Shooting Star, my mom washed out bags, too. And labeled everything in the freezer, etc. She did not have to, but I think she learned this from *her* mom, who was a young mother in the depression. My mom was born in 1929, a week after the crash of the stock market.
It's funny, some things I am very frugal or conscious of (buying real food, cooking good meals, how much I am driving), but other things I want convenience. I take the train or commuter rail to my grad classes, as not only can I not bear to fight the traffic and bad drivers in Cambridge, but I won't pay for parking, or be continually worried I have to run out and put more money in the meter. I'd rather pay the mass transit. The university reimburses me for parking at the train garage, as it's seen as helping the parking situation and when I take the commuter rail, the local grocery store lets us park there for free. I've ridden my bike to the commuter rail station a few times and even got lights, etc., but now, the schedule to come home does not fit my schedule.
Well, I had a car free day, today, because I skipped my group ride that was meeting too far away, for a ride that didn't thrill me. Since I have to drive to that same area tomorrow for a meeting, I am glad.