When in Doubt, Shop Like Your Grandparents

Everybody’s heard about the last few months representing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. But look around you. And talk to people who actually lived through the 1930s for a reality check. They’ll tell you that folks today—even ones who have “scaled back” of late—are living quite extravagantly by comparison. How many cars did pre-WWII families have? How often did they go out to dinner? Do you think your grandfather had a gym membership? Did your grandmother get manicures once a month? Or ever?

And therein lies a simple trick for saving: If your grandparents didn’t have it, then you probably don’t need it. So many of the things people buy today would have been thought of back in the day as absurd luxuries only for the richest of the rich. I mean pet clothing? Come on!

From time to time, the Cheapskate Blog will list some things that Depression-era folks never could or would have bought—and that therefore, you really don’t need. Call it the Grandparents Rule. Here’s the first list:

More than 1,000 square feet of living space per person residing in your house
More toys than fit in one big toy box
More jewelry than fits in one big jewelry box
More shoes than you have toes
More sports jerseys than those of teams on which you have personally been a member

meprincess75

excellent points Brad.

Also, no one needs two cars. If you live in a big city with public transportation, you don’t even need one.
ohiopapa

How about “Live Like Your Grandparents”? Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without! Learning to say “No” to the little ones, or finding less costly alternatives, is the hardest part.
Brad Tuttle

That’s a good one. Older folks never absentmindedly toss stuff out like Gen X and Y have become accustomed to doing. We live in a disposable society, and it costs us all in many ways.
aviwavi

True, Brad, but they just don’t make things to last like they used to. Manufacturers want us to buy more things more often.
Brad Tuttle

Yep, a great example is GM’s creation of “planned obsolescence,” in which cars were designed to break down and therefore need to be replaced or fixed, paid for by the car owner, of course. Let’s hope that, with GM’s bankruptcy, planned obsolescence is now obsolete.
Tom Borsellino

Don’t forget that clothes and other “necessities” took up a much greater percentage of our grandparents’ incomes. Cheap goods from China and Korea make it possible for us to buy more stuff without necessarily spending a bigger percentage than the gp’s. Unfortunately, it’s a downward spiral since the tradeoff of a large trade deficit is lower incomes, requiring ever cheaper goods.
http://cheapskate.blogs.time.com/2009/06/15/more-stuff-your-grandparents-would-never-pay-for-2/ More Stuff Your Grandparents Would Never Pay For – The Cheapskate Blog – TIME.com

[...] ancestors never would have dropped a dime on—and that you therefore can go without. Today, the Grandparents Rule, home [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/01/07/cheapskate-wisdom-%e2%80%a6-that-puts-the-new-normal-into-perspective/ Cheapskate Wisdom … That Puts the ‘New Normal’ into Perspective – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] If you're trying to get your finances into shape, a good way to start is to shop like your grandparents. [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/04/20/35-reasons-grandparents-are-better-with-money-than-you/ 35 Reasons Grandparents Are Better with Money than You – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] long ago in the heart of the recession, I began something called the Grandparents Rule, which declared that if your grandparents didn't have it, then you probably don't need it. This [...]