!
What does sleep have to do with an old-fashioned, frugal, simple life? EVERYTHING!
Remember the old saying: “Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise”? Well, there was SOME TRUTH to that! We’ve become a SLEEP-DEPRIVED society!
“Why go to sleep? There are so many other fun things you could be doing!” Right? Scrolling on your phone, buying things, watching mindless TV shows…
It’s PROVEN that the more sleep you get, the better we function! When you get a good, restful night’s sleep, think of how much better you feel the next day! You’re more productive, think clearer, and make better decisions!
I know when I don’t get sleep, I am CRANKY! I don’t want to know anything! You just feel better when you get good sleep!
By the time it got dark, our ancestors had put in a FULL DAY and were ready for bed. The next morning, as the sun was coming up (and most of the time even before that), they were up and ready to go!
Don’t use nighttime to scroll on your phone and SPEND MONEY! Turn those electronics OFF! Read a book, relax, do a puzzle for a little while. When it’s bedtime, you’ll be relaxed and ready!
We do NOT have to deprive ourselves of sleep because the rest of the world is going at a breakneck pace! NO! Slow down like our forefathers did and get a GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP!
Always Look for a BARGAIN!
Our ancestors were GREAT at bargain hunting! And if they couldn’t find a bargain? Well, you know they would reuse it, repurpose it, do without, or make it work!
Keep your eyes out for those bargains – they’re STILL OUT THERE! Sometimes they may not be something you traditionally use, but at the right price, you can figure out great ways to use them!
This happened to us the other day at Dollar Tree! I went in for a greeting card, and they had Gold Medal Bakery white bread marked down to 25 CENTS a loaf! The expiration date was good, so they were perfectly fine. We bought THREE loaves!
I’ve already used some pieces for breadcrumbs, and we made a DELICIOUS breakfast strata with some of that wonderful 25-cent bread! It’s a great make-ahead breakfast that uses ham, spinach, cheese, bacon, eggs, and milk – all layered with bread cubes and baked to perfection! You could even use it for a light dinner with a big green salad!
Question of the Day!
Would you be so kind as to share your nighttime routine with me? What do you do after dinner’s over and dishes are washed? Do you put the TV on right away? Get on your phone? Read? Crochet? Knit? Go for a walk?
I think it would be REALLY ENCOURAGING for us all to get ideas from each other on things to do besides just looking at our phones or staring at the TV at night. This way, we can ALL live that good, frugal, old-fashioned life TOGETHER!
I thank you SO MUCH for reading this blog post! I hope it was encouraging, motivating, and helpful in the BEST of ways!
Thank you so much again for being here! Be well, be safe, and above all, I wish you BLESSINGS until next time! MAY GOD GREATLY BLESS YOU!