"Make Do and Mend"

When the going gets tough, the tough turn back the clock. A new poll in Britain indicates older people, some who remember WWII and post-war rationing there, have resurrected their old survival techniques. A total of 70 percent of people 50+ said they were employing cost-cutting tricks they learned from their WWII-era parents. What's more, young people are growing increasingly thrifty as well. The poll found 84 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds saying they should learn WWII economic survival skills and benefit from them. Look for tips on this blog.

Save on Books

Paperbacks became popular during the War. Cheap and portable, the books benefited from the condition of "hurry up and wait" during wartime which left servicemen and others hungering for a way to while away the time. Lending libraries grew in popularity, too. Meet today's version: the Paperback Swap. The free site allows you to swap books (hardcovers included) with others by registering and listing nine books you'd like to receive from other members and nine books from your library you are willing to mail to other people. The only cost is the postage for sending your book to another reader. Reading was never cheaper.

Scrap and Recycling - Savings or Not?

Rubber, iron, silk, aluminum. There was no end to what the Allies asked consumers to donate. And consumers responded. Though some of their efforts were wasted, as this interesting article tells us. There's still no easy way to recycle tires, for example. But it was useful. It helped a lot. It's important to remember recycling is a community effort, which is what recycling programs need to remember today. As we begin to put away money for a rainy day, we are reusing things more. Sometimes it takes a little motivation - financial or patriotic - to get people to go out of there way. Save and reuse. It's a good thing to remember.

Is Michelle's Victory Garden for You, Too?

First Lady Michelle Obama's new White House garden is the first one since Eleanor Roosevelt plowed a plot of lawn during WWII when patriotic Americans raisied 40 percent of all the nation's greens on similar home plots. The Obamas' garden has received all sorts of praise -- and even grumbling, it's reported, from large agri-business worried that America's recession-stressed consumers will trade convenience for fresh, home-grown produce. A Victory Garden is one more idea in your own budget arsenal. More about the gardens here.

Savings is a Smart Idea

WWII was a savers paradise. With access to consumer goods restricted Americans squirreled away their pennies. We're doing so again. In the last year US personal savings rate have climbed from near zero to almost 4 percent. And the American Bankers Association is rolling out an educational campaign to teach kids savings tips. It's a good thing for everyone. So remember the slogan "The Most You Can Save is the Least You Can Do" and start saving for a rainy day.

The Verdict is Victory: Gardening Saves You Money

First time gardeners and even those hardened, hoe-in-hand tilling veterans are sometimes plagued with doubt. Am I saving money growing my own green stuff? Or is gardening an expensive indulgence? Good news today from the Wall Street Journal. Columnist Neal Templin reports that yes, a garden saves you money. The trick? Keep capital costs low, says his source, Cornell University's Lori Bushway, who says you can "easily triple" your investment. Reap what you sow!

"Taxes to Beat the Axis"

It's getting close to April 15, and it is hard to believe that Americans once paid their taxes gladly, as a patriotic duty. Donald Duck did in Disney's 1942 WWII cartoon urging Americans to pay their taxes to "beat the Axis." (Donald's total income in 1941 was $2051. He paid S13 to the government) Whatever you may feel about the IRS it does take a little of the sting out of paying to remember that civilization - roads, schools, national parks, police - cost money. Like it or not, we're all in it together.

Mint-ing Money

One of the reasons the 1950s and 1960s were boom years economically was because people learned how to save during WWII. Today, free personal finance sites like Mint.com can help you learn how to save. Mint emails you whenever you exceed your pre-set budgets - tracking credit card, savings and checking accounts. It won't do everything for you, and it can't make you save money, but it shows you where you're spending cash and can help keep your savings on track. That's a Victory to us.

"Spend $10. Save $650."

That's the promise of the Burpee Seed Company's version of a Victory Garden it calls a "Money Garden" -- $10 worth of vegetable seeds planted in a small sunny spot will yield $650 worth of produce. What are they not factoring in? Your time, for one thing and the cost of gardening equipment. That said, growing fresh vegetable in your own backyard is quite gratifying. And it can save a lot of money, if you plan properly.

Depression Kids

The New York Times interviewed people in their 80s and 90s to find out how they and their families survived the Depression that lasted until Pearl Harbor. Ingenuity is the shortest answer. People weren't tougher then. They did what they needed to do to survive. And they shared.

The Savings Fight: Value Investing

Can you afford to save money? Can you afford not to? A simple trick is saving on a regular, timely basis - having the money deducted from your paycheck - to place in a bank account or to buy stock. The WWII poster at left, which encouraged workers to buy war bonds, shows how regular savings make a tidy nest egg. For stocks this is called "value investing." Here's an easy-to-understand primer on the subject.

The Interest in Interest

World War II savings bonds were a way for Americans to help fund the War and help themselves, too. With few new consumer goods being produced, many people saved their money, buying War Bonds to help finance the fight. US Savings Bonds are still offered by the government. Here's a calculator to figure out how much money you might make.

Two Cooks and a Cabbage

We forget that Britain was fighting two years before us. Here, a 1941 clip from across the Pond on how to cook cabbage. Nutritious and still cheap today.