Thank You Betty Crocker

Using coupons to save a few dollars seems to be a pretty universal habit of moms and wives.  And why not?  Coupons help to stretch the budget, and make some products possible that may not have reached the kitchen table otherwise.  We’re talking about food and household items, but more then that.  One of the most tangible evidences of Betty’s  coupons is the flatware that still graces our table. (We may call it silverware, but it’s not silver, it’s stainless.)  We acquired our tableware midway through the Betty Crocker flatware program that began in 1931 and ended in 2006.  Our set is over forty years old, and many pieces have been on the receiving end of the garbage disposal that is attached to our sink.  It’s a very disconcerting feeling to turn on the magic garbage eater, only to be startled out of your wits by  a loud, rapid clacking and clattering.  Your heart sinks as you quickly turn off the switch.  You reach down the hole to retrieve the piece of favorite flatware, and it is dinged, bent, chipped, and scarred for life.  An enterprising husband may be able to restore the piece for everyday use, but a guest will never eat from it again.  We all know that a quick inspection before hitting the switch would be a wise move, but my guess is that most of us have done it.

Betty’s program started with a spoon in boxes of Wheaties, and expanded from there.  Before long, coupons appeared on many General Mills products, and we (along with many of you) were collecting them.  I still remember the fat envelopes full of coupons we used to send to General Mills to get our next pieces.  But we were merely following in the footsteps of a lovely lady I call “Mom.”

It’s a hard habit to break after nearly eighty years of using coupons.  But it’s a good habit too, for frugal ladies like Mom - a habit that was likely precipitated by growing up during the depression when every penny was important.  Mom is ninety-seven now, and the weekly sale flyers still get perused under a reading machine that makes the print large enough for failing eyes.  Daughter-in-laws still occasionally get sent to the grocery store with some coupons to pick up sale items. It’s a habit that has saved many dollars.

And that’s why we want to thank you, Betty Crocker and General Mills.  Your stainless flatware program sold a lot of cereal to mothers and wives.

Until a few weeks ago, I had forgotten some of the details of how Mom got her nice twelve-piece set of Oneida stainless knives, forks, and spoons.  Here’s the rest of the story.

Between 1942 and 1953, five boys were born to Mom and Dad.  Seven years later, in 1960, boy number six came along. No girls.  There’s no need to say it, but boys eat a lot - especially healthy boys growing up with yard and garden work, animals to care for, and ball to play. We always had plenty to eat, thanks to Mom and her careful planning.  It was a good childhood, and we have no complaints.   

Mom had her sights on at a new set of beautiful stainless-ware to be used when we had guests.  To purchase them outright would have been fairly costly, but there was a way, and coupon Mama was on top of it with the help of General Mills, rolled wheat, and Betty Crocker coupons.

Mom wanted a twelve-place setting of the “Wheat” style of stainless ware, and it took a while, but she got it.  Here’s how, in her own words.

“I fed you boys rolled wheat until you were really tired of it.  But just about the time you wouldn’t eat it anymore, I was able to get the last pieces of silverware.”

See, she didn’t even have to purchase the more expensive General Mills products.   She settled on a less costly, and fairly healthy choice of cooked cereal.  And thanks to hungry boys, the twelve piece set that she had wanted for so long was now in her possession.  At last Mom could set the table for company, and not be ashamed of the “everyday” silverware.  

Now it is possible that my older brothers remember the rolled wheat.  I do not.  I remember a fair amount of rolled oats, and even questioned Mom if that was what she meant.  “No,” she said, “it was rolled wheat.”  I guess it didn’t harm us.  We’re all still living.

It was only a few weeks ago that I learned these details, when Mom moved into assisted living quarters at Maple Terrace in Orrville.  It was difficult to think about leaving her lovely home, but with a ninety-seven-year-old body, and poor eyesight, it was time.  On top of that, the move was precipitated by a fall. Thank goodness she wears a med-alert on her wrist.  She used it to signal for help.  After several days in the hospital, we decided together that assisted living was the best thing for her.   She misses her home a lot, but she is in a safer place now, where good nutritious meals are served, and nurses are available as needed.  Laundry is done for her, and the wonderful staff checks in on her a couple times during the day, and during the night as well.  It’s not quite like home, but it’s a good place with other residents that she’s known for a long time.  

During the move, we were trying to decide which set of silverware should go along with her.  There were everyday pieces still remaining from my childhood, but that set was out of the picture - incomplete and too old.  Then there was the everyday set that she had been using for quite a few years.  And there was also a like-new set that had seldom been used - just for special occasions and special friends.  (I wasn’t even aware that she had this set.)  And then.  And then there was the Betty Crocker/General Mills “good” set.

These are the old "everyday" pieces that I grew up with.
 And that paring knife was handed down from Mom's Mom.
It is only about 1/3 of the original size, but Mom still used it
for some things.  

These are part of the "good" set that Mom earned with Betty Crocker coupons.

General Mills coupons are now going for education.

We helped Mom decide that she should take the newest set along to assisted living.  After all, why not?  She might as well enjoy it for a while.  But after a few days she decided against it.  What she really wanted to use was the Oneida set earned from Betty Crocker and that’s when we learned the story.  That alone makes it special.  Perhaps that’s the reason she wants to use it.  It takes her back to the good days - perhaps the best days of her life - the years of raising boys, clipping coupons, and staying within the grocery budget.  

I still remember seeing Dad give Mom some cash every week for groceries.  She was a stay-at-home Mom, just like the majority of her peers.  Her skill in making the dollars stretch was second to none.  Not only did she manage to stay within budget, but she was able to purchase a bag of candy most weeks for a treat.  Do my brothers remember the candy?  You bet they do!  We’d argue over what kind we wanted her to bring home, and when it arrived, it would be carefully divided up into little plastic cups so each person got the same amount.  After all, fair is fair.  Sometimes the pieces wouldn’t come out even, and someone would get an extra piece.  But our sense of fairness in this exercise was so acute that most times the extra pieces got cut in two.  Those are good memories.

I’ve got to say it Mom.  You did good.  You did really good.  A long life with no regrets.  A humble and frugal life with a healthy sense of humor to go along with it.  A loving wife and mother.  A grandma with “marshmallow” cheeks to kiss.  A hardworking woman who has lived her life for the good of others.  It’s not Mother’s Day yet, (written in March), but l’m not going to wait to say it.  I love you Mom.  You’re still the best!

From Kidron, Ohio, we hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Tell the women in your life how much you appreciate them.  So long.

Epilogue: Mom passed away on April 30, one week before Mother's Day. She was in good health (for her age) and her mind was excellent. She rapidly went downhill in her last twenty-four hours, and died in her sleep, just as she had always hoped.