The first article is one that made me think of the adage, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
Because…it is about how, at the time, baby boomers were complaining about how generations before them had it way easier financially.
And this made me giggle a little because the tune of current generations is, “Oh, the baby boomers had it so much easier than we do!”
Apparently, we always believe the previous generation was strolling down easy street.
Amy shares a bunch of financial facts which show that in a lot of ways, the then-current generation was not worse off, and that part of the problem was inflated lifestyle expectations.
I am not up-to-date enough on current statistics to know if this is still true or not, but I want to highlight two of her main points:
- We do have some control over how we spend our money; not all of this spending is forced on us.
- There is little point in obsessively focusing on “how much easier” some other generation had it. It’s better to spend your energy figuring out how to maximize your current circumstances.
This kind of reminds me of my habit of asking myself, “What CAN I do?”. Because I’d rather feel empowered than helpless.
How does your food budget compare?
Amy shared the USDA’s Cost of Food at Home chart for 1993, and of course, she and her family came in WAY below even the thrifty plan.
I was curious to see the current numbers, so here’s the Thrifty plan for May 2025.
And here are the other plans for May 2025 (notably, there is a separate one for Hawaii and Alaska, which I have not included here!)
I believe this only includes actual food and beverages, not other items like paper products, cleaning products, toiletries, and so on.
Although I share my grocery totals each week, I actually haven’t kept good track of my monthly food expenses lately. So I’m not sure off the top of my head where I land on the chart. However, I know for sure I don’t spend the liberal amount ($95/person/week) and I also don’t usually spend the moderate amount ($74.80/person/week).
Maaaybe I should keep track for a few months, just for fun!
Ooh! A DIY anti-static spray
A reader wrote in to say that you can mix one part fabric softener with 20 parts water to make an anti-static spray.
I googled to see if other people have tried this, and I came across a lot of articles recommending it.
This one suggests a 1 cup water: 2 tablespoons fabric softener ratio, with the addition of 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol (to help the mixture evaporate faster once sprayed).
I don’t use a lot of anti-static spray, but occasionally I haul out my can of Static Guard, especially for my black long-sleeved dress that I often wear to the symphony.
The commercial spray is kind of smelly, though, and it’s aerosol, so this DIY version seems like a great alternative!
I will give it a try when my can is used up.
Refrigerator bread dough
Interestingly, Amy wrote a whole feature about how awesome the Betty Crocker refrigerator dough is, but then didn’t include the recipe.
However, a quick Google search turned up this forum where someone shared it.
Amy says the batch her husband makes is whole wheat, so I think they must have modified it; the original seems to be all white flour.
If you want to try it with whole wheat flour, I’d probably start with a 50/50 ratio of white and whole wheat flour, and then modify from there.
Amy says the dough is good in the fridge for five days, and you can just take out whatever amount you want, shape it as you wish, let it rise, and bake it.
This idea piqued my interest because I have a very small household now, which means that most yeast baking produces too much bread.
But if I adopted a refrigerator dough habit, I could have fresh bread on the regular. I might try this!
It reminds me a little of the Six-Week Bran Muffins that were popular in the 80s, except this is more versatile. Six-Week Bran Muffins are sort of a one-trick pony…you can have muffins, muffins, or muffins. 😉
Tricia
Monday 18th of August 2025
For my husband and I, the total thrifty plan would be $547/month. On average we spend $273/month, and that does include cleaning products, paper products and toiletries. We live in rural Maine.
teresa
Sunday 27th of July 2025
the boomers are 1946 to 1964! as i am the first of the baby boomers bo4n 1946, i grew up with parents and a grandmother who lived thru the depression. my grandmother would make dinner from scratch (not the meat, but pretty much every other part of the dinner), growing tom, veg, basil corn, potatoes etc. she made the dough for pizza and canned tom for the sauce. she sewed holes in our socks and all other clever ideas to save money! it helped that my bc my dad owned a small grocery store and took home the meats, eggs, milk at a discount! he to was frugal! when things had to be fixed around the house, he did what he knew best - after my parents passed away and i cleaned the housse out i saw many of my dad's handymans frugality - some were pretty funny! all in all, here i am 78 and when my daughter was born i went to thrft shops, tried to sew some clothes for her and me, budgeted dinners etc did alot of diy in the house.. well today, between helping family out all the time, financially, my fruigality has gone out the window! the way i see it, maybe i have a place in heaven bc i'm not spending the money on myself!!! at my age, i'm not worrying! good luck to everyone here!
Colleen
Friday 25th of July 2025
I don’t think that my baby boomer sisters , friends, and I think that our parents had it easier than us. Our parents lived through the Depression and World War 2. Some immigrated to Canada to start over after WW2. But I do think that younger people have a harder time getting ahead than most of my generation did. About 50 years ago, when I was attending UBC in Vancouver, BC, my first year tuition was about $464, and we could get summer jobs that covered most if not all of our expenses for school. I looked up the cost of first year tuition now and it is over $6000. In the seventies and early eighties, rent was very affordable in Vancouver, not so now. Also, getting summer jobs to cover the school year expenses isn’t always easy. No wonder post secondary graduates are drowning in student debt. Of course, some students benefit from education saving plans or family financial help. And then there’s the cost of buying a home nowadays…
Book Club Elaine
Thursday 24th of July 2025
As a baby boomer who spent a career working with baby boomers, I confess, we are a generation of complainers. Amy was right then and is definitely still correct. Her points are timeless. As a young mom, I used to check the USDA food spending guidelines every few years and they were always way above my food budget. I always wondered if they polled real people to get the numbers. My husband signed up for a nutrition study during the bran heyday and was paid to eat nothing but bran muffin for an entire month. Bran is one thing he refuses to eat.
Book Club Elaine
Thursday 24th of July 2025
@Kristen, yes!
Book Club Elaine
Thursday 24th of July 2025
@Kristen, he worked for USDA, which sponsored the study and paid him for his participation.
Kristen
Thursday 24th of July 2025
Oh my goodness, seriously nothing but bran muffins morning, noon, and night???
Selena
Wednesday 23rd of July 2025
While I am lumped in with the "boomers", I think those born 1960-1964 are NOT the same boomers as those born earlier. I do think 1946-1959 boomers are spoiled and a bit entitled - honestly they grew up during the best US economy in history. Most got jobs that qualified them as middle class (read: before the war on the middle class/unions started). I also think the oldest boomers are particularly selfish and have little to no empathy for others. We'll see how the dinks do once they "get old". One set of dinks on my side of the family who won't be hung out to dry in their old age. Better half's side of the family - good luck Chuck. You're not going to inherit (dinks) and those that purchased their kids, I doubt either will be there for you when you need help. To be blunt, I don't blame the kids - an example of why some people just should have kids. I'm proud to say I've remained a Middle Class Mabel despite raygun and after's best attempt to make me low income. Wages have not kept up with inflation - there is no denying this. Federal minimum wage is woefully out of touch and far too many states use that.
Juhli
Thursday 24th of July 2025
@Selena, wow, you have stereotyped an entire generation. As an older boomer I suggest you reconsider your conclusions.