The Ultimate 1950s Housewife Guide

Love the idea of being a 1950s housewife? This is your ultimate 1950s housewife guide so you can start living life like a 1950s housewife but with all the benefits of modern life.

There is something about the idyllic 1950s housewife and homemaking that makes me want to clean and cook all day. One episode of The Donna Reed Show and I get an urge to clean my whole house in a cute dress and apron. And of course, have some delicious meal with several sides and a homemade dessert ready the moment my husband walks in the door.

Just like tv now isn’t always a great picture of an average housewife, not every 1950s housewife was like Donna Reed but it’s still a fun thought. It can also still serve as inspiration, just remember none of us are perfect.

I can’t tell you the last time I had a perfectly clean house and a 1950s television-worthy meal ready right on time. It is pretty awesome when I do though. Forget Martha Stewart, I want to be Donna Reed!

Maybe Lucy is a better role model because she often reminded us she wasn’t perfect. Like the episode where she is living like the pioneer days and bakes bread and doesn’t understand the recipe. I kind of wish you could bake that size loaf of bread. 

Either way, Donna Reed or Lucy it’s fun to find inspiration from 1950s housewives on tv. I also love reading homemaking magazines and books from the 1950s and it’s amazing how many of their tips we seem to have stopped using. They are still relevant today and I use them in my own home all of the time.

I’ve gathered so many 1950s homemaking tips that I wanted to share them with you all in one place. It will give you lots of homemaking motivation.

Read a few of these posts and then throw on a housedress, cute retro apron, and a 1950s playlist and get busy making your house a home! You may feel just a bit like Donna Reed by the time you are done.

1950s Housewife Guide

Getting Started

• How to Be a 1950s Housewife
• 1950s Homemaking Rules You Should Follow
• How to Stop Procrastinating with Tips from the 1950s
• Betty Crocker’s Homemakers’ Creed
• Join the Retro Homemakers Club

Cleaning Tips

• Household Tips from 1950s Housewives
• 7 Cleaning Hacks from 1950s Housewives
• How to Do Your Spring Cleaning Like a ’50s Housewife

Homemaking Routines

• 1950s Housewife Morning Routine
• 1950s Cleaning Schedule

Cooking

• 10 Helpful Cooking Tips from 1950s Housewives
• Amazing Old-Fashion Cake Recipes
• Vintage Recipes Made Modern
• 1950s Meal Plans
• Cooking Vegetables Like a 1950s Housewife

Frugal Living

• How to Save Money on Groceries Like a 1950s Housewife
• Green Tips from 1950’s Housewives
• Vintage Homemaking Skills That Save You Money
• Vintage Frugal Tips for Today

Fashion

• Online Vintage Clothing Stores Guide
• Building a Vintage-Inspired Wardrobe
• Ditch the Yoga Pants, Embrace the House Dress

This page is a great 1950s housewife reference and will be updated often so be sure you pin it so you can check back often. And if you have any 1950s-loving friends be sure to share it with them as well.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 1950s HOMEMAKING?

Sign up below for the free 1950s Quick Start Guide. You will get a lot of great 1950s tips and inspiration. I also send a few emails a week with tips and tricks that can help you with your home, including more 1950s goodies.