A week ago my sister, Little E, and I made a trip to Texas to visit my Gram and Gramps. My gram is one of the most creatively frugal people I have ever met. She is always surprising me by re-purposing and reusing things. And she's a true blue, I-was-born-just-after-the-depression, frugal living champ. Gram is frugal without even trying. I love her for being my gram, but I also love her for being a frugal inspiration. Here are a couple of examples of my gram's creative frugality:
She keeps her empty Glade pluggins in her linen closet so her sheets smell good.
She also tucks perfume samples from magazines between her sheets and towels.
She writes the dates she begins using her florescent light bulbs on the base so she can contact the company if her bulbs don't last as long as they are guaranteed.
Gram loves her bird houses and wind chimes and happens to have an artisan friend. Here are two of his creations made with things my gram has saved:
Here's her bird house made of Gramp's worn out cowboy boot and their expired license plate.
And her wind chime made out of saved mismatched silver spoons.
Gram is also an avid gardener, but in East Texas, things get dry real fast, so Gram collects her spring rain.
Instead of purchasing rain barrels for each corner of her barn Gram got feed tubs from my uncle who raises cattle and collects rain in the empty feed tubs.
When the tubs get full she then transfers the water in to saved milk, orange juice, and other jugs and uses them to water her garden.
She also has a huge compost pile that she uses to fertilize her garden.
Lastly, this cabinet was in my great grandparent's house. Gram saved it and uses it to store assorted garden supplies that she uses daily.
I sure do love my gram, and am always inspired when I leave her home. She is a truly wonderful person.
She also tucks perfume samples from magazines between her sheets and towels.
She writes the dates she begins using her florescent light bulbs on the base so she can contact the company if her bulbs don't last as long as they are guaranteed.
Gram loves her bird houses and wind chimes and happens to have an artisan friend. Here are two of his creations made with things my gram has saved:
Here's her bird house made of Gramp's worn out cowboy boot and their expired license plate.
And her wind chime made out of saved mismatched silver spoons.
Gram is also an avid gardener, but in East Texas, things get dry real fast, so Gram collects her spring rain.
Instead of purchasing rain barrels for each corner of her barn Gram got feed tubs from my uncle who raises cattle and collects rain in the empty feed tubs.
When the tubs get full she then transfers the water in to saved milk, orange juice, and other jugs and uses them to water her garden.
She also has a huge compost pile that she uses to fertilize her garden.
Lastly, this cabinet was in my great grandparent's house. Gram saved it and uses it to store assorted garden supplies that she uses daily.
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| Gram, Gramps, and Little E this past spring |
I'm a new reader and I love what you write about! This post reminds me so much of my family. I actually have an uncle who makes wind chimes out of old aluminum cans (he cuts the metal and fans it out somehow). I also have an aunt who saves everybody's jeans when they get too small or holey and made quilts out of the scraps. The quilts are beautiful and very warm!
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