Economy of the household was key for most of our families over the years. Especially during the Great Depression, but even in the decades after, many of our parents and grandparents tried their very best to avoid wasting anything. And, if your parents and grandparents were anything like mine, there were many items that they did not throw away. Unlike today, these items were used until they were all the way gone.
1) Jars & Containers
Large or small, boxes, tins, jars, and containers were saved. For bits and bobs, they served well. Fruit crates were used as furniture, scrap wood, or as planter boxes. Coffee cans, once empty, became grease cans. Jars were the most useful, but of course they bought fewer jars back then because they did so much of their own canning.