I love history, don’t you? When I survey the world and ponder all the problems we are experiencing my first inclination is to pray. The second thing I do is look to the past to see how people successfully survived similar situations. As we look at the state of the American economy, it is fragile with the national debt the largest expenditure in the National Budget. I am against doomsdayism and wholeheartedly stand for wisdom. Today, I am excited to share some brilliant Survival Tips From The Great Depression, with you!
The “Great Depression ” was a severe, worldwide economic disintegration symbolized in the United States by the stock market crash on “Black Thursday”, October 24, 1929. The causes of the Great Depression were many and varied, but the impact was visible across the country. By the time, FDR was inaugurated president on March 4, 1933, the banking system had collapsed, nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed, and prices and productivity had fallen to 1/3 of their 1929 levels. Reduced prices and reduced output resulted in lower incomes in wages, rents, dividends, and profits throughout the economy. Factories were shut down, farms and homes were lost to foreclosure, mills and mines were abandoned, and people went hungry. The resulting lower incomes meant the further inability of the people to spend or to save their way out of the crisis, thus perpetuating the economic slowdown in a seemingly never-ending cycle. – Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
My grandparents were farmers in the Great Depression. The first home my mother lived in had an outhouse. My grandparents, Florence and Donald worked hard and even bought their very own land during this challenging time period! It is often in the darkest times that people use their creativity to thrive. We can do the same…
28 Survival Tips From The Great Depression
- Hand-me-downs became mandatory for all families and the resale of used clothes began…saving every penny!
- Families became vegetarians out of necessity and even did without milk. In New York City, milk consumption declined by a million gallons per pay.
- Self-sufficiency was strived for because they had no other choice. The family garden was filled with vegetables and herbs and was large. Some towns and cities allowed the conversion of vacant lots into “thrift gardens” where residents could grow food.
- A majority of people in need turned to the church for help during the Great Depression.
- The average American family lived by the Depression-era motto: “Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.”
- Housewives learned how to forage for local produce including tumbleweed. Some women living through the Dust Bowl even canned it and fed tumbleweed to their animals. I am hard-pressed to imagine what tumbleweed tasted like!
- You were considered “RICH” if you had a family cow and a garden.
- The automatic clothes dryer was invented in 1892, line drying was much cheaper.
- Families reused everything! They even resoled shoes with old rubber tires and cardboard.
- Homemade gifts were created by talented family members to save money in the monthly budget.
- Community support was strong. Taking care of one’s neighbors was often how people survived.
- Hunting and fishing became a necessity. Families that hunted shared with extended family and neighbors.
- Homemakers shopped sales and end-of-the-week leftover bargains.
- Herbalism made a comeback.
- One of the most ingenious uses of resources on hand was the creation of feed sack dresses!
- Women and men found creative solutions to problems.
- Families of the Great Depression saved money by purchasing food in bulk.
- The entrepreneurial spirit thrived under the conditions of the Great Depression. For instance, homemakers made sandwiches to sell to workers outside their employment and housewives took in boarders to help pay the mortgage.
- Church communities cared for their members and created many new ministries to help others.
- If you were lucky and had the skills, families would capture wild bee swarms for honey production.
- No more toilet paper? The family used rags to replace toilet paper.
- Experiences became more valuable!
- Housewives replaced store-bought personal hygiene products with homemade ones.
- There was a realization that holding personal debt was a catastrophe. People lived within their means.
- People planted and grew their fruit, even in the cities.
- Homemakers pulled out their grandma’s recipes and began making their bread from scratch. Sourdough was even less expensive to bake.
- Vinegar became a mainstay in every household. It’s good for just about everything!
- Husbands and wives fixed everything themselves and saved a bundle.
What would it look like if we employed these tips in our own financial situation?
Our finances would only improve, right?
YOUR TURN…
What are some creative ways that you save money in your family budget?
Peacefully Yours,
Janelle
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