Friday OT #1 - Rubbing Pennies
- Thread starter Angie
- Start date
This thread has reminded me of a few others. My grandpa would sit in the basement in his underwear to stay cool in the summer instead of turning the air on. My parents are not that bad but scoff at the idea of turning the A/C on below 85 or so in the house. They about died when I got frustrated with it one time and told them I don't know anyone that lets their house get above 75 and know numerous people that keep it below 70.
They also still use plastic bags and twistie ties instead of just buying ziploc bags. IF we had chocolate milk as a kid it was DIY with white milk and chocolate syrup.
They also still use plastic bags and twistie ties instead of just buying ziploc bags. IF we had chocolate milk as a kid it was DIY with white milk and chocolate syrup.
We got "real chocolate milk" occasionally. Like, twice a year. Otherwise, it was Quik (or Hershey syrup) to regular milk .. BUT DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY AND ADD TOO MUCH!
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My grandma held out against getting a dryer, kicking-and-screaming, for years ... I think my parents and aunts/uncles finally talked her into it when she was 80-something. She didn't think it was necessary -- considered it an extravagance. She hung it on the line outdoors unless winter weather was too extreme, then she did it in basement.
are we related? Because your last two stories were exactly my grandma as well.
This was our situation growing up. Nothing like grabbing your jeans after hanging in a dirt-floor basement. Stiff as a board and smells like dirt.
We had the Quik option. Never Hershey's (too pricey).
The other thing was we NEVER had pre-sweetened cereals. Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Kix, Rice Krispies or Shredded Wheat (the big biscuit ones - not even sure it that's a thing now). Once in a blue moon we might get Wheaties or god-forbid, raisin bran. I can still remember my grandmother tisk tisking raisin bran. "It's cheaper to just get raisins and add them to your corn flakes."
Meanwhile our cousins had 13 different pre-sweetened cereals to pick from in their pantry. Count Chockula, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Krispies etc. Including my favorite Sugar Pops. "Sugar Pops are Tops!"
This is my parents, too. Can't enjoy anything if it costs more than $5, because, you know, expense!
I don’t remember ever going to the fair as a kid but we did go to Adventureland several times and ate packed lunches from the car instead of park food.
We ate out on vacations (usually for dinner) , but also did this while on the road. Its not like you're going to be eating gourmet on the road anyway. Stopping at a park or something also lets everyone get some air and stretch their legs a bit.
Same here with the cereal, but it was because my mom didn't want her kids hopped up on sugar. So Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran, Kix, regular Cheerios. I will no longer eat Honey Nut Cheerios...I've eaten my life's share already. If I want to go "sugary" as an adult, it's Golden Grahams.
And yeah, remember going to Marriott's (BEFORE Six Flags) Great America, and we'd have our lunch out at the car.
We had government cheese and peanut butter. Instead of rural water had a well that we had to fill from town with a tank that got pumped into our house. Wood burning furnace in basement for heat in winter and kerosene heaters. If pump didn’t work no water in our house, and at times rural electric company would come out and turn off our power cause my parents didn’t have money for power. Instead of septic my parents and grandparents rigged up pvc to drain into nearby pasture.
My dad has improved on this some but my mom is still very stuck in the past on what things should cost.
My grandparents are paranoid about electricity use. So much so, that they always do their laundry late at night, because they are convinced they will be charged less by the electrical company. They will also unplug any electronics they aren't using (even their TVs!) and refuse to turn on their A/C in the summer, even when family is visiting. I have many memories as a kid of sleeping at their house with a box fan blowing directly on me trying to fall asleep on hot and humid summer nights.
My grandfather would say when company would show up at lunch time " just add some water to the soup".
He also would take his old belts and make a "new"belt for me by shortening the length and punching new holes into the leather.
We only went to Adventureland on 4-H day. That meant 1/2 price tickets and of course eating sandwiches outside the park.
We never stayed at a hotel, but would sleep at some distant relatives place on vacations. However, we had a family wedding and we actually stayed in a hotel one night for the first time - I was 15 years old.
He also would take his old belts and make a "new"belt for me by shortening the length and punching new holes into the leather.
We only went to Adventureland on 4-H day. That meant 1/2 price tickets and of course eating sandwiches outside the park.
We never stayed at a hotel, but would sleep at some distant relatives place on vacations. However, we had a family wedding and we actually stayed in a hotel one night for the first time - I was 15 years old.
My dad is this way about the prices of houses. He was baffled when we couldn't find a nice house in the $40,000 range... like he did in 1990 in a tiny town.