Today I want to share with you 6 Life-Changing Frugal Lessons I Learned from my Grandmothers!
A BIG thank you to SunTrust Bank for sponsoring today’s post so I can share these 6 Life-Changing Frugal Lessons I Learned from my Grandmothers!!
I love any excuse to celebrate the important women in my life, and my sweet grandmas are two of my favorites! Seriously… what would we do without the advice and endless life lessons our grandmas teach us? They’re such a wealth of knowledge!
My grandmas were both fun, frugal, financially savvy, and made a BIG impact on my life. I learned so many amazing frugal lessons from those two sweet ladies! Want a little sneak peek into my life? Check out 6 ways those sweet and silly grandmas have shaped my thinking. It’s a little gold mine of grandmotherly wisdom! 😉
Frugal Lessons I Learned from my Grandmothers…
1 – Nothing Beats a Home-Cooked Meal! – We all know that eating at home can be so much fun… but I learned from my grandmothers that nothing beats a home-cooked meal! One of my Grandmas lived especially close to me… and I was so spoiled to have the opportunity to indulge in her delicious cooking and baking! Why go out when you can have incredible food at home… for a fraction of the cost?!? My grandmas cooked far more food than they needed, and always had a fridge stocked with yummy leftovers. It was another great strategy to avoid the temptation of going out the next day!
Frugal Girls Recipes
2 – Grow your Own Food and Flowers! – That’s right… it’s time to get your hands dirty! My grandmas loved maintaining their beautiful gardens. Not only did they grow all sorts of gorgeous flowers… they grew yummy food, too! You could always find a variety of Berries, Rhubarb, and all sorts of tasty things that could be incorporated into those beloved grandma desserts and pies! There would also be gorgeous bouquets of flowers on the dinner table… freshly cut from the back yard! No need to buy fruits, veggies, and flowers when you’ve got your own massive supply right out back, right?
Oh how they loved to share, too! One of my grandma’s had the most amazing Cala Lilies in her yard… and she loved to separate and split them down by the bulb so she could share with friends and family! I ended up with LOTS of gorgeous Cala Lilies growing in my garden thanks to Grandma. My sweet neighbor was even able to use them to make a beautiful long-stem bridal bouquet on her wedding day! Talk about the gift that just keeps on giving!
Easy Gardening Tips and Tricks
3 – Be Content with what You Have! – My grandmas also taught me the importance of being content with what you have and taking care of what you own. You’ll be surprised at how long things can last! My grandmas had simple homes, but were completely content. They had happy homes… filled with so much love and joy! They valued the importance of taking care of their homes and belongings, too. Isn’t it amazing how much more we love our home when it’s all clean and tidy? Their mindset went a little something like this: instead of buying a new home, maybe the old one just needs some fresh paint, or some fresh flowers in the front yard. Or instead of getting a new car, maybe I can just tidy up my own car instead? It’s amazing how much money you can save just by being content!
4 – Stash away that Money! – Now speaking of saving money… rainy day funds were important to my grandmothers, too. Maybe that’s because they both lived in Washington state? 😉 Seriously though… they were always stashing money away here and there so they wouldn’t be in a bind later. One of my grandmothers even liked to hide some all around her house. {honestly} She’d have a stash of silver dollars in her freezer, a stash of cash between her mattress and boxspring… oh she was downright determined to have money on hand in the event that she needed it. Now remembering where it was hiding was a whole other story… 😉
How to Save More Money Around the House
5 – It’s Free to Spread Love! – Now even if my grandmothers felt like money was tight, they always knew there were others less fortunate than they were. They took every opportunity to spread love, be generous, help those in need, and reach out to others whenever possible. They taught me that some of the best ways to show someone you care are FREE! A kind, listening ear, a big ol’ hug, and just being there for someone can make such an impact! More fun and frugal ways they spoiled us grandkids included showing up to school show & tell days, cheering us on at school concerts, staying home with us on sick days, driving us to our dental/medical appointments, and surprising us with hand-written letters in the mail. My grandma was the best pen pal! 🙂
6 – Don’t Forget to Play! – When it comes down to it… they were hard workers and big savers. But as we know… all work and no play makes a dull girl, right? My grandmas understood that a life in balance was important, and that meant making sure there was plenty of FUN planned! They made it a priority to take time out of their weeks for simple little things that they loved to do… like scrapbooking, gardening, etc. Thanks to all that penny pinching they had money stashed away to travel, too! They both loved to travel… whether it was a fun new destination, lazy days at the beach, or week-long camping adventures at the lake, they both made sure to carve out time for vacations, too! A little rest and relaxation can go a long way!
Frugal Travel Tips
I’ll always be grateful for these sweet ladies in my life. The frugal lessons I learned from my Grandmothers have made such an impact on me, and I hope you like them too!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Elena says
I love reading all your articles. You are amazing!
Heidi says
Aww ~ thanks so much for the sweet comment, Elena… you just made my day! 🙂
Elena says
I love your story of how you became frugal. You just made my day by responding.