For the forty-somethings out there, you’ll probably remember (especially if you live in the UK) quite a few things which your granny or granddad taught you which you don’t have the time or inclination to do nowadays. Stay with us while we have a stroll through some of these things and discuss if what Granny taught us is worth reviving!
1). Brilliant Money-Saving Granny Tips – Wine and Preserves
Nowadays, most of us get our wine and jam from the Supermarket, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll have grown up with every summer being an orgy of fruit picking, brewing, and pickling, which had a two-fold benefit over the modern consumerist approach: Doing these things yourself saves heaps of money, it creates food which is much, much better for your insides and of course there is the real pleasure of creating something which tastes far better than anything you can get from a supermarket!
Of course, wine-making and the creation of preserves and pickles require a whole heap of knowledge, but if you’re the sort of person who loves getting your hands dirty’ this is one way to both save money and give real meaning to your food. There’s nothing better than having a glass of your own home-made wine with a nice crusty loaf and some of your own jam or preserves. What’s more, if you use something like elderberry or wild redcurrants then the actual fruit is available for free… you just have to track down a source!
2). Fix Your own Clothes – Darning Socks
We’ve all been there – you have socks which you wear from year to year. Eventually, with all the wearing and washing, socks tend to develop holes in the toes. I can remember my granny spending hours darning socks – basically using wool and a needle to fix the holes. This meant that the socks took on a sort of life of their own, became almost organic in nature, and changed over the years. The actual equipment to achieve this feat is very low tech and consists of a large needle and some appropriate thread or yarn, but the results speak for themselves with long-lasting socks which never need replacing. Perhaps not one for the fashion-conscious, but for those who value their cash more than fashion a great one to remember!
3). Use Every Part of the Animal
It always staggers me that supermarkets today offer such a small range of the choicest cuts of meats and tend to shy away from offering any of the less attractive parts of an animal. You’ll see meat laid out all shiny and red (mainly because these cuts of meat are sprayed or painted to make them look enticing!) but you very rarely, unless you go to a specialist butcher, see things like heart, kidneys, or brain. These parts of the animal can, ironically, produce some of the tastiest food, yet because of modern culture, we’re not offered these parts of the animal. Nowadays, with meat costing so much, it makes sense to use these cheaper parts of the animal – try liver and bacon casserole and tell me it isn’t delicious!
4). Learn To Knit!
Most of our grannies were all well versed at knitting, in fact, it was positively encouraged during the war years. It’s something which the normal person in the street wouldn’t have the first clue about now, yet this most practical of hobbies gives so much whilst allowing the creation of unique clothing… and of course, the cost savings are enormous over actually buying knitted clothes! For the price of one knitted jumper from a high street fashion shop you can create three jumpers yourself – all that’s required is time and patience and some nice yarn, a couple of needles, and a knitting pattern. Once you know the basic steps required to knit you can knit whilst watching TV, relaxing, or in bed. Perfect!
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