Thrifty Thursday: Use It Up Wear It Out Make It Do or Do Without

Use it up 

Wear it out 

Make it do or Do without

Did you grow up seeing or hearing this saying?  It was posted on a wall at home during my growing up years.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without:  The basis of this actually came from WW2 as I am finding out.  I found a poster from that era here.

So why is this such timeless advice?  It teaches accountability and resourcefulness.  It teaches thrift and industry.   It saves money and resources!

A family's financial resources are limited (whether it is a small or large amount, it is still limited at some point).  Taking this saying to heart will help us make better use of what we have been given.  If we are given something (or buy it) and know we will need to make it last as long as possible, it is likely we will care and maintain it better than if we felt it was disposable or easily replaceable.  We become better stewards of what we have been blessed with, and therefore, I think, are happier.

Use it up:  we need to store what we will eat and then eat what we store--we need to rotate it into our meals so we are aware of preparing techniques, of the tastes and our reactions to the food (before it may be too late--who wants to find out they are allergic to wheat or something during an emergency???--or that we just can't stomach it without discomfort, etc.). This also applies to non-food items.  We can not only use up what we have but use what we have wisely.  We can do better at not letting things go to waste because we don’t use it all or use it properly.

Wear it out, Make it do:  Clothes, appliances, cars, etc are all expensive enough.   By maintaining and properly caring for items, we can help make things last longer.  Have you ever fixed something--doesn't it feel great--especially when the fix costs lots less than replacing.  Refinish, reupholster, remake, reuse, redo, or repurpose items to get more mileage out of them.

Or do without:  what are our needs?  our wants?  To really live providently, we need to be out of debt or at least actively getting out of debt.  If we haven't yet discerned between needs and wants, we may find that task hard to achieve.  Whereas if we are living based on our needs and not our wants, we will be able to do better at not incurring more debt and getting out of any debt we may already have incurred.  Living within our means infers that our expenditures are less than our income(s).  When we live within our means, whatever those means may be, and pay our tithing (always!) we will be much happier than if we were to not.  In regards to tithing:  

During the April 1982 General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley teaches us:  “Now, do not get me wrong. I am not here to say that if you pay an honest tithing you will realize your dream of a fine house, a Rolls Royce, and a condominium in Hawaii. The Lord will open the windows of heaven according to our need, and not according to our greed. If we are paying tithing to get rich, we are doing it for the wrong reason. The basic purpose for tithing is to provide the Church with the means needed to carry on His work. The blessing to the giver is an ancillary return, and that blessing may not be always in the form of financial or material benefit.” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1982, 60; or Ensign, May 1982, 40)--emphasis was already added in the talk. 

His talk also gives a great example of a family who, despite their own efforts, could not reduce their debt until they began being full-tithe payers.  We need the blessings of the Lord, and He does bless us when we do all that He has asked.  See the link for the May 1982 Ensign to read his whole talk about tithing and the blessings we receive when we obey this commandment.