Use it up, wear it out...

Make it do or do without.

This saying is something my gran used to always say, but I think it's incredibly useful in terms of saving money and getting into that survivalist mentality.

I used to be someone who felt like they needed something "new" all the time. Whether it was clothing or accessories or make up...you name it, I was stuck in that land of consumerism.

Once I really got to thinking more about what I would truly NEED in the event that disaster struck, it became apparent to me that buying stuff that I didn't really require just to fill a void was stupid.

I try and work off that principle now that my gran used to always say. I think back in the years of the depression, people knew how to survive on little to nothing, by using those principles. They'd use everything, wear clothes until they were literally worn out - and then even try and repair them, or they would go without other things that they didn't deem necessary.

It's always a good reminder for me!

 

My wardrobe is a testament to the "wear it out, don't throw it out", much to my wife's chagrin. Since money often is tight and there is a lot of uncertainty in the world, I try not to buy any new clothes until it becomes necessary to do so.

 

Your granny has surely planted a good legacy in you that you can take with you for the rest of your life and even pass on to your future generations as well. We do live in a tie where pretty much everything is easily replaced even if they're still functional and undamaged. But if you come to think of it, we are wasting a lot of money by acquiring what we don't really need. Being thrifty and not giving into compulsions are tough acts to do but if we learn and practice to discipline ourselves constantly then we could get used to it and eventually learn how to save.

 

That's definitely good advice, people nowadays are so excited about new phones, computers, technology (seriously, $500 for a hoverboard?) that they stop thinking straight when it comes to those things, you don't need the latest iPhone when all you do is browse Instagram and Facebook on it and you definitely don't need a freaking drone for example (the expensive ones, $1k+) if you only want to fly them for fun, I've seen people that do that. I think we should value more of what we have, having access to the internet and to talk to people from all around the world should feel like a blessing.