Twelve Ways Frugality Has Changed Since The 1970's 

I was born in 1952! No one talked about money at all. We grew vegetables in our garden. I wore my cousin's hand-me-down clothes, got new shoes once a year just before school started, went barefoot through summer. I graduated high school in 1970 and a friend of mine bought her house for $9,000... yes you read that right. The best music was in 1960's! I could go on and on...

I miss when people were polite and a man pulled out your chair for you and bought you a corsage and actually stayed put when talking to you instead of talking while they are walking away like some clerks will so now a days and people always looking at their phones not smiling much, not joking around like people used to do., and etc...

I'm 57 years old. My mom was a stay at home mom. She did make flour tortilla, 3 packs of tacos for my dad to take to the GM plant and sell to the guys for extra income. They always sold out. They had 1 car and my mom had a license, but never really drove. 4 kids- 3 boys, 1 girl (me). I was always embarrassed because dad would go to Kmart and buy trax tennis shoes for me! The kids would call them "blue light specials". We didn't really pick our clothes. We all had a paper route from the time we were about 10. We gave all the money to our dad. We didn't know it while we were earning the money- but my dad saved the money we earned and used it to buy our first car for each of us when we turned 16. ❤

We didn't buy junk food all the time. Hardly ever.

OMG! You are describing my life!! I was born in 1960 so I know what you're talking about. My parents raised 6 kids in a small 3 bedroom ranch home. In the early 70's my dad renovated the basement and added a bedroom and bathroom. Everyone was in the same boat. No one had fancy cars or boats. They worked hard for everything they had. Thank you for this video. It brings back warm memories.❤

Birthday parties were a backyard cookout. Home baked cakes and friends over to share it. Little splash pool, bikes, roller skates, big families in LITTLE houses. Born in 67. What a great era to be a kid!

I was born in the 70’s and grew up in the 80’s. Going out to eat or getting pizza was a huge deal! My mom cooked dinner almost every night. They also didn’t have credit cards to fall back on so every penny mattered.

I grew up in the 1950s and it was the same for me. 3 bedrooms, one bath, one TV, one radio, one car. The phone had no dial because you talked to the operator and it was a 3 party line. There were no malls and shopping centers were non existent. We had small groceries, 5 and dimes, and a variety store. We traveled by train twice a year to shop in center city department stores or we purchased from catalogs. Shopping was also done in small mom and pop stores. Mom used a wringer washer and hung clothes out to dry. She never got an automatic washer, a dryer, a dishwasher, air conditioning, or a microwave and lived in the house until 2010. The milk man, baker, and cleaner all came to the house. The refrigerators had very tiny freezers so not much could be stored. Even a junk man came by every couple of months with his horse and wagon to pick up anything still usable or things that could be sold for junk. My husband went to work as a supervisor at P& G and then at Avon Products in the 1970s. Most women did not have to work but they did it to be able to buy the things they wanted like more clothes, new cars, bigger TVs, etc. In my neighborhood most of us with children stayed at home. I still use a percolator that was given to us as a wedding present in 1967. The electric toaster that I got from my grandmother lasted her 25 years and me another 20 years. I still use the Amana stove that I purchased in 1985. The AC that I replaced last July was 26 years old. The pots and pans that I use everyday were bought by my grandmother in the early 1940s.

I was born in 1960 and I really miss the drive-in theatres, that was a real treat. Thanks for sharing all the memories. 🥰

I was raised in a small house. 6 kids and parents shared one bathroom. No air conditioning until the eighties and it was one window unit. Clothing and shoes were made in the USA. Leather shoes and well-made clothing that lasted. Appliances lasted 20 to 30 year's including small appliances

My box fan from The Treasury/Treasure Island, the store with the squiggly roof is 50 years old! That’s what I call quality. I’m from WI!

I agree , things were made well back in the day. Today , they try to cut corners anyway they can.

I had only been in Illinois and Indiana before getting married. We lived in Illinois and my Mom's family was in Indiana. Never ate out and went to the drive in movies on parents anniversary. Birthdays were homemade cake and ice cream. School clothes were bought just before school started so you didn't out grow them. Grocery shopping was Friday night because it was payday. If you ran out of something, you were out until Friday.❤

I grew up on a farm in the 1940s and 1950s. We had no electricity or indoor plumbing until I was ten. We carried water from a spring, used coal oil lamps and an outhouse. Entertainment was family gatherings and church activities. In my early years we had a battery-operated radio that had good shows like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, etc. After we got electricity we were able to get a black and white TV which was a real treat. Anything purchased was a necessity. "Wants" were only for birthdays and Christmas. Almost all of our food was grown on our farm. We had "organic" food before people even knew what organic food was. I'm thankful for the way I grew up. I can pinch a penny til it squeals!

Next week I'll be 58 and everything you mentioned felt so sentimental. Gosh, life was so simple and wonderful!

Born in '69. You described my childhood. I'll add that more moms sewed, knit and crocheted. My mom made all our dresses and knit our sweaters for many years. She also always had a vegetable garden. We only got toys/presents for birthdays and Christmas. We had one phone, one tv, one car. 7 people in a very small 3 bed 1 bath. It was normal back then.

Yes! This describes my childhood. 4 kids and 3 bedroom house. We all shared a room. Such simple good days. What on earth happened?

I’m 67. Remember having one TV and one phone, and the TV was black and white? We ate almost every meal at home. Restaurants were for special occasions. All our clothes fit in small closets, and recreational shopping and fast fashion hadn’t been invented yet. Kids were expected to share bedrooms.

My mom made dresses for my sister and i.. i was the blues and my sister was the reds!

1969 here, 70s and 80s were stopping grounds, frugality is the days when people DIDN'T make it a mission to buy everything they wanted and not needed.. If we didn't need it it wasn't bought. I miss the 80s for many reasons.

I was born in 1968. My mom died when I was 3 yrs old. It made me tear up when you were talking about the memories you had of your mom. Thank you ❤

57 years old here I remember every one had a small garden in the summer and my Mom canned

excellent topic, smaller homes, 1 car, less clothing, normal size supermarkets, socializing with family and friends, enjoying game night, simple healthy meals. Neighbors knowing each other, becoming life long friends, helping each other out and the quality of everything, clothing, food, appliances was so much better, it was built to last. Enjoyed this very much Dawn, thank you

I was born in the 60s and raised in the 70s. Everything has changed. In school, girls were required to take home economics and boys shop class. So many of us didn't go onto college . We went on to marry , work have children. I never thought of being frugal. It was just a way of life. We worked, paid bills, and saved the rest to buy a car and home. The biggest thing is debt. We didn't have it. I was taught not only to know the price of everything but also the value of the item too . I still live that way. Great video

The Great Depression greatly impacted my grandparents and parents, so the emphasis was on buying a few high quality items that would last. I totally agree, it used to be considered highly impolite back 50 - 70 years ago to question people about their money, religion, or anything personal!

Bicentennial Baby here! My mom didn't work, my Dad was a custodian at the college, great benefits. When he passed away my mom received his teacher retirement benefits until she passed away almost 30yrs later. He made more money in 1985 than I did 2yrs ago! We never went out to eat. The first time I walked into a Dairy Queen was because I was applying for a job. We got jobs at 16 and gave half our paycheck to our parents. I was the poor girl in high school but thankfully my classmates never teased me about it. Same neighbors for years & yes we helped each other out. We only got 1 new pair of shoes & 2 outfits for school each year at Walmart. For fancy/church clothes it was JC Penney.

I was born in 1971. I can't remember eating out as a child or eating much junk food. I remember pure cotton sheets and pure wool blankets on our beds. I remember milk being delivered in bottles and food in general being a lot more basic, way less variety.

I grew up in 70’-80’s. I lived as the kid you did in some ways.

In the 1970s: > One roll of Paper towels lasted six months, unless you had a puppy. Rags were made from discarded clothing after removing zippers and buttons for later reuse. > Newspapers were used for window cleaning. > One bathroom, two was an extravagance. > One TV, couldn't imagine why anyone would want more than that. As a young couple had kids, they'd need a bigger one for family viewing and a few couples began to put the little/first one in their bedroom to watch Johnny Carson at 11.00pm. People ate dinner at 5.15 because family scripture reading was no later than 5.35, and news was at 6.00pm. In the 50s and 60s fathers went to their Den and listened to news on the radio. On Saturday and Sunday there were family shows on the radio. From the 30s-60s radio was king: Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys mysteries, Jack Benny, Amos and Andy, etc. > Kitchens were cleaned - Handwashed dishes, and if the couple still loved each other father would dry the dishes with a tea towel as mother handed them to him as they both listened to ragtime & jazz on the radio. Children did homework or read quietly in their rooms. During summertime you went outside to meet up with friends. When the streets lights went on, children had to return home. 8.00 was family movie time. In the 50s and 60s people went to the neighbor's house to watch TV because few people owned their own. Then bathtime, prayer time, and bedtime. > One overlooked secret to marriage longevity is for father to hide from his wife when she was 'on the fight.' This was the reason for Men's clubs, father's den, and the tremendous number of camping trips men went on. If things were seriously bad, men could go on retreats and/or join a monastery for up to six months. > Divorces were rarer then than suicides are now. > When mother had had it up to here and went 'missing,' people would give her a day or two, then go look in the church and find her there. Fasting was no big deal. Churches were opened around the clock and encouraged people to come in. Churches had a feeling to them then from all that prayer, they've lost it now. > Older women considered it their Christian duty to help young girls in life. They'd invite them out to luncheon (usually steak and salad), then take them clothes shopping. So that it was understood then that if an older woman asked you out, you always said yes because it meant new clothes (well, it meant she was going to buy you something.)

I was never allowed to ask an adult how much something cost 😱I did once and never did it again. My mother didn’t play

We still used our wringer washer and clothes line all through the 70’s and even into the 80’s

The old Slip and Slide in the back yard….fun memories. ❤

Tell Al Happy Father's day.

Back in the day,a family could easily survive on one income. These days,one person may be working three jobs just to barely afford to be homeless. Also,way back when, women had no rights at all. It wasn't until 1975 that a woman was allowed her own credit card in her own name.

I was born in 1956 and married in 1975. The world has changed so much since then and I have had to adjust along the way. I personally believe it was a much safer time for children. I like my cell phone, internet access, my computer and I imagine my grandchildren will look back to their childhood and remember the good old days. Take care.

Yep, I sometimes miss the 70’s.

It was easier to keep a tidy home because there wasn’t so much stuff to keep track of. We had enough.

I was born 1957 and life was simplified in the 1960's. Our parents were the original Minimalist back then. We had no excess in our small modest home and lived paycheck to paycheck. If I could go back, I would. Many lessons to be learned living minimally.

I came from generations of stay at home mothers. We all made things from scratch..junk food was for special occasions. We hung our clothes out early spring to mid fall. We never ate out. I have been to the mall 5 times. None of my grandparents, great grandparents or mother went to a mall or had a credit card. All my sisters are stay at home with only one income. Born in 77 and miss the 80s..mainly all my grandparents and great grandparents. You never ask about income because it was considered very rude.

I was born in 1940's. Mom was a stay at home Mom which I'm thankful for. She cooked 3 meals a day. Used a wringer washer + hung clothes on the line. She didn't have a clothes dryer till i was out of high school. Parents had 1 car. Mom had a garden + would can things. I remember when a McDonald's opened up in big town 30 minutes away. Dad said we could either have a hamburger or fries, not both. We got one main thing for Christmas. Mom would ask us prior what was on our wishlist. My Grandparents would give us a $2.00 bill every Christmas. Odd how I don't remember what gifts i got as a child except the $2 bills from Grandparents+ then a sled + later a childs table + chairs from our parents. My clothes were passed down to my sister. No malls. Saturday night Dad would drive our entire family to next small town where downtown had a few shops including a dime store. Sometimes we were allowed to buy something special like a candy bar. My parents would visit with other community folks while there.

My Dad owned a body shop and my mother was a dietitian and department head. Both of them worked before and during my childhood. But, I shared my bedroom with my great great Aunt till about just the end of my freshman year. I was born in the early 1960's. Summer school was a time when you could take classes for example and learn how to cook, sew and cake decorate or local history. I biked to the library, public swimming pool. Sometimes our family would go camping for a week up north in the summer. Treats were movies at the local movie theater, ice cream at the ice cream parlor, or pizza night and TV dinner nights when you had a babysitter. The TV dinners that came in aluminum trays and you pealed the corner off to bake the dessert. We had two cars.

I miss the 1960s and 70s so much. That was the time to be alive! The fun I would have. Rollerskating at the rink, swimming and barbeques at the lake and summer trailer. Sleepovers with girlfriends, popcorn, going to movies. Shopping at all the best Canadian stores like Simpsons, Eatons,kreskies, metropolitan... Babysitting for spending money, collecting pop bottles for cash. After grade 12, got my nursing degree and off to work fulltime mainly for the next 40+ years with not many brakes. Life was easier back then.

I was born in 1965 as well, but my parents were both born in 1924, and grew up during the Depression. So even though my parents did fairly well financially, my father always drove an old Volkswagen. His friends had Mercedes, Jaguars, and one even drove a yellow Ferrari. We only ate out two or three times a year, and were always behind the neighbors on luxuries like a color TV or microwave oven. But....nobody went hungry or lacked for necessities.

I was born in '53, wish life was still like what i knew in the 50's & 60's

I was born 1949. Boomer. Grade school was in 1950s. Graduated from high school 1967. Viet Nam War era. I currently live in a 1952 house. Huge acre back yard for my German Shepherd today. With a clothes line. I hang out things in summer to not use the dryer on hot days. Fun! We had skates to use on driveways. And a roller rink I attended as I got older as a teen. Skate lessons were $3 a session on a Saturday morning class for kids. Library I went to 2-3 times a month to get books. I was required all summer to learn new words and increase math skills daily. My grandmother lived with us in a 4-bedroom home. She was my tutor and had been a teacher and school principal in early 1900s. So each school year I was already ‘ready’ for school. I had to ‘work’ an hour each on reading and math. It paid off later in my life with better job positions. Bicycles were great exercise and fun! We had a public swimming pool and I could go with friends weekly as I reached age 10. A mother would drive us and chaperone. Snow cones were a good treat to buy at the pool concession stand. 10 cents each. It cost 35 cents entrance fee to swim. In grade school summers, I played with dolls, paper doll sets from 1940s that my sister had passed to me. My brother was 15 years older, my sister 10 years older than me. As we all got older, they moved out of house. I was like an only child. Little girls on my street and I played ‘dress up’ inside on rainy days each summer. Board games, old Maid cards, Rook card game we played also on bad weather days. We made up games of ‘school’ and ‘church’. We did attend church on Sundays, Vacation Bible School for 2 weeks, extended family 4th of July and Labor Day family reunions. My greatest joy was reading! As my vocabulary grew, I read more. I still read a lot today. I thank my Grandmother Harris for this wonderful gift of books! Playing outside daily, we pretended our bikes were horses! One mother made us Kool Ade pop cycles in ice trays as a treat! We would have lemonade and cookies baked by different Mom’s on our street. I watched no tv very young. As I got older, I could watch 30 minute show and as a teen, an hour show. I didn’t go grocery shopping often. Did have chores at $1 a day to learn discipline and responsibility. That $ was to save for my school clothes in Fall. I had to give 75 cents a week to church tithe. Attended no summer camps but did attend 2 weeks of Baptist Vacation Bible School each summer. They had crafts. No Boys or Girls Club activities in this small Ark town in until late 1960s. I also didn’t shop for clothes in summer. It was ourchases and put on my bed by Memorial Day weekend. I did attend 2 years private pre-school, ages 4 and 5. At age 5, my life changed. My brother died at age 20. My grandmother raised me. My father had businesses and was very successful. When Gran died, I was age 13 in 1962. This is another long story. So were they frugal? To some degree, yes. Our circumstances were very different. Stalwart

Im 56 my mom didnt have a dryer u til I was 9 yesrs old (1977)and she was the 3rd proud owner!it lasted for years&years! 2 children our cloth diapers were line dryed like every thing else, we survived!😊

As a millenial born in the 90s struggling with a well paying job im enjoying reading these comments. Its great to hear how people just learned to live with less and make do

Wow, the comments were very interesting to read. I was born in the 40's, and I remember a lot of what the community typed today. Thanks for entertaining reading.

I have great memories of Farrells 😊.I was born in the 60’s and I think 💭 you’re so lovely money mom. I just love to hear your voice and it makes me feel much better.I lost my mom recently and sadly this past 4 years has broken my family apart so I feel very isolated and listening to all of your memories lifts me right up . Sending you lots of love and blessings always 💙🙏

No man owned his own tools - he borrowed his neighbors. Father always had a Den - a room for study, sleeping on the sofa, and paying bills, no one was allowed in father's den except father. A good man was expected to: Know how to repair things. Play Pitch and Catch with his son. Teach his children how to fish. Take his son camping until his son was ready to solo camp in the backyard. Be the first man to tell his daughter she was beautiful. Skipper the motor boat while family and friends skiied behind. Smoke a pipe. Read those ridiculous foldout maps for road trips Mom's were expected to: Organize family picnics. (While dad taught fishing or pulled skiiers) Do absolutely everything to prep dad to BBQ. He just flipped the burgers and wore a 'Kiss the Cook' apron. Keep a firm eye on the bottom line of the family checkbook. Kiss it and make it all better, no matter what 'it' was. Answer all life's questions. Have breakfast in bed on Mother's Day and compliment the rubbery eggs and charred bacon.

I was born in 1946. We lived in a 2 bedroom bungalow with a one car garage in the back by the ally. There was one closet in the house about 3 feet wide. Our clothes were up in the attic. It was a very cold trek to the attic every morning to get ready for school when it was -30 below zero. But I would trade that childhood any day for what children have now. I had a coffee can filled with crayons, coloring books, and a handful of toys and I was content, loved, and happy. The adults around me made me feel safe. I could go to any one of them if I needed help. What do children have today? Empty neighborhoods, home alone while mom works to make ends meet, and video games. What a sad childhood!

I was born in 1968 and I truly miss growing up in the 70s and 80s. I am always having nostalgic memories of my past and growing up during those times. They were the best if you ask me. I even still watch all the tv shows from the 80s today. I remember riding my bike in town and going to the pay phone to call people. I had a blast going to the little gas station store in town on my bike and buying a small bag of candy with my own money.

I miss the slower pace of life of the 50s and 60s. Also, we had great fun playing in our neighborhood as kids, and we knew our neighbors. Much has changed over the decades, but the love for family, friendships and fun has endured.

I grew up in the 70's. I miss the music, the culture My house growing up, we had the one car, one bread winner (Dad) and things were simple. Going out to eat was a luxury only now and then type of treat. Neighbors all knew each other, trusted each other, and helped each out out. I do miss that time.

I'm in my sixties. We lived in council housing (govt. subsidised). My Dad was an invalid and Mum cleaned offices and cooked in a snack bar until 10pm. I washed dishes in a hotel kitchen until 10.30pm when I was 12 years old. We bought our first refrigerator when I was 8 years old and got a landline telephone when I was 16. It was a party line with a family who lived half a block away. If we picked up the phone we could hear their calls and had to wait until they finished. We had a twin tub washing machine, it had a tub to wash and a separate spinner at the side. When we first married we had the same and slept on a borrowed mattress from the US Navy. We survived and we didn't take anything for granted. I miss the music of the seventies but i don't miss heating the house with smelly paraffin oil heaters and one coal fire.

I will be 59 in August. I can relate to almost everything you say.

We had one car - a station wagon. We lived in the suburbs and my dad took the train into the city each day for work. I agree that many things were treats. Now it seems like everything can be had anytime. Neighbors did know one another.

Nobody talked about money, problems or their feelings! Life was more positive, happy and filled with music, being outside and riding a bike. Summer meant going to grandparents in Kansas and making homemade ice cream on the porch! Those were the days!!

I think the internet, social media and video games have changed so many memories. We found our entertainment. My best friend and I would play tennis in the street. We would jog together. I miss those simpler times. I just turned 58.

Our entertainment was visiting relatives and friends. We worked in ZAunt and Uncles garden. We helped or did dishes, and it was fun!

I grew up in the '70s, '80s and '90s...We lived on a farm and were very frugal...I remember freezing in the winter, because we couldn't afford blankets and we were on raintank water, so had to conserve water, so could only have a bath once a week...I remember being sick every Winter and feeling dirty and smelly in the Summer. Now, I'm so grateful I can afford blankets and a heater and I can have a hot shower every day. I never take it for granted.

My childhood in the 50s and 60s was very much how you described your own. The small bedroom closet my sister and I shared wasn't at all crowded despite holding both our clothes, along with shoes and our few toys and books. In our era girls had to wear dresses or skirts to school which we changed out of as soon as we got home. We always had rubber taps nailed onto the heels of our shoes to prolong their life. Living frugally allowed my parents to put us 3 kids through college on Dad's single income. Glad to have grown up in those times!

Born in 1965… Mom was a stay at home mom. My dad took the train into Chicago for work. We had 1 car only. Even with the car, in the summer, my mom and I rode our bikes to the grocery store (about 6 blocks away) and we got exercise and saved gas money. Nobody had walk in closets. Nobody had on suite big bathrooms with double sinks either. There was no McMansions back then. The average size home in the USA in the 1960’s was 1200 sf. Our house was 2200 sf so my friends thought we were rich. Lol. We had a 1 car garage. I had hand me down clothes. We made our own fun. Rode our bikes, played in the park etc. for fun… look up Sebastian Maniscalco. He has a funny comedic stand up where he talks about company 20 years ago (more like 40 years ago) versus company now. Hilarious !

I was one of 7 kids in a four bedroom ranch with one bathroom, at 58 with multiple bathrooms in our home I still feel pressure when getting into the shower to get cleaned up and get out, lol!

I too was born in '65-before buying new-my dad did his best to find a replacement part or fix it first. I remember things being more expensive than today...my first 20inch TV in '83 was $440 plus tax and a basic radio alarm clock $35. Inflation was really high in the 70's-My dad rec'd a call from the bank saying his savings account, just made 7% interest-did you want to do anything with it?? At that time he worked for the largest automotative comp-early 70's (hint hint)and his take home pay was $220 a week. My first real time office job-age 17-I took home $130 a week. When I moved out and found a place to rent-I paid $500 a month. You can share a home now in our area for $500-$650 per bedroom.

I remember the seventies I grew up in fhem. And I remember Farrells as well. We use to go there for my birthdays and my brother's and sisters we were all born in the same month Oct....so we would have a Halloween theme which I hated.....But it was good times then. I remember staying up late to watch Elvis on TV when he was in concert then....and I would sing his songs all around fhe house....those where good times.....😊😊😊

We polished and repaired shoes

I was born in 1951. My mother stayed at home. She made most of our clothes, cooked three meals a day, and took care of the house and yard. I don't remember ever hearing about money other than if we wanted something and it was too expensive. We went shopping when I was a teenager. We'd look at clothes, and my mother would copy them and make them herself. We lived in a small 3 bedroom, 1 bath house with 7 people in the house. My uncle would occasionally live with us, too. My dad was rarely home as he owned a construction company and had a race car. He'd leave for work before dawn, come home for dinner around 6, and then go work on the race car. They eventually built a huge garage in our backyard, so we'd get to see my dad while he was working on the car. We played outside most of the time. We'd ride our bikes all over the neighborhood and up to a little shopping center. No worries about being kidnapped. With my brothers, it would be the "Ransom of Red Chief," lol! Our town has become a cesspool. There are pockets of nice neighborhoods, but it's not safe in most of the town. Such a shame. Great video. Love to all, Linda 💕

Oh, the memories I miss those days so much really trying to live a simpler quiet life as I go into my 60s so tired of the stress, we have in the world now it's all so overwhelming, I am beginning to think the sweet spot of America was 70s 80s and 90s. I am very grateful that I was alive at that time and got to experience it. Great video Dawn!

Born 1970 in the UK . We would go in and out of our neighbours houses as the doors were left open , Had clothing bought for Christmas and Easter , shoes when needed , Went on outings with the whole neighbourhood on a bus , Went on picnics to local areas , had paddling pools which all the local kids used, you ate what your mum cooked or went without , Sunday tea was biscuits, cake , sandwiches and trifle . Frozen treats came out of the freezer , toys were only bought Christmas and birthdays, sweets once a week with your pocket money, clothes handed down from the community, jumble sales were a thing ,

50’s and 60’s! “Frugality” was not a choice - it just WAS!

Born in 1970, I remember all this.

I miss the card and board games. Used to play them after dinner. In terms of lifestyle, my family lived quite luxuriously back then. Ate out often, mum had housekeeper to help out. We had 2 cars. Only difference was we vacationed locally, only went abroad to visit family for weddings and funerals. My dad made a good wage but mum did side hustles too . She drove other kids to school when she dropped us off and got paid, did MLM sales at one time, tutored neighbourhood kids too.

I remember when we were one of the first families to have a VCR in the late 70s, and it worked perfectly for 25 years.

I misses songs of 1980.

We bought clothes at the beginning of the school year!

I was born in 72 so you are describing my childhood. And my mom was a stay at home mom

I still have my Mom's dresser.

Your life is my life! You are describing everything right to a tee! LOVED Farrells!!! The thing is, living a little simpler and interacting more on a daily basis with neighbors just made everything a little bit better.

I was born in 1953. We were much better off then. We had much less, but in reality we had much more.

I am older than you at 76. Forone thing we cooked from scratch because there wasn't many processe3d or convenience foods. There was a lot less food brand choices than today. Also if your toaster o record player or even your shoes needed fixed their were repairmen that would fix it. If your tv broke down a repairman would come to your home and fix it. One thing people did much more than now for free is go visiting friends, neighbors and extended family members. People kept in touch more and had the time to do it. Another thing that saved money was if you were sick you didnt have to go to the doctors, the doctor came to you and he usually had the medicine to give you right there and saved you from going to the drugstore to get a prescription filled.

When I grew up, everyone was frugal/poor. People couldn’t afford cars, heating, new clothes or hot water. Things improved in the 90s, and early 00s then everyone was poor again.

We made a yearly trip to Montana for usually a week to see family and camp. We camped for a week on the other side all week with our cousins. Now days no one can afford that..we camped almost every weekend and had bbq.

I grew up a lot like you, it was a lot simpler then.

I remember a mall in the early 70’s where i lived. It was exciting at the time but the downtown of the town suffered greatly, the shoes were so spot on, 3 pair! Appliances lasted so much longer back then!! My grandmother always said a good washer should last at least 20 years!

I live in Australia and am 56. I grew up in a variety of different houses, mainly 3 bed, 1 bathroom. As an adult I have had larger homes, however I am back in a 3 bedroom home. It does have 2 bathrooms but overall the house is small. Much easier to keep clean and tidy. I really miss the 70s and 80s. However I do like some of the things we have now, like the internet especially internet banking.

I was born 2968 one bedroom cottage two children mum and dad

Sounds like we grew up exactly the same😊

I grew up in Chicago and the roller rink was the height of social interaction on the weekends, along with the bowling alley. I had pom poms on my skates also. I used my allowance for all my activities. What the heck happened. Life was so much fun back then. Yes, everything was made so much better back then. We used the clothes line and we never talked about money either. When summer rolls around and I feel the warm breeze on my cheek it always reminds me of swimming in my friends pool and the music of the 70's. I had a wonderful childhood and I would have to say we were lower middle to middle class. My dad was the bread winner.

Wow you hit the nail on the head with all your awesome points. Brought back memories. And love reading the comments such good info

We had a Farrell's in Los Angeles in the mid 60's that closed late 70's. The big item for big deals was THE ZOO. A giant bowl of 20-40 scoops of ice cream and they put it on a gurney and they ran around singing your B-day song, COOL!

I grew up the same kind of way as you. Born in 1957, we visited family for vacations, my mother’s family was in KY and we were in MI. We went to grannies for vacation. Or Aunt and uncle in the southern part of the state. We always had a grand time. We also had a farm. It was “organic be for Organic was cool.

I hang out clothes today.❤ It was a different time. Yup you kept your business private. Unless it was close family but even then you married your partner and were expected to work it out if you had issues. Born After 1967 it became a freeer society. I find it strange to see how well dressed people were when they attended outings and concerts in the early to mid sixties. You dressed for dinner, you didn’t speak unless spoken to and you sat together for meals and had family time on Sundays.

Born in 1962, recently I was trying you to my/ explain to younger coworkers that life changed RADICALLY in the 1980s (and not for the better). I think that the main differences: a clear distinction between WANTS and NEEDS, going out to eat was a special treat, new clothes only at Easter and back to school, layaway instead of credit cards, DELAYED gratification.

To be honest, I miss that so many things are no longer a special treat, such as candy, soda, toys. Also, stay at home moms. Always someone in the neighborhood looking out for kids.

My grandparents were from the silent generation their house was very minimal and they kept the same furniture, dishes, and household items that they probably had since marriage, if they bought something it was because they needed it, they had one of those big console tvs and they used it until it finally stopped working probably in the late 90s. In the spare room we would sleep in when we visited they had a small tv that you had to get up to change the channel cause it had knobs lol this was also in the 90s.

I am 58..yes I miss all that. No one will play games with me . I just sit and watch you tube and my kid plays his video games. Sad .

I was born in '61 and had what might be called a confusing upbringing. Much of my growing up was in a family home we occupied for four generations though not all four generations at once. The house had been added onto so that it was quite large at 15 rooms not counting those in the basement. My father worked in insurance and we had a 200+ acre farm, yet very little cash, if my understanding is right. We had the appearance of affluence but were simply middle class, best as I can tell.(Money was not discussed even among ourselves and it should have been.) I wore some hand-me-downs and thought nothing of it; my clothes were in a dresser from my father's childhood; we didn't travel much and when we did it was by car and staying at a Holiday Inn. I didn't own much and can think of two occasions when I asked for something, didn't get it, but I didn't mind. We rarely went to movies or to restaurants. No one really taught me about finances and maybe I wasn't picking up what actually was being taught and I made mistakes, but nothing dire and, thanks be to God, I did learn good financial habits. When I was in my late 30's a somewhat older co-worker told me I acted like someone who had lived through the Depression. I take that as a compliment. I'm the kind of person who LIKES getting socks and underwear as gifts!

Goulash, spaghetti or meatloaf was a common Meal for many women. Today we are spoiled we make fancier dishes. My grandparents only ate out to support the legion. Mountain oysters were always on the menu 😋😛 Most women never drove. I was the second to drive in my family. Only one car..My husband and I had only one car the first 5 years but he was an over the road truck driver so he didn’t need a vehicle. I wear things until they can’t be worn or sewn up 😂 I was mainly raised by my grandmothers and great grandmother even though my mother was a stay at home mom she couldn’t handle three children 🙄

Our family went to the root beer stand on Friday nights in my moms station wagon. Cost was 5 cents each. When I was in junior high I started making my own clothes. Some fabrics were 35 cents a yard. This was late 50’s early 60’s