9 Frugal Boomer Habits Younger North Carolinians Laugh at Until They Try Them

A cup of cooked dried pinto beans costs about 23 cents.

Younger people might laugh at the bag of beans in Grandma’s pantry, until they see their own grocery bill.

Here are the frugal boomer habits many younger North Carolinians laugh at until they try them.

Note: This is general information, not financial advice. Prices and savings figures are subject to change.

1. Driving 55

Driving 55 on the highway has a federal history that began with a law signed on January 2, 1974.

It set a national maximum of 55 miles per hour.

Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, were children, teens or young adults then.

Congress repealed the national limit in 1995.

The North Carolina law lets the state post up to 70 miles per hour on interstates.

Many boomers still ease off the gas on the interstate, and younger drivers often pass them.

Slowing down by 5 to 10 miles per hour saves $0.21 to $0.41 per gallon at an assumed fuel price of $2.94, FuelEconomy.gov says.

That adds up.

If you ease off on your next interstate drive, your fuel costs may show it.

2. Whole Chickens

Whole chickens made up over 80 percent of the broilers marketed in the U.S. in the early 1960s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

By 2011, only 12 percent of production was marketed whole.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics put whole chicken at $2.06 a pound in September 2026, against $4.20 for boneless breast.

That’s about twice the price.

With a whole bird, you do the cutting yourself.

Some younger shoppers might find a whole bird old-fashioned.

3. Turned-Back Thermostats

Turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling, the U.S. Department of Energy says.

Those eight hours can be while you’re asleep or away.

In a November 1973 address, President Richard Nixon asked everyone to lower the thermostat at home by at least 6 degrees.

Later, President Jimmy Carter wore a cardigan sweater while urging people to keep their thermostats at 65 during the day and 55 at night, according to History.com.

Some older homeowners still reach for a sweater before they touch the thermostat.

Layers beat a higher bill.

4. Saved Garden Seeds

Saving garden seeds is an economical way to keep growing the fruits and vegetables you like, according to a horticulture agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension in Richmond County.

Watermelons and pumpkins are easy to grow from seed because the seed inside is mature when the fruit is ready to eat.

Open-pollinated vegetables come back true to variety from saved seed.

Tomato seed takes one extra step, since you squeeze the seeds and juice into a jar and let them sit for a few days.

The agent had recently paid 25 cents per seed for one special cherry tomato.

Seed can get pricey.

If you grow an open-pollinated tomato you love, you can save its seeds for next year.

5. Cold-Water Wash Day

Washing your clothes in cold water skips the biggest energy use in a washer.

Water heating takes about 90% of the energy it takes to operate one, ENERGY STAR says.

Switching from hot to warm can cut energy use in half, and the cold cycle cuts it even more.

Cold works.

Unless you’re dealing with oily stains, cold water will generally do a good job of cleaning.

Washing full loads can save more than 3,400 gallons of water each year.

6. Dried Beans

Cooking dried pinto beans costs $0.23 per cup equivalent, one of the two cheapest options in USDA's Economic Research Service price data for 2023.

For many fruits and vegetables, a cup equivalent is the edible portion that will fit into a 1-cup measuring cup.

That's under a quarter.

Fresh watermelon came next at $0.26.

7. Planned Trips

Combining errands into one trip can save fuel, since several short trips from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one longer trip, according to FuelEconomy.gov.

Your fuel economy is worse when your engine is cold than when it is warmed up.

Cold starts cost.

FuelEconomy.gov also says you can cut your weekly fuel costs in half if you take turns driving with others.

Nixon's November 1973 address also encouraged greater use of mass transit and carpooling.

8. Sealed Drafts

Sealing drafts keeps the heat you paid for from leaking out of your house.

During the 1970s energy crisis, homeowners cut heating use by lowering thermostats and installing additional insulation.

Sealing and insulating can provide up to a 10% savings on annual energy bills, ENERGY STAR says.

Drafts cost money.

Simple fixes include weatherstripping doors and caulking around windows.

9. Leftovers

Finishing your leftovers cuts food waste, which the USDA estimates at between 30 and 40 percent of the U.S. food supply.

Leftovers count.