Remember when we used to write checks at the grocery store? Last week, I pulled out my checkbook at the supermarket, and the teenage cashier looked at me like I’d just produced a stone tablet and chisel. It got me thinking about all the things those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s still do that have quietly become relics of another era.

Growing up outside Manchester in the 70s, life moved at a different pace. My father would come home from the factory, and we’d sit down for dinner at exactly the same time every night. No phones buzzing, no screens competing for attention. Just conversation and the evening news on in the background. These were the rhythms that shaped us, and if you’re like me, you probably haven’t noticed how many of them you’re still following, even as the world has moved on.

The truth is, what felt completely normal to us back then now marks us as distinctly old-fashioned. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s fascinating to realize how these habits, once universal, have become quaint oddities to younger generations.

1. You still prefer phone calls over text messages

When I need to sort something out quickly, my first instinct is still to pick up the phone and call. Why spend twenty minutes going back and forth with tiny typed messages when a two-minute conversation would do the job?

But here’s the thing: calling someone under forty without warning is now considered almost aggressive. I learned this the hard way when a younger colleague told me that unexpected phone calls give them anxiety. They need to mentally prepare for a conversation, apparently. In our day, the phone rang, and you answered it. Simple as that.

We grew up when a ringing phone commanded immediate attention. You’d race across the house to catch it before the caller gave up. Now, my kids let calls go to voicemail even when they’re holding their phones. It baffles me every time.

2. You write things down on actual paper

My desk is covered in Post-it notes, and I carry a small notebook everywhere. Shopping lists, phone numbers, reminders—they all go on paper. There’s something satisfying about physically crossing items off a list that no app can replicate.

Younger people find this hilarious. “There’s an app for that,” they say, showing me their phones with digital sticky notes and synchronized calendars. But what happens when your phone dies? What about that satisfying feeling of crumpling up a completed to-do list?

I’ve tried going digital, really I have. But there’s something about the physical act of writing that helps me remember things better. Turns out there’s science behind this—studies show that handwriting activates different parts of the brain than typing. So maybe we’re not so old-fashioned after all.

3. You still use cash for most purchases

Pull out cash to pay for coffee, and you might as well announce your age with a megaphone. But for those of us who remember when “plastic” was a new and slightly suspicious way to pay, cash still feels more real.

When I hand over physical money, I know exactly what I’m spending. There’s a weight to it, literally and figuratively. My father, who spent years as a union rep at his factory, taught me that when you can see your money leaving your hands, you think twice about whether you really need that purchase.

These days, I watch people tap their phones or watches to pay, and it seems almost magical. But it also seems dangerous—how easy it is to lose track of spending when money becomes completely abstract.

4. You answer emails like they’re formal letters

“Dear Sarah, I hope this email finds you well…” That’s how I start most of my emails, and apparently, it marks me as hopelessly outdated. Modern email etiquette, I’m told, demands getting straight to the point. No pleasantries, no sign-offs beyond maybe a quick “Thanks.”

But we learned to write when letters were the primary form of written communication. There was a structure, a courtesy to it all. You acknowledged the person you were writing to, you organized your thoughts clearly, and you signed off properly.

I still can’t bring myself to fire off three-word emails like my younger colleagues do. It feels rude, even though I know it’s now considered efficient rather than brusque.

5. You save things “just in case”

My garage is full of boxes containing cables, adapters, and electronic bits that probably connect devices that no longer exist. But you never know when you might need that specific cable, right?

This habit comes from growing up in an era when things were built to last and meant to be repaired, not replaced. My grandparents, who lived through the war, saved everything. Rubber bands, glass jars, bits of string—nothing was thrown away if it might have a future use.

Now we live in a disposable society where it’s often cheaper to buy new than to fix old. But I still can’t shake the feeling that throwing away something that still works, even if I haven’t used it in five years, is wasteful.

6. You trust paper bills and statements more than online versions

I still request paper statements from my bank, and yes, I know it’s killing trees. But there’s something reassuring about having that physical record, filed away in my cabinet where I know exactly where to find it.

What if the website goes down? What if there’s a dispute and I need proof? These aren’t completely irrational fears—I’ve seen enough computer systems fail over the years to know that digital isn’t always forever.

Plus, there’s the ritual of it. Sitting down once a month with your statements, checking everything over, filing it away properly. It’s how we were taught to manage our finances, and old habits die hard.

7. You still watch TV shows at their scheduled time

Tuesday night at eight o’clock means something specific to me because that’s when my favorite show airs. I settle in with a cup of tea, ready to watch it unfold in real-time.

“Why don’t you just stream it later?” my kids ask. But there’s something communal about knowing millions of others are watching the same thing at the same moment. It’s a shared experience that binge-watching on Netflix can’t replicate.

Growing up, TV schedules structured our evenings. Thursday night was Top of the Pops, Sunday meant settling in for the evening film. These rhythms gave shape to the week in a way that unlimited on-demand content never could.

8. You keep a proper address book

My address book is a battered thing, full of crossed-out entries and updated phone numbers. But it’s also a history of my life—friends from university, old colleagues, distant relatives. Some entries are for people who’ve passed away, but I can’t bring myself to remove them.

Everyone’s contact information is supposedly backed up in the cloud now. But what is the cloud, really? Where does it live? My address book sits in my desk drawer, and it will work during a power cut, internet outage, or phone malfunction.

9. You dress up for occasions that no longer require it

I still put on proper clothes to go to the bank or post office. Not a suit necessarily, but certainly not gym wear or pajama bottoms, which seems to be acceptable attire for any errand these days.

When I was young, there were clothes for home, clothes for work, and clothes for going out. Each had its place. Now I see people in exercise gear at restaurants, ripped jeans at the theater. The boundaries have completely dissolved.

The bottom line

These habits might mark us as old-fashioned, but they’re also threads connecting us to a different time—one that moved a bit slower, perhaps, but also felt more deliberate. There’s value in some of these “outdated” practices, even if they make younger folks smile.

The world has changed dramatically since our childhood, and mostly for the better. But holding onto some of these habits isn’t just nostalgia; it’s preserving ways of doing things that have their own inherent worth. So yes, I’ll keep writing checks, making phone calls, and keeping my paper files.

After all, being old-fashioned isn’t the worst thing in the world. Sometimes, the old ways really are the best ways.