- If you can borrow something instead of buy it, that’s they way to go.
Specifically in the 1940s, these housewife tricks will have you saving time and ultimately, money.
Save Stale Bread
Instead of throwing away “hardened” bread or rolls, keep them so your food doesn’t go to waste. Reuse stale bread or buns by either breaking it down in breadcrumbs or cubing it up to bake for croutons. This is the start of a great list of housewife hacks.
Saved Used Up Fabric
Are you sensing a theme here yet? The ultimate housewife hack is not to waste and this goes for fabric as well as bread and rolls. You may donate old, used clothes these days or maybe even throw them away but that is not the way. Even scraps of fabric can be reused from a suit coat turned women’s skirt to a ripped tie turned pocket square. You can also make virtually any clothes scraps into a quilt. What a flex.
Vegetables as Lipstick?
You couldn’t find lipstick back in the 1940s so housewife’s had to figure out something else as a lip stain. And they did. If you had to think of one vegetable with the most vibrant of colors and you chose the beet, than you chose right. Women would stain their lips with sliced beets, leaving behind a beautiful, dark purple stain.
Use Wilty Vegetables
Make soup with almost done vegetables by adding them to a pot with beans, spices, stock and bits of meat. After it’s simmered together, add a bit of spice to turn this almost old produce into a delicious and filling meal.
Save Your Newspapers
Again with the resuing, it’s a housewife’s favorite hack. Back then, it was even used as insulation for walls. Newspapers can be used as a way to clean your glass with a streak-free shine. You can use newspaper to pack belongings away as well, whether seasonal or for a move.
Borrow>Buy
If you can borrow something instead of buy it, that’s they way to go. Use less and save more buy borrowing an item you need to use once or twice from a friend rather than an unnecessary extra expense.
Don’t Fool Around with Aluminum Foil
That is, still-clean pieces of aluminum foil can be easily folded up and stored to be used again. Not only that, but if you need to scrub a pan, you can ball up a piece of aluminum foil and use it rather than buying steel wool fluffs. This is a great housewife tip and something used to this day.
Soap Scraps
You know those little pieces of soap that fall off the bar or are leftover after the bar is mostly gone? If you take those and stuff them into a pair of stockings or pantyhose, tie the section off and cut it. Pop the soap-filled tights next to any sink and rub it under your hands and the tap. This way you have clean hands via soap that would have otherwise been in the garbage.
Extend Your Butter’s Life
If you want to make your butter last l
onger and be more easily spreadable out of the fridge, this is a great housewife hack. Blend one pound of butter with three-quarters of a cup of oil and add a pinch of salt. This combination will glide right over your bread and will make your butter last that much longer.
Vegetarian Meals for the Budget
Meatless Monday is not new and in fact a lot of meals were made meatless with the use of beans and cheese. Not only was this cheaper for housewives back in the day but even today, vegan diners spend up to 40% less than their omnivorous counterparts. It turns out you don’t have to go full vegan (or vegetarian) to save a few bucks on your meals.
What was your favorite housewife tip or hack? Do you want a part two?