Frugal Friday: Lessons from my Grandpa - Part 1
As some of you know, my grandpa died last Saturday. We traveled out of town on Wednesday to attend his funeral and while listening to his eulogy, I was struck again with what a great example of he was--especially in the area of using his money wisely. Over the next few weeks, I wanted to share just a few of the lessons he taught me as it relates to frugality:
1) My grandpa was an incredible example of diligence. Never one to shirk responsibility, from the time he was a young boy up until late in his life, he always held at least two jobs. Even when he didn't need to work anymore and could have comfortably retired, he chose to continue working.
He was never idle and was always engaged in some type of project around their home--fixing something, building something, or drawing up plans for the next project. I don't know that he ever called a repairman for anything as he would just find a way to fix things himself. And if you needed something fixed, he was the person to go to for help.
Even when he was over eighty years old, he would get up at the crack of dawn each morning to take a long walk and get on with his day. Up until the last year of his life, he was a very healthy man and I think his diligence was one reason.
2) My grandpa always looked for the best deal. When we went through his house this week, we found stockpiles of laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, peanut butter, canned goods, coffee, and much more--all things he had bought in bulk when he'd found a good sale. I doubt he ever paid full price for anything.
He was constantly on the lookout for ways to get a better deal and make his dollars go farther. Even when later in life he was in a great position financially and could have afforded a much more lavish lifestyle, he still shopped at Aldi and lived simply.
For as long as I can remember, he collected aluminum cans. He'd find them on his morning walks or stop and pick them up when he was out and about. He discovered that once a year, you could get a much better price for aluminum, so he'd save all his cans and bring them in on that day. We were always amazed at how many cans he would collect in a year's time and the profit he made off of them was quite hefty!
There were so many little things like this that he did which, though they might seem so small, added up to substantial savings for him. And while he never had a high-paying job, by being very careful with his money, he was able to save enough so that later on in life, he and my grandma never had to worry about anything.
To be continued next week...
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Labels: Frugal Friday
posted by Crystal Paine at 7:59 AM
27 Comments:
Thank you for sharing, Crystal. I'm sorry you lost your Grandpa. It sounds like he was a wonderful man.
Thanks so much for sharing the wonderful things about your Grandpa. I am so sorry for your great loss. What a wonderful legacy he has left those that loved him.
Blessings,
Vickie
What a sweet story! Our generation has much to learn from that generation!
Hi Crystal! I am very sorry for your loss. You grandpa sounds like a very wise man.
What a beautiful testament to your grandfather. Its amazing the lessons we can learn from the generations that went on before.
I am sure your frandfather learned alot being brought up during the depression.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
I'm so sorry about your grandfather Crystal. It sounds like he lived a rich and full life and was a blessing to your family!
Crystal, I'm so sorry about your Grandpa. I'm already enjoying this series, as he sounds like he was a wonderful and wise man. I'm sure he will be missed.
I'm sorry for the loss of your grandfather. What you shared about him made me consider, once again, that my daily life leaves a legacy for my children either good or bad. I want to leave a legacy of diligence!
I'm very sorry to hear for your loss.
I'm glad to hear you have good memories with him, and have learned some great lessons!
I can't wait for the next installment. What a beautiful way to honor your Grandfather. We all have a lot to learn from him; thank you so much for sharing!
I'm sorry to hear that you lost your dear grandpa. He sounds like a truly wonderful man and I am sure you and your family will miss him very much.
I am very sorry to hear about your Grandpa. My family's thoughts are with you.
Homemaker Barbi
My grandfather meant alot to me too.
This was a great entry!
I'm so sorry to hear about your Grandpa. I lost my Grandpa in March and understand your loss. He, too, was a wise and frugal man and will be missed as your Grandpa will be missed.
During the past 2 years our family has had the privilege of caring for my Grandfather, up until his death, and my Grandmother, who is still bedridden and in need of care. We learned so much from them while living in their house caring for them and asking them questions about their past. We learned so much about our heritage and my grandparents life!
May we all learn from our grandparents and parents while there is still time.
In Him,
Laralee
http://www.PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
Crystal~I'm sorry for the loss of your Grandpa. My prayers go up for you and your family.
Thank you for sharing...it will be neat to learn from his ways.
Lots of love,
Sommer
Crystal,
I am so sorry to hear this news. May God rest his soul and may His Almighty Heart strengthen and comfort your family.
Love,
Jessica
I'm sorry about your grandpa, Crystal.
I am so sorry for your loss. I completely understand because I lost my grandpa 3 years ago and I think of him almost everyday. He too stockpiled things. This post was so timely because just this last week I started a "book" for my children to tell them about my grandpa so that even though they will never know him here on earth that they can know the memories I have of him and what an incredible man he was!
Crystal, I am so happy I found this blog. I read your other one and love it. I am sorry for your loss. He sounds like he was an amazing man :)
-Amanda
Crystal, sorry about your grandpa. I just lost my own grandpa 2 weeks ago. He taught me so much too. So full of wisdom.
What a great series of posts to do in his memory. I look forward to them.
were you aware that you could register your cvs card with UPromise and start saving for your kids college! free money!
My condolences, Crystal. Your grandfather sounds a lot like my late father.
Hello Crystal, I am so sorry for your loss. Keep you in my prayers tonight Dana
I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing his wonderful wisdom.
He sounds like a wonderful man! Actually, he sounds a lot like my husband.
I am truly blessed to be married to someone who is *so* frugal and *so* wise with money. Our children and grandchildren are really going to benefit from that, and I hope one day they will write tributes to Josiah like you wrote for your grandpa. :)
I am so sorry to hear of your Grandfather's passing. What a blessing he has been to you. That's wonderful!!!
Love,
Heather - Doodle Acres
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