How Did People Survive the Great Depression?
My husband, a construction contractor, has no more work after he finishes the addition he’s working on. After several years in the business, he is looking for a new job. Several friends and family members who live in our same town are unemployed as of the past few weeks. And then today Survival Blog predicts 2009 will be a doozy, with unemployment rates hitting 30%. Is this even possible? If it happens, what will become of our country?
How did people survive the Great Depression? I’m sitting here in my kitchen, taking stock. We have no reliable income at the moment. My husband is looking for a job. I bring in a secondary income from my blogs and sites, but not enough to cover all our expenses, nor to pay down our debts. And that’s even assuming the income I have stays steady — with online advertising revenue, this is by no means guarranteed.
My brother in law is unemployed, as are several of our friends. With real unemployment seeing higher and higher numbers as each corporation or manufacturer announces layoffs, you have to wonder where all of this headed.I’m not saying we’re in the Second Great Depression … but we could be.
From my research of life during the Great Depression, I’ve come up with some guidelines my family plans to follow as we prepare for a lengthy recession or even a deep economic depression. There are many aspects to cover; this is just a start. I’ll post more on this topic throughout the coming year.
- Minimize expenses. If you have extra money, use it to put your family in the best position possible to survive a potential depression. Purchase tools, necessary kitchen equipment, garden necessities, fishing gear, and other items to help improve your measure of self-sufficiency.
- Buy American. As much as possible, avoid purchasing imported goods and look for American-made products to help our country pull itself out of the recession. You may have to track down companies online and ask local shops to carry American-made goods. The extra dollars spent are well worth it. If we all followed this practice, imagine the outcome. Keep your money here; don’t send it overseas.
- Seek multiple income opportunities, rather than relying on one sector or one company for the family’s support. If your job is highly secure, you’re in a better position, but still look for side income opportunities. If your job is threatened or unstable, build up additional income sources right away.
- Produce and preserve food. We plan to have a large family garden and our own laying hens in the backyard. As local fruits and vegetables come into season, I will pick and preserve my own — strawberry preserves, frozen peaches and jarred apple sauce are all simple to put up from local, inexpensive bounty.
- Stay hopeful, pray for guidance and do not lose the joy of life.
Have hope, but plan for potential long-term economic difficulties in the United States. That’s my take on it. What are your thoughts? Do you know how people survived the Great Depression? Add your comment, below.
Hey, thanks for the post. Nice to know I’m not alone. We’re already gardening and relying on side jobs just to put food on the table. Something’s got to shake loose pretty soon, tho’.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:05 pmi think we will survive another great depression. it’s amazing to think what the human mind can put the body through in rough and hard times.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:12 amI feel everetthing you are saying its true i have seen alot of people lose there job with no money save its hard i hope they get the picture one day cause its gone get harder me i save every dime i get and want all the discounts i can get i work and my wife goes to school im 28 yrs old now and have been saving sents i was 20 i have 2 kids just letting you know i feel you and i hope things get better for you and everyone god bless you and love and peace!
February 9th, 2009 at 10:23 amCheck out the Great Depression Cooking with Clara on you tube. A nice 90-something year old woman who will show you cheap and easy meals and give a peek into life during challenging times.
March 31st, 2009 at 12:56 pmHello, good topic. Although your rightly concerned about what you hear on the news, please be selective on how much “noise” you are bombarded with. The U.S.A. is full of hard working, innovative folks who have a depression under their belts. I don’t see all the commotion as the beginning of the end, rather the end of the beginning. This will be a little difficult, but please remember that when we are going through are darkest moments of uncertainty, this is sure to bring about the greatest growth. As for surviving; bread is simple to make on your own, if you have land make it on a wood stove. Pinto beans are cheap($.75/bag)all protein, stuff in a tortilla after boiling and whipping into bean dip. Cell phones, internet & cable= +- $150.00-200.00/mo. Go to the library. Sell your car if it’s possible to take public trans, big saving!! Dress in layers inside, keep heat low(some parts of China don’t get much, they survive). Popcorn is also a filler and cheap. Create a Physche that tells you this is gonna be FUN, BECAUSE I WILL MAKE IT!!! Read,read,read books about holocaust survivors, POWS, and understand that the great depression before the last depression lasted 500 years and people survived. 200 years ago there were no cars and no economy from them and people made it.Rice, buy,buy it’s another staple and 2/3 of the world gets a handfull a day. Thank God every chance you get during all waking hours for every thing you know and understand that he’s giving you, and for everything he’s givin you that you don’t know and understand. In greek(from hebrew translation) the word for thanks and praise is BERAKAH,say it often. If you live by water, catch fish. Any library will have books on canning, smoking and curing(jerky etc.) of fish, meat ,and game. Above all enjoy this time in your life, it will bond those around you like never before. We as Humans are at our best when things are at there worst. God bless. Joe
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:27 pmI understand that we as a society have been through hard times and have come out fine except every era has it’s own set of circumstanses so even though we’ve been through a depression there are other factors now; such as the fact that we have more of a global economy than ever before. It just means we still have to think about things and not leave it to faith alone. There’s a difference between jumping off a cliff because god will save you and choosing not to jump in the first place.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:57 pmLike everything else, survival is mostly mental. I started gathering wood about a year ago. I also have laying hens that keep a good supply of eggs. I currently have a steady job for now, but I know it won’t last forever. I pray to God daily to give me wisdom and the courage to keep focused on my survival “to do list”. I’ve printed helpful information such as canning, freezing food, while the internet is still available. I may sound paranoid, but I can’t leave anything to chance.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:07 pmI actually did a post on this same subject back in April. Seems like you and I have the same concerns in mind. I listed lots of great tips from survivors of the Great Depression. Check it out sometime when you get a chance. I sure learned a lot of frugal advice!
November 13th, 2009 at 12:28 amHey, I’m doing a report on the great depression but I don’t exactly understand how people coped with it…Help?
November 13th, 2009 at 2:26 pmWe’ve had an unprecedented period of expansion in the last 60 years, it stands to reason that there should be some contraction. All periods of contraction are challenging, and all challenging times have opportunity within them.
People are adding on instead of buying up; building granny units to accomodate multi-generational families instead of retiring to a condo, renovating what they have instead of building new.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:43 pmGreat Article and best wishes to you and your family! Times are tough and going to get worse, but one of the things we can start doing is to start thinking in terms of “COMMUNITY”.
Get to know your neighbors, plan on making a garden if you can and start buying locally…most importantly start NETWORKING so people know you and you know them and can start pulling resources and talents/skills if and when necessary.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:44 amI think you’ve tuned in on some of the important survival techniques of the Great Depression. In addition, people helped each other out. Growing and preserving your own food is hard work, but important.
January 29th, 2010 at 5:21 pmSince I recently worked on self-publishing my mom’s book (My Flint Hills Childhood: Growing Up in 1930s Kansas), the frugality of those times is fresh in my mind.
I stumbled on this wonderful site at a low point in my past few weeks. Thanks so much for doing it.
February 6th, 2010 at 10:58 amIt is encouraging to see other well-educated and hard-working people struggle with what is happening to all of us.
I think it will be a force for good but I’m looking forward to putting in my first vegetable garden.
If you know of other sites that would help a newby survive – please let me know. I like the Clara site – a beacon of light.
As an employee of many companies all my life, I now realize that the only protection from layoffs and downsizing is to go into business for myself. I am currently researching the best practices of good handymen. I have been blessed with a life that has made it necessary to fix my own autos, learn plumbing when a toilet backed up or a pipe burst and a myiad of projects that made me go to the library or buy a manual because I didn’t have the money to call a “professional” to bail me out. At times I have had to call on someone for instance, an air conditioning repairman because I couldn’t figure out how the thermostat worked. But I made sure that when the repairman came to my house, I watched his every move and made notes on what he did and asked alot of questions. Since that time, I have repaired my air conditioner two times myself and saved at least two hundred dollars. There are other ways to save in the long run with a small investment. For instance, I am single and live alone with my dog. I realized that a significant portion of my electric bill went towards running a large refrigerator that was empty most of the time. I purchased a small used refrigerator and save several hundred dollars a year. If you could use some advice or have some good ideas on saving cash during this difficult economic downturn please e-mail me at allanwgiffin@yahoo.com. I use the net at the local library so it may take a day or two to get back to you. Again, by using the net at the library, I save a couple of hundred a year. Thanks gang, and hang in there. Happy days will come again.
February 18th, 2010 at 6:17 pmI just wanted to say “thank you” for this insightful commentary on the bleak state of unemployment; the ideas you shared are timely, especially on buying American, since many jobs are now outsourced to foreign companies, as well as the excellent suggestion of canning and putting away foods, as so many of our ancestors did when faced with hard times. I think one of the most important points you made was to continue to live with joy… easier said than done, but it’s worse to be jobless and depressed than it is to be jobless and still in command of your humor, your love for your family, etc. I think yours are words of wisdom and I thank you for sharing them. My husband and I are currently unemployed and have never faced this much hardship (economically speaking) in all of our 17 years of marriage. Both of us are college-educated, both of us previously had high-paying jobs, and now neither one of us can find work. I think 2010 has been just as bad as 2009 (or at least for us, personally speaking, it has), and with the current state of affairs, it’s hard to say with any honest foresight that it will get better soon, but I continue to hope, as I’m sure everyone does. I hope you and yours are better off now, and don’t lose your positive attitude. Others here left very good advice, also, and I hope this article and the comments helps someone who needs it right now.
August 29th, 2010 at 6:06 amlove this site…here are a few of my tips for you (my frugal friends)
FOR FOOD:
bulk at Costco in 25-50 pound bags. things like rice,flour,cornmeal,sugar,dehydrated onion,raisins,pinto beans and oats.Potatoes,onions,bananas,carrots,celery and apples. and we always pick the ones that say made in USA…some of these items can be as low as 22-50 cents a pound and some have an extremely long shelf life. If your terrified the produce will spoil chop,dice and freeze in reusable freezable containers.if you use brown sugar, keep molasses, add molasses to the sugar, viola brown sugar. just a few table spoons per cup of sugar. want it lighter add less.
Embrace your inner soup and burrito chef persona. you can make double the size freeze half for later. crock pots(or at least ours) uses very little electricity. burritos can be rolled in foil, soups can be stored in Tupperware or old cool whip/butter containers(just don’t heat the soup in these they melt if not microwavable safe. If you wish to invest in Tupperware I prefer “rubber made” its the best I have found so far. or do what my dad did and reuse butter and other containers from the store.
I got a ten buck steamer, I make the main course in the crock pot and perfect rice in the steamer and both use less energy then my stove(and I can do something else like clean,sew or garden)
save old milk containers and wash very well(or use pitchers instead).
make milk from powdered milk,water and vanilla extract. Or water down whole milk (experiment until you can tolerate it) it makes 2% milk so I am told by kids who had parents who were dairy workers.
so get two gallons out of one, make one white and one chocolate…
or buy a half gallon and do the same thing(one half gallon white, one half gallon chocolate after you dilute it)
buy your salad dressing at the dollar store or just use oil and vinegar, as a Jewish kid all I was allowed growing up was oil and vinegar dressing….we never had ranch or Russian . and grow your own lettuce. Mesclun is very easy. I started it indoors in cheap peat moss pellets in an empty egg crate on top of my fridge and planted in pots in spring. My dad used to grow bean sprouts in the window(cause he didn’t trust the ones in the store) we ate them in salads,stir fries,soups and even omelets. Bizarre but tasty.
My dad was so cheap he would open the paper bags the bagger bagged our groceries in and use them to strain the grease off meat.paper bags were also our art paper,book cover paper and wrapping paper.If they were packed in plastic they became trash bags.
stretch stuff. my grandfather once fed ten people on one can of tuna fish(yes yes this is true) he added shredded onions,celery,carrots and boiled eggs with miracle whip. then put it on day old bread off the mark down rack. best tuna salad I ever had (albeit not much tuna in it lol)
embrace apples and raisins: apples can be used for half the potatoes in stew, apples and raisins can stretch stuffing,they can be added to rice dishes,plain oats and mixed into a cobbler with biscuit dough and a bit of butter and cinnamon sugar.They also make good muffins or pancakes.
BEAUTY:
for bath salts two cups of cheap Epsom, two tablespoons of any oil you have( I like olive or coconut) and if you got it ten drops of either lavender essential oil(the cheapest of the essential oils) or vanilla extract. nice soak for little money.I find the coconut oil smells better and lasts longer.
also you can add ten drops of lavender essential oil to cheap old cocoa butter lotion. Lavender is so strong the ten drops could be enough for the entire bottle. they say its ten drops for ounce of lotion,salts or carrier oil(johoba or almond) but I find with lavender a tiny bit goes a long long way.I like the one by “NOW” found at health food stores. I look for it on sale.
STRETCH YOUR LIPSTICK:
dig the leftover lipstick out of the container,mix in a bowl with cheap chap stick, stick in a pill container and apply with lip brush….I prefer to use a better lip balm then chap stick like nuetroguena naturals. I compared the ingredients and nuetrogena had better stuff in it then the fancier lip balms at an $8 SAVINGS!(it pays to know your chemicals)or you could use coconut oil.
FANCY FACE SOAP:
My Russian Jewish grandma loved goats milk on her face.she looked so young all her life. so I try to find solid soap with that in it as cheap as possible(or if your skilled make it yourself) it trumps any soap for your face no need for humectrants,or retinol. Otherwise find a mild glycerin soap (cheap in bulk at of all places HObby Lobby) Melt it down in a pan you will never use for food again,add some honey,aloe and pour into an old cupcake/muffin pan you will also never use for food again. let set and pry out with a knife. works well…I did this once and it was very easy. worked for my youngest who has eczema.If you want an exfoliate use cheap white nubby wash cloths. very cheap in the auto section of any walmart,target or home depot.
THICK BODY BUTTER:
buy which ever one of these you can afford from the health food or grocery store…needs no refrigeration I promise…
extra virgin coconut oil(will look like crisco)
cocoa butter(significantly cheaper)
and put it on your body,feet,lips or even your face after a bath. very nice. my youngest who had eczema uses this and it works well.
if you want foot cream you can add ten drops of Lavender essential oil or 5-10 drops of peppermint oil to one cup of coconut oil or cocoa butter. but be careful of the scent if you have sensitive skin. My oldest and I can use this but my youngest has to use it without essential oils. If you only use a clean spoon to scoop out the coconut oil you can use the same jar for eating and your cosmetic purposes. that way it avoids you having to buy multiple bottles. but a little goes a long way….so don’t over do it.
FROM DISHES,TO HAND SOAP:
Find a mild concentrated cheap dish soap you like, refill all the hands soap bottles in your house with it, this has two benefits..one you have eliminated one product(hand soap)two, now when you use your dish soap you just use a couple pumps versus accidentally wayyyy to much (think kids with slippery hands)You can even do a half soap,half water solution to stretch it farther. I have also used this to hand wash my cloths in a pinch,and used to wash the tub,the sink and the toilet bowl. It does not disinfect(unless you buy disinfecting type) but it does clean.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER:
I got this tip from a maid I met in a hotel. FABULOSO, love it embrace it and own it. this is a surfactant that can clean anything from your bathroom,your floors,your garage door and even your car(and Yes I tried all of those things) I prefer the Lilac(purple) one. I buy the biggest jug I can find. I buy a spray bottle and a bucket. I water it down per the instructions on the back. It also doubles as an air freshener as it has a yummy scent. They do make it in Orange but I find that aggravating to my asthma. That’s all the maids use. FABULOSO and maybe a watered down disinfectant in a different bottle. But never mix Fabuloso with anything but water.
OVEN CLEANER:
as an asthmatic(and a tight wad) when I have to clean the oven (by hand) I have to get crafty…I made a paste of three parts baking soda,one part toothpaste and a few drops dawn soap. I scrub the oven with this(think lots of elbow grease) and it worked. AND I didn’t fall over dead from the price or the fumes.
DISINFECTANT:
buy Clorox bleach, make the cutting board cleaner solution(dilution of bleach to water)Its on the back of the bottle or jug. for my purposes I figured it to be a 32 ounce spray bottle of water with two tablespoons of bleach for a strong disinfectant. I spray on kitchen counters, sinks etc…no need to rinse but you can if you want to(i’m paranoid so I do) disinfects fine(I’m still here) though if your asthmatic like me wear a mask or ask your husband to mix it…shake bottle before each use.
THE JOYS OF BAKING SODA
buy in huge bags at Costco. keep in kitchen, use for baking. make a paste of a few tablespoons of some and water and a few drops of peppermint or vanilla extract for emergency toothpaste. grab a cup and throw in toilet to make a eco-friendly toilet scrub. use to scrub tub…add dawn soap if you have soap scum(or cheap suave shampoo)…works well. and if your short on Drano…add a cup of baking soda,followed by a cup of vinegar followed by hot water till the drain unplugs(also makes a great science project with a volcano and red food dye). Its save and very very versatile.
SELF ESTEEM
don’t take the kids to the clothing or grocery store, buy it,put it in bins (so they never see the brands) and when it comes to cloths forbid them to check the tags till they try it on and give you an opinion(then clip them ) we threaten them with “we’ll take it back if you look” and with one teenage girl and one preteen girl this solved all our problems!
If the kids,neighbors,relatives whatever….yada yada yada berate you,question you (or your kids husband whatever) smile,straighten your shoulders and proudly proclaim yourself (or your family)”NONCONFORMISTS” when your asked what that is, very intellectually explain you don’t believe in feeding the corporate machine,desire to trash the environment with stuff you’ll never use .and do not feel the need to use brand names to try to obtain validation from people you don’t know or don’t like” this makes you look very smart.
my preteen claims it means she doesn’t waste thing and my teen has taken it on as a ANTI-waste,ANTI-sheep mentality,ANTI-peer pressure mentality.
Neither of them get picked on. It is my manipulative but intellectual way of saying we are broke without coming out and saying we are broke nor believing we are broke. It fends off the “Jones-es,nosy peers and nosy people” It makes them feel rude for asking and makes them question their over buying,over using,wasteful habits and takes away from my Moyle,cheap,tightwad life style. It succeeds in keeping our integrity and self esteem intact while shutting the mouths of all the YENTAS(gossips,nosy people)who dare even ask why.
anyway, I know this was a novel(sorry) hope it helps.
January 31st, 2011 at 8:20 pmMy grandparents on both sides and my great grand parents on both sides as well as my in laws said they survived the great depression best by:
moving as many family members under one roof as possible.
This way you have as many hands to garden,farm,sew,quilt,knit,cook,watch the kids and work as possible.
if you can live on a farm that is ideal.
Fishing,hunting and gardening was so normal and frequent it was a way of life. You did it after work,before work,and for fun.
Hobbies were crafts,reading, and game nights with your friends,family and neighbors with potluck meals.Lots of card games, book clubs,sing a longs etc etc.
church/temple was a big deal and often a lifeline for emotional support and sometimes a hot meal.
you swapped goods for goods and goods for services and services for services and services for goods. money was scarce and not worth much anyway. so you’d trade apples for oranges. zucchini for onions,deer meat for fish,sewing for construction. Baby sitting for tutoring, piano lessons for a meal.(you get the point).
So make nice with your neighbors,they may be your biggest resource later,and you theirs.
idiots,slackers,cons and lazy folks were ignored. your neighbors warned you about them and you steered clear for them and didn’t get sucked in. But if a good person came to your door you scrounged up a plate of something and they ate it on the porch and left the plate there when they were done.
Hobos begged for food or a buck to do a job for you. This will come back. I had a gentleman a few days before new years eve asking for whatever I had to shovel my driveway. the snow was just lightly dusting it but I gave him my last five bucks in cash and two bags of food. he cried and said he had a job driving a truck lined up but ran out of money for gas to get there and clean his cloths and his food stamps and unemployment ran out. I am in no way rich but I viewed it as an opportunity to do good. I cried to. I could not imagine being in his shoes. I have seen people begging in the parking lots of the grocery store for food,bus fair,toilet paper. so the traveling hobo,begging “sir can you spare a dime” is back .
Some of my folks and my husbands folks kind close up some when you ask em their stories, but sooner or later they tell ya. I buy depression and frugal cook books and life skill books and practice doing things ourselves. the strongest,most frugal,highly skilled will survive.
The people who can’t cook their own food,mend cloths or garden and spend money likes its water will be in a state of shock and awe but if you are determined you will eventually acclimate and survive.
I have heard the term “do or die” from great depression folks often. I have also been read “the optimists creed” and I have a copy on a plaque and read it often. I have been told Optimism will save your life when times get tough.
We give to charity when we can, our folks give to charity if and when we can, and we stay nice with our neighbors.as this is how i and my man was taught is how you survive. your kind, sharing and charitable (but not gullible)
January 31st, 2011 at 9:40 pmGet the magazine Good Old DAys- true stories by people who lived during the Depression. They talk about home made everything and gardens etc.
April 13th, 2011 at 11:01 amI agree , the neighbors and stick together and support each other will be essential- they did that back then.