My grandmother on my mom's side and I had a very special bond and since I was her first grandchild, we have spent tons of time together. Every summer, I would go to visit them and I used to have the time of my life.
She was a very frugal person by necessity. Grandpa was an Air Force Veteran and with one retirement pension, they lived a simple life.
They had a small house with a good size yard. Grandpa grew lots of vegetables, had fruit trees in his garden, kept chickens and sheep. He would not touch his retirement pension and let grandma take care of every bill. He used to sell excess produce and earn his pocket money along with money required for necessary repairs around the house.
Grandma;
1. Never wasted food,
2. Always made a budget,
3. Knew her prices and would buy produce in season and at good prices when she had to purchase produce that they did not grow,
4. Never let clutter at her home,
5. Owned very few basic clothing items and kept them very neat,
6. Did not care for knick-knacks that would collect dust so dusting her home was a breeze,
7. Sun-dried many fruits and vegetables to use during the winter, made jam and pickles,
8. Made sheets, and pajamas and simple items since knew how to sew and inherited an old Singer from her mom which I now have,
9. Always cooked from scratch, made yoghurt and even made cheese sometimes,
10. Never ate out more than once a month,
11. Re-purposed everything. Old pajamas became rags to dust or rags to tie tomatoes and beans to poles.
12. Watched her utilities and kept diligent records,
13. Never bought anything just because...
14. Saved a little money for rainy days even her income was small.
15. Anticipated upcoming expenses and budgeted accordingly,
16. Never complained about money...
She was the most caring and nicest person I know. God bless her and make her rest in peace...
