Dad Was A Depression-Era Baby and It Showed

Hi again, my family, friends, foes, fiends, and all of you funky folks!

Today, I want to take a little trip down my memory lane and talk about my dear old Dad. He was born and raised in Southern California during the Great Depression, and let me tell you — those years shaped him in ways that lasted his entire life. He was the definition of frugal, a man who could stretch a dollar further than a postal rubber band in a slingshot.

Growing up in the 1930s and ’40s meant scarcity was the norm. Jobs were hard to come by, money was tight, and every penny counted. That mentality stuck with him, even when times got better. Some might call it being cheap — but nah, it was survival wisdom passed down through necessity.

So, in honor of my dear old Dad, here are some classic examples of how being a Depression-era baby made him one of the kings of thriftiness.

1. The Art of Reusing Everything

My dad didn’t believe in “disposable.” If something could be reused, it would be reused.

• Aluminum Foil? Wash it, dry it, fold it, reuse it.
• Plastic Bags? Rinse ’em out, hang ’em to dry, use ’em again.
• Old Jars & Containers? Instant Tupperware.
• Dad was the Hartz Mountain Distributor in St. Louis, and the jars of birdseed that he kept were filled with nuts, bolts, nails and screws. (Naturally in St. Louis, with humidity around 90% all the…