What ultra cheap thing did your parents do when you were a kid?

They made us drink powderd milk when milk back then was only $1.65 a gal.

Nothing actually

would wearing socks as mits qualify?

They had a plastic xmas tree in which they used for 10 years until the thing started falling apart................

My mom would buy her clothing at thrift stores and other second hand places, twice a year, just to make sure my sister and I got the things we needed. Also, we were only allowed to by toys from garage sales in the neighborhoods.

Learned what a dollar meant long, long ago

I think so

My dad was too cheap to buy a new battery for his old worn out pick up when I was a kid. He would park it and then it wouldn't start so he always parked on a hill, and never drove at night. When it wouldn't start, he carried his chan saw with no bar and chain. He would pull the alternator belt, wrap it on the chain drive of the saw, and run the alternator enough to give tha battery enough power to start the truck. once started the alternator had enough power to saturate the coil and keep it running. This went on about 2 weeks before he finally bought a battery.

Dollar movies. Bastards!!!

oodles of noodles for breakfast lunch and dinner... for a while and seaching the house for pennys for milk

had to wash out ziploc bags

Hand-me-down cloths.

But then my folks didn't make a lot of money.

When my mom and aunt would take me, my sister and my two cousins out to eat, like at Dairy Queen or McDonalds, they would bring their own slices of cheese to save a dollar or so.

We did that

we just didnt go to the movies lol

no sugar in my oat meal and on a good day, wheat puffs. ack.

Waited till the nieghbors thru thier christmas tree out then we would put that up and have christmas

cloth diapers, and lots of mac and cheese with peas and hotdogs/grilled cheese

How much do you really want to know?
I could list a few dozen things, that are either unbelievably cheap, or thrifty, or cheap and sensible.