Wisconsin Homesteader

Simple Old Fashioned Activities for an Old Fashioned Lifestyle

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Life in the good old days was full of heartache and hardships, but it also had a lot of good in it too. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the common norms of the old fashioned lifestyle that should be brought back to today’s modern world.

simple old fashioned life

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been intrigued with the old fashioned lifestyle. I dreamed of being Laura Ingalls, and often spent my childhood summers barefoot, dressed in sundresses with a sunbonnet and playing “Little House”. We had a clothesline that we hung our washboard scrubbed clothes out on, an old milkhouse served as our cabin, and old pots and pans were our play things. Our beds were made of gunny sacks stuffed with old straw, covered with old patchwork quilts. It was a wonderful childhood- and I can remember wishing even then that it could last forever.

But of course it couldn’t. I grew up and started in on the journey of life in today’s modern world. And once again, I started to find myself yearning once more for that old fashioned lifestyle that existed in this world 100+ years ago. I began to wonder how I could make it possible to live the life that others lived before the world evolved into what it is today. The question continued through my mind: How do you live an old fashioned lifestyle?

Living an old fashioned lifestyle means to live simply, within your means, and by doing as much as you can with your own two hands. An old fashioned lifestyle isn’t an easy path, but instead is full of hard work and labor to survive.

By adding some of these old fashioned norms into your modern day life today, you’ll be well on your way towards creating an old fashioned lifestyle for yourself.

Table of Contents

Trading and Exchanging

For many living in the olden days, money was tight and homestead items were worth just as much as the dollar. It was common practice to trade labor, garden vegetables, meat, eggs, or milk for other items you may be in need of.

In today’s world, this isn’t common practice. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! Contact local farmers or go to your local farmer’s markets to connect with others in your area. Then, find out what you might have or make that you could trade. Perhaps you make homemade soap and could trade that for eggs. Or maybe you sew or crochet and could trade handmade washcloths for vegetables. Think about what you can produce at home that would be worth similar value for what you want and would provide value to the recipient too.

Some items to consider trading could include:

  • Eggs
  • Dairy Products
  • Home baked goods
  • Homemade breads
  • Homemade jellies and jams
  • Canned salsas and other vegetables
  • Vegetables you have in abundance
  • Fruits you have in abundance
  • Maple syrup
  • Honey
  • Meat
  • Handmade items
  • Labor services (mowing lawn, weeding gardens, etc.)

Always be considerate of the person you’re asking before you offer a trade deal. Like I said, it’s not common practice in today’s world to trade items for anything besides a dollar, but there are people out there who are willing to live the old fashioned lifestyle of trading goods for goods instead.

Simplify Your Belongings

The homesteaders of the past weren’t quick to buy things just because something newer and shinier appeared in stores. They bought something new because it was needed. In our current society, the world tends to tell us to buy something just because it’s the new and improved version, even if the one you have currently works just fine. To live an old fashioned lifestyle, you’ll want to simplify your belongings, avoiding the trap of buying just to buy. Stick with the bare necessities and keep things that have meaning, value, and bring you joy. It’s not easy when the world is telling you that you need these items to be happy, but most of the time, you’ll be just as happy even without it.

Learn To Be Ok with Silence and Being Alone

We have a lot of options for entertainment today. We could flip on the TV, scroll through your phone on social media websites or news websites, watch Youtube, listen to the radio, read a book or magazine, text friends…And because of it, many have become uncomfortable with silence and being alone.

Don’t believe me? Look at people waiting to do anything…many will have a phone in their hands to occupy even a few minutes. What about you? Are you comfortable sitting in silence for 5-10 minutes on a porch? In a chair? Even on the toilet?

It will take some adjusting to, but learning to live once again without needing a distraction is possible! Entertainment wasn’t a practical or affordable option for many families who spent most of their time working for the family on the homestead or farm. And that makes sense, as time spent entertaining yourself is time taken away from other activities. To live a more old fashioned lifestyle, consider simplifying your means of entertainment and learning to be ok with silence and being alone. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you notice about the world around you.

Raise Your Own Meat and Grow Your Own Produce

In the olden days, raising your own meat and growing your own produce was done out of necessity. It wasn’t really a choice. In today’s world, we have the luxury of whether or not we grow our own food, at least for now. As food shortages continue to happen and prices continue to rise, perhaps growing your own will become more of a necessity for us as well. If you really are interested in living an old fashioned lifestyle, then try to raise your own meat or grow your own produce to become a little more self-sufficient. Not only will you reap the benefits of producing food with your own two hands, but you’ll also be able to live in a similar way as those who lived one hundred years ago.

Take time for Sunday visits

My grandpa talks about a time when the neighboring farmers would take time on Sunday afternoons to get together to visit or play cards and checkers. His mom would walk 5 miles to visit with a neighbor family, just to say hello.

My grandma remembers those times, too. She said people would come over for a visit, and her mom would go out to the chicken coop, grab an egg, and whip up a cake right there for the guests.

Those in-person visits are meaningful. They connect people and strengthen relationships. Consider making time to go visit family members or friends on your day of rest. I’ll bet you won’t find it as wasted time.

Take Care of Your Neighbors

Along those same lines, neighbors looked out for one another in the olden days. If animals would get out, they would help each other get them back in. When a neighbor had a baby, meals would be brought over. Neighbors came together to help each other out when in need, offering the little they had to show support and community to one another.

When another family moved into our area, they commented on how people keep to themselves around here to my grandpa. He later told me, “It wasn’t always that way.” Connect with your neighbors and offer some kindness towards them. The old fashioned gesture will most likely be greeted with gratitude.

Some ideas on ways to show kindness to a neighbor:

  • Plow or shovel their driveway
  • Offer to help with yard work
  • Bring over some baked goods
  • Invite them over for a meal or bring them one
  • Ask if they need anything from town if you live in the country
  • Host a campfire
  • Offer a wave and a smile- even such a small gesture can go a long way

Are You Ready for Your Old Fashioned Lifestyle?

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