It was cheaper to prepare for Pesach in the shtetle than for chometz. The only extra expense for special Pesach food was for matza, and their seder k’zaisim were alot smaller than ours. Everything else, including the wine was homemade. Pass the borsht.
And shtetle Jews did not have large sedarim or guests, they could barely feed themselves. They had no hotel or travel expenses. Chol Hamoed was not the time to hitch the horses and take the kids for fun things $$. And sinse people did not mish, you did not have to feed your Yom Tov visiters with all kinds of Shicks, OhNuts,Bartons,etc.