Put Spuds In Your Shoes - The First Step To A Bunion-free, Thrifty Future
Sydney Morning Herald
14 June 2008
Lisa Pryor
I have been raking over the home hints in old newspapers. Merv, of Oakleigh, says that to make biscuits and stale potato chips crisp, "cook them in the microwave oven for 15 seconds, and allow to stand for a further 15 seconds".
Barbara, of Moorebank, says to cover chipped enamel on white baths and stoves, "simply paint on two coats of typing correction fluid". Mrs O'Reilly, of Narrandera, has a suggestion for too-tight shoes. "Simply place a potato inside for a few days. You will be surprised at how easy they will then feel."When we are old what handy hints will we have to offer? "If potato chips have gone stale, chuck them out and buy fresh ones, or even better, eat out at a cafe." "To fix a chipped enamel bath, take advantage of a 24 months, interest-free deal and renovate the whole bathroom so it matches what's in the design magazines this year." "For tight shoes, spend $15 on Party Feet Gel Cushions, then change your mind, kick the shoes to the back of the wardrobe and buy a new pair which are nicer anyway."Though it is the custom of our tribe to mock frugal housewifely ways of the past, I wonder whether the time has come to revive them. Though I find it much easier to preach than to practise, there must be value to be found in the thrifty mindset in which you can solve virtually any problem with a few rubber bands, some soap scraps and an old margarine container. As we pay more for food, petrol, mortgages and credit cards, to the point where once proud people are forced to drink water from taps rather than bottles, this kind of mindfulness once again has a place.Last month a report called For A New Thrift: Confronting The Debt Culture was released in the United States. Drawn up by a number of expert panels, including the conservative Institute for American Values, the report lamented the decline of pro-thrift institutions such as community credit unions and saving clubs and the rise of anti-thrift institutions such as credit card companies, lotteries and pay day lenders, developments which disproportionately affect people who are already struggling. As The New York Times columnist David Brooks put it this week, the social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined over the past 30 years. "The country's moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money."For A New Thrift calls not only for better regulation of the more nefarious lenders but also a public education campaign for thrift, not unlike those aimed at reducing smoking and drink driving. It won't be the first time. The report reproduces a poster from 1929 which reads: "Real thrift is the saving and intelligent use of health, time and property of all kinds, including money."Best of all, the revival of thrift would be great for the environment. Crotchety penny pinchers who don't give two hoots for nature can be much better for the planet than ecologically savvy hipsters who are constantly travelling around and buying things. You know, taking eco trips to Borneo, chucking away their hatchbacks to buy hybrids, shopping for designer tops made from organic cotton and subscribing to magazines about ecological living.Surely it is missing the point to think that jumping on the environmental bandwagon means buying heaps of cool new consumer durables which reflect the spirit of the new age. If we really want to save the world, we should be emulating the Bevs, Dots and Velmas.Although I am not sure I am ready to listen to all their handy hints just yet. Especially the ones involving old pairs of pantyhose. One inventive tip which I found particularly creepy comes from The Sun-Herald of December 8, 1991: "A tiny piece of pantyhose attached to the spike on a mousetrap before the cheese, will guarantee a catch because the claws will tangle." I suppose we should just be thankful the writer did not suggest frying up the mouse with leftover lard to create a tasty and economical snack.
