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As our economy descends into the dark abyss of what appears to be a long, slow recession, I’m reminded of a dear couple from my congregation named Fred and Marian, both of whom now rest in Jesus. I enjoyed visiting them, drinking their wine out of reused jelly glasses, talking politics and the stock market along with theology. Fred was a fine lay theologian as well as a skilled machinist and woodworker. I am the proud owner of his shop-made smoothing plane along with some prime 50 year-old rough sawn mahogany recovered from the rafters of his garage. Fred never threw anything away.
Fred and Marian were just starting a family at the height of the Great Depression and had all the quirky disciplines of depression-era folk. They were frugal, practical, and penny-pinching to a fault. They would save scraps of aluminum foil, grow their own food, and hang on to things long after they were out of fashion. I used to think they were quaint; now I realize they were wise. I wish they were still around to consult in these dark economic days. They could teach us a thing or two about the disciplines needed to live well during the coming years of recession.
One thing I remember of Fred and Marian is that they were always happy, whether they had a lot or a little. They knew the secret of being content in any and every circumstance. They didn’t derive their identity from clothing or cars but from the character of their Baptism and faith in Christ. They were masters of their stuff not slaves.
The great thing about recession-oriented living is that it reaps benefits even if the dire predictions don’t come to pass. There is no downside to extracting oneself of the consumptive mindset that has driven us into the current recession. What’s the worst that can happen? You have a chunk of change in savings, you don’t have a bunch of junk you don’t need, and you aren’t enslaved by your stuff. Not a bad deal, new or otherwise.
Jack Zavada, on a cool community blog called Dumb Little Man, offers 10 Smartest Ways to Live Beneath Your Means. That’s beneath not within your means. Anyone who retires at 51 has my attention. These are sound, common-sense pieces of practical advice for any time. Zavada’s point about zero consumer debt is ignored at one’s peril. "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender" (Proverbs 22:7). Fred and Marian would have approved.
Here are a few additional thoughts of my own in memory of Fred and Marion, who next to my parents, were some of the thriftiest and most content people I’ve had the privilege of knowing.
1. Learn to cook. I’m amazed at the number of kitchens I see with granite countertops, high-end appliances, and no one who knows how to cook. Eating in restaurants is massively expensive. You can eat like royalty if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and cook for yourself. Eat from the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid prepared foods, which aren’t good for you anyway. Explore baking, canning, preserve-making, etc. Involve the kids. Teach them where their daily bread comes from; they may be shocked.
2. Forego the $4 frappadippocrappacinos. For about twelve bucks, you can buy a pound of premo coffee and brew lots of cups yourself. I read about someone who put his Starbucks money into an investment account and had his retirement in place by the time he was 35 years old. If I’d only known then what I know now….
3. Repair and reuse rather than replace. Just because it’s broken, doesn’t mean it has to be thrown away. You’d be amazed what you can fix with a screwdriver and a soldering iron. The internet is chock full of great repair it yourself information that’s a Google click away. It’s also a great resource for locating hard to find replacement parts.
4 Grow some of your own food. Fred always had a garden. It’s great fun for the kids, good exercise, and healthy. Even a couple of tomato and a pepper plants can make a ton of salsa and pasta sauce. An herb garden has incredible value and is easy to grow. Check out the prices of fresh herbs in the grocery aisle. Herbs tend to grow like weeds, which is what most of them actually are. A single fruit tree produces more fruit than you can possibly eat. Start a community garden at church. Churches usually have lots of unused space that would make a great garden.
5. Buy with an eye toward the future. Purchase things that will last, especially when it comes to tools and toys. Art supplies and musical instruments are far better investments than all those “age appropriate” dispo toys and video games. Books and board games are a lot cheaper and much more family-oriented.
6. Get Back to Nature. Forget Mickey Mouse. Go see a real mouse. Take a hike, go fishing, bicycle riding, camping, snorkeling, rock climbing, bird watching, hunting, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, sledding, etc. God’s creation is not only educational, it’s downright entertaining. Museums, public aquariums, zoos, and art galleries are likewise cheap and edifying when the weather is challenging, though ice fishing is an experience not soon forgotten.
7. Go to minor league games. Forget those pampered, whining, over-paid, steroid-juiced mercenaries also known as “professional athletes.” Go for the pure game and some honest family fun.
8. Plug the money leaks - all those magazine, journal, and book subscriptions that wind up in a pile unread. Dormant accounts that tick off service fees. Electronic devices that are on all the time consuming energy but not doing anything. Find those leaks and plug them and watch those pennies grow.
For inspiration, visit my namesake Rev. Billy and the Church of No Shopping.
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