Remember when your biggest purchase decision was choosing between Coca-Cola and Pepsi? Those days feel like ancient history now. Walk into any store today, and you’ll face thousands of products that didn’t exist when your grandparents were raising families. They somehow managed to live whole, happy lives without half the stuff we consider “essential” today.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying we should go back to using outhouses and washing clothes by hand. But sometimes I wonder if we’ve gotten a little carried away with all this convenience. Your grandparents raised kids, built careers, and enjoyed life without most of the items filling our Amazon carts today.
Let’s take a look at 15 things that would have baffled your grandparents entirely, yet we’ve somehow convinced ourselves we can’t live without them.
Bottled Water
Here’s something that would have made your grandparents scratch their heads: paying for water. The bottled water market reached $335.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $565.23 billion by 2034. That’s a lot of money for something that comes out of the tap for practically free.
Your grandparents filled glasses from the kitchen sink and called it a day. They carried metal thermoses or mason jars for on-the-go water. The idea of buying plastic bottles filled with water would have seemed as ridiculous as buying bottled air (don’t give anyone ideas:/).
Although there are places where tap water isn’t safe to drink, most of us live in areas with reliable municipal water systems. Yet we’ve convinced ourselves that water tastes better when it comes in a plastic bottle with a fancy label.
Fast Fashion
Your grandmother probably owned three dresses for church, work, and special occasions—and she wore them for years. The fast fashion industry now generates $150.82 billion annually and is projected to reach $214.24 billion by 2029.
Back then, clothes were built to last. People mended tears, replaced buttons, and altered garments to fit changing bodies. Shopping for clothes typically occurred only twice a year, and everything had to serve multiple purposes.
Now we buy trendy pieces we’ll wear three times before they fall apart or go out of style. The fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon emissions and consumes massive amounts of water. Your grandparents would be horrified at how disposable our wardrobes have become.
Elaborate Gadgets
The consumer electronics market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in 2025. Your grandparents had a radio, maybe a television, and eventually a telephone. That was pretty much it for electronics in the house.
They didn’t need specialized devices for every tiny task. No electric can openers, automatic soap dispensers, or heated toilet seats. They used manual tools that lasted decades and didn’t need software updates or replacement chargers.
IMO, we’ve created solutions for problems that didn’t really exist. How hard is it to open a can with a regular can opener? Somehow, our ancestors managed just fine without motorizing every simple task.
Single-Use Plastics
By the end of 2025, global plastic waste is projected to reach 460 million tonnes annually. Your grandparents would be shocked at how much we throw away after using it once.
They used glass jars for storage, cloth napkins at meals, and paper bags that could be reused multiple times. Everything had a second life. Mason jars became drinking glasses, old shirts became cleaning rags, and cardboard boxes turned into storage containers.
The concept of using something once and then discarding it would have seemed incredibly wasteful to people who lived through the Great Depression and World War II rationing.
Excessive Toys
Walk through any toy store today, and you’ll see aisles packed with plastic gadgets that beep, flash, and break within a week. The toy market continues to expand, driven by tech-enhanced and collectible items.
Your grandparents’ kids played with wooden blocks, marbles, jump ropes, and maybe a few dolls or toy cars. They built forts out of couch cushions and entertained themselves with imagination rather than batteries.
Most childhood fun came from simple activities, such as playing outside, reading books, or helping with household chores. Children were expected to entertain themselves, rather than being constantly stimulated by electronic toys.
Subscription Boxes
The idea of paying someone to surprise you with random products every month would have confused your grandparents. They shopped with purpose, buying exactly what they needed when they needed it.
Subscription boxes tap into our desire for convenience and surprise. Still, they often deliver items we don’t really want or need. Your grandparents would have seen this as paying extra money for someone else to do your shopping poorly.
They planned meals based on what was in season and on sale, not what showed up in a mystery box from some company.
Processed Snacks
The processed snacks market is projected to reach $922.08 billion by 2030. Your grandparents snacked on apples, nuts, or maybe some homemade cookies if they were feeling fancy.
They didn’t have entire grocery store aisles dedicated to chips, crackers, and packaged treats with ingredient lists longer than most novels. Snacks were simple, recognizable foods that didn’t require laboratory creation.
When they wanted something sweet, they would bake it from scratch or grab a piece of fruit. The concept of individually wrapped everything would have seemed incredibly wasteful and expensive.
Air Fryers
These countertop appliances have taken over kitchens everywhere, driven by health consciousness and social media recipe trends. Your grandparents had one oven, and it worked just fine for everything.
They roasted, baked, and fried using basic techniques that had worked for generations. The idea of needing a separate appliance to make food “healthier” by using hot air would have seemed unnecessary, given that they already knew how to roast vegetables in the oven.
Kitchen space was limited, so every appliance had to justify its existence by being truly useful, not just trendy.
Electric Cars
Okay, this one’s a bit different since cars themselves were still relatively new for some of our grandparents. But the idea of spending extra money on a vehicle because it’s better for the environment reflects a mindset shift.
Your grandparents bought cars based on reliability, affordability, and necessity. They kept vehicles running for decades with regular maintenance and repairs. The car was a means of transportation, not a statement about personal values or environmental consciousness.
They opted for walking, biking, or public transportation for short trips instead of driving everywhere.
Smart Home Devices
The average U.S. household now owns 21 connected devices. Your grandparents turned lights on and off with switches, adjusted thermostats by hand, and somehow survived without asking a computer what the weather was like outside.
They didn’t need their refrigerator to connect to the internet or their doorbell to send notifications to their phone. Home automation meant maybe having a timer for the porch light.
The idea of paying extra money so your appliances could spy on you and occasionally stop working due to software glitches would have seemed like science fiction—and not the good kind.
Online Shopping
E-commerce sales are projected to hit $8.03 trillion by 2027. Your grandparents shopped by going to actual stores, talking to real people, and examining products before buying them.
They didn’t have the option to impulse-buy random items at 2 AM or have packages delivered daily. Shopping was a planned activity that involved getting dressed, leaving the house, and interacting with their community.
Returns meant driving back to the store and explaining the problem face-to-face, which made people more careful about their purchases in the first place.
Social Media
This one didn’t exist for your grandparents, obviously, but it’s worth noting how they managed to stay connected with friends and family. They wrote letters, made phone calls, and visited in person.
They didn’t document every meal, vacation, or random thought for public consumption. Privacy was actually private, and people didn’t feel the need to broadcast their lives to acquaintances constantly.
Staying in touch required effort, which meant relationships had to be worth maintaining. Quality over quantity, you know?
Meal Delivery Services
Your grandparents planned meals, shopped for ingredients, and cooked food at home. The idea of paying someone to deliver restaurant meals to your door regularly would have seemed like an incredible luxury.
They cooked from scratch using basic ingredients and family recipes passed down through generations. Eating out was a special occasion, not a daily convenience.
Meal planning was based on what was affordable and available, rather than what could be ordered with a few taps on a phone screen.
High-Tech Fitness Trackers
Your grandparents stayed in shape by living active lives. They walked places, did physical labor, and didn’t need a device to tell them they were moving enough.
Exercise wasn’t a separate activity that required special equipment and monitoring—it was built into daily life through work, household chores, and transportation.
They didn’t track steps, heart rate, or sleep patterns. If they were tired, they rested. If they needed exercise, they found physical work to do.
Specialized Kitchen Appliances
Modern kitchens overflow with single-purpose gadgets: sous-vide cookers, bread makers, multicookers, and appliances for every conceivable cooking task. Your grandparents had a few good pots, pans, and basic utensils.
They made bread by hand, cooked everything in regular pots and pans, and somehow created delicious meals without needing a separate appliance for each cooking method.
Counter space was precious, so every tool had to earn its place by being genuinely useful for multiple tasks.
Finding Balance in a Complicated World
Looking at this list, I’m not suggesting we should abandon all modern conveniences and live like it’s 1950. Many of these products solve real problems and make life easier in meaningful ways.
But maybe there’s something to learn from our grandparents’ approach to consumption. They bought things they needed, used them until they wore out, and didn’t feel compelled to own every new gadget that promised to make life better.
The real question isn’t whether these products are good or bad—it’s whether we’ve lost sight of the difference between wants and needs. Your grandparents lived through times when that distinction was crystal clear, and their lives weren’t less fulfilling because of it.
Next time you’re about to buy something, ask yourself: “Would my grandparents have seen this as necessary?” You might be surprised at how often the answer changes your mind.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the exact same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
We scoured the Internet to see what people had to say about gas station food. If you think the only things available are wrinkled hot dogs of indeterminate age and day-glow slushies, we’ve got great, tasty news for you. Whether it ends up being part of a regular routine or your only resource on a long car trip, we have the food info you need.
Let’s look at 6 gas stations that folks can’t get enough of and see what they have for you to eat.
