There are jokes about it taking forever to find anything in Big Mama’s refrigerator because all of her food is stored in old butter and cool whip containers, but we can actually take a lesson from her smart thinking.
#1: She Wrote Down Every Expenditure
One thing Big Mama always did was write down exactly how much money she had and exactly how much money she spent. We call that zero-based budgeting these days, but the idea was that if you had anything left over you did something with it - gifts, church donations, savings, etc.
#2: She Paid Attention To Her Light Bill
Big Mama didn’t just make you turn off her lights and keep the door closed. She hung her clothes outside and washed and dried dishes by hand because she understood that keeping utility bills low was a major way to keep money in your pocket.
#3: She Paid In Cash
Big Mama believed in paying for things in cash. It helped her see her spending in real time, and it made financial decisions easier. If she didn’t have the money, she didn’t spend it.
How we do business and the value of things is always going to change, but one thing remains true: saving money and watching how we spend our money will never go out of style.