When we think of 50’s housewives eco-friendly isn’t the first thing we think of but maybe it should be! Many of their skills and habits translate perfectly for the homemaker looking to go green.
Housewives in the ’50s wouldn’t have even known the term “go going green” but they still did many green things. While consumerism was becoming a bigger thing post-war, housewives were still quite resourceful.
Their moms lived through the Great Depress and WWII, they learned how to make do or do without. Much of this was handed down to the next generation. And over time we have lost a lot of these skills and values.
I believe we can learn many valuable lessons from 50’s housewives and one of those is how to be greener. With this being Earth Month it’s the perfect time to add some of these vintage eco-friendly habits into your life. The best part is these things are also great for helping you save money.
Green Tips from 1950’s Housewives
They Reused Things
Clothes were repaired until they couldn’t be anymore and then were turned into other things, at some point often becoming rags. Jars and such were turned into storage containers. You didn’t just simply throw useful items away.
The average U.S. person now consumes twice as much as they did just 50 years ago. All of that added waste is coming at a cost for our budgets and the planet.
Addition Reading: 9 Things My Grandma Never Threw Away
They Had Smaller Homes
Since the 1950’s the average size of homes has more than doubled, even as the average family size has decreased. The average size home in the 1940s and 1950s was 1,100 square feet, in 2002 it was 2,340 square feet.
Bigger homes mean more resources for building and to run the home. While a 1,100 square foot home may seem far to small for your family, many of us could do with much less space than we have. My husband and I bought a home built in 1963 last year and it’s 1,350 square feet. We wouldn’t mind having a bit more storage space but we are looking into adding some storage space in the attic to take care of it.
Overall having a smaller home has been great. It takes less time to clean, it takes less to heat and cool, and we actually use the space we have.
Additional Reading: Reasons to Consider a Smaller Home
They Drove less
While the ’50s did see more family buying cars and more roads being built, people did still walk more often than we do now. Second cars were very uncommon so housewives often walked their kids to school and for errands.
Now the average American family owns 2.28 vehicles. It is predicted by some that this trend will change but for now, it’s still the norm.
Bottom Line: Waste Less and Buy Less
Overall, there was just less stuff consumed and less single-use items in the 1950s. Ironically the 1950s is when happiness also peaked. Our increased consumption hasn’t seemed to make us any happier and is doing a number on the planet.
Buying quality items, using less, and using things until they can not be used anymore would do us all a lot of good. Imagine what it could also do for your budget.
Being retro housewife isn’t just about cute clothes, having a clean home, and all of that, it can also be about helping the planet.
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TerriC
I often say that we have a small house. It’s 1100 square feet. The truth is it’s roughly the same size home I’ve lived in for the past 30 years but it’s small by today’s standards. There are just two of us in the home so it’s a nice fit for us. However, we raised FIVE kids in our 1100 sq. foot home, so we know what it’s like to be ‘at capacity’ and still fit a few more in. Funnily enough, friends with much larger homes have always loved coming to out little house, lol.
Karrie
It’s crazy just looking back even 20 years how much more we consume in general. I’m only 45, but the pace of it all makes my stomach flip.
We need more balance, less waste. I almost feel guilt entering, but have hemmed and hawed over similar straws and know they’d be used.
blossawe
I am doing this after getting married- savings and first using the stuff I have before buying anything new 🙂
TJ
Don’t forget, we also got milk in glass bottles that were washed and refilled. We didn’t have bottled water, at all. If we wanted water to go we refilled a glass soda bottle, jelly jar, mason jar, etc. Most of us bought or rented one or two phones that we kept for 50 years. We didn’t get a new one every 2 years and then dispose of toxic batteries. We re-wore clothing more than most people in this generation, and often line dried them. Like the article said, most families had one car so errands were run together, and you saw multiple people in cars back then which also created time to converse with family since people didn’t have their faves buried in their phones (like I do right now). We kept our home temperature pretty cool in winter and wore layers for warmth, and warm in summer, very few people had AC. We repaired appliances rather than replacing them. There weren’t new and improved models every year making us feel like ours were obsolete.
SCA
That’s all great when women/wives didn’t work outside the home. Now, women have the majority of the housework, childcare and cooking. I sincerely wish I could implement all of the 50s techniques
Lisa Sharp
I totally understand I run a full-time business. It’s not about being perfect or doing it all, it’s just learning from the past and using the tips that work for us. Every little bit helps.