Now, my Ol' Man is a child of The Great Depression. Like many of those born in the early 1930s, he was raised to be conservative in his usage of materials and money. He shops around for and delays major purchases for as long as humanly possible. He appreciates a good bargain. He does not buy something because he "wants" it. He buys things when he "needs" them...and sometimes doesn't buy things when he needs them. He is not in debt.
Now, when I say "it's happened", I am not (alas) declaring that we are debt free...oh, the joy of that thought. No, I am declaring something much more significant. I am declaring that I have finally begun the transformation into something of a cross between My Ol' Man and his sister, my dear Aunt Freda, who many would have described, quite lovingly, as...well...frugal.
Yes, one of the things that I have been jabbing at My Ol' Man about for a while now is his tendency to use the same piece of waxed paper when he reheats leftovers in the microwave. The waxed paper reduces splatters, and thus clean up. Most of us would use that piece of paper once and toss it. Not My Ol' Man...he gets a good long series of uses out of one sheet of waxed paper. I know Aunt Freda, may she rest in peace, had similar cost cutting strategies...rinsing zip lock bags, washing aluminum foil, and the like. At her funeral two summers ago, there were many loving and humorous stories shared about her love for a good buy and her pursuit of a new way to save money.
So...yes, I'll admit it and I'll admit it proudly. I am a waxed paper re-user. It may not make me debt free, but it will put me in the company of some wise and loving folks, My Ol' Man and Aunt Freda for starters, and I'm guessing some loved ones of yours as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some baggies to wash out. Today I love being frugal!
Love your posts
ReplyDeleteThanks Sonic! Can't wait to read yours!
DeleteI love your posts.but can you look at some of mine slices of life?
ReplyDelete