One Dozen Lessons from The Great Depression

The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent stock values downward, which undermined consumer confidence. This led to a sharp economic decline that spread from the United States to other countries and continued for several years.
The effects of The Great Depression were severe.  Since the government provided no unemployment insurance, lost jobs quickly translated into lost homes and extreme poverty. In 1931, tent camps and shack towns began to appear. One large encampment that residents called "Hooverville" in honor of the President whom they blamed for the Depression. 
Unemployment was at an all time high with more people losing their jobs everyday. Businesses closed. Banks were going bankrupt which meant even people who were thrifty and wise with their money lost their savings they had put in the bank they trusted.  People were evicted from their homes and were literally starving.
The people who went through The Great Depression know what it’s like to live frugally in order to survive.  They didn’t make frugal choices to save up for a trip or pay down excessive debt.  They had to find ways to be frugal in an effort to just be able to put food on the table and try desperately hard to keep their homes.
We can learn a lot from The Depression Era, not only when it comes to perseverance, strength, and the will to survive, but also on how to save money.  These people didn’t fool around. They knew how to be extremely frugal.  Their survival depended on it.  Forget trying to live frugally on one income many families had to learn how to live frugally on NO income.
Here are twelve frugal living tips they used to survive those hard times. 
12 Lessons from The Great Depression
1. Foraging
Foraging is the act of gathering wild food for free.  Various kinds of nuts and berries, like black walnuts and blackberries, were often foraged to help feed the family.  Dandelions were often used in meals as well.  Even squirrels and rabbits were consumed. My daughters great grandparents often ate squirrel for survival and showed us how to do it early on in my marriage. I’ve eaten odd things like turtle, rabbit, and frogs legs. People of the Depression Era struggled to buy food, so foraging was a good way to help them put food on the table.  

2. They Lived Within Their Means
If they didn’t have the money, they certainly didn’t put it on credit.  They made do with what they had and if they didn’t have it they made do without.  They had to learn to stay within their budget.  They kept track of their finances and often bartered for the things they needed. 
3. Meat was Replaced with Inexpensive Foods
They learned to make do with what food they had and made meals that didn’t require meat.  They would cook with beans or potatoes, or make cheap meals such as pancakes.  If they did eat meat they would stretch it as far as they possibly could.  While I never had to eat things like mustard sandwiches, I know that my parents did. 
My grandfather says they made corn bread and gravy with water because that was all they had. My uncle Paul used to love to go to my great grandparents farm because there was always plenty to eat there, unlike at home. 
4. If It Broke, They Fixed It
Clothes were mended at home, not replaced with something new.  Most homes were equipped with sewing machines for these types of things. If something in the home stopped working, they repaired it. It would be unthinkable to just throw it away.  They often used items around the house to fix broken things, like using cardboard to fix a worn out sole in a shoe.
5. They Bartered
It was very common for people to barter during this time.  Money was hard to come by, so if they had something they could barter with in order to get something they needed then that is what they did. If they lived in the country and raised their own meat, raised chickens for eggs, and grew their own food, they could go to town and trade or barter these items for things they needed but couldn’t produce like gas or kerosene, or other food items they could not produce on the farm.
6. They Grew some of their own Food 
Backyard gardens became a necessity. The more food they could produce on their property, the better chance they had of keeping food on the table. You can learn the basics of gardening by borrowing books from your local library for free. My grandfather and his brothers always had more than one garden when I was growing up and my grandmother preserved all that food. They had lived through hard times and they were always prepared in case it happened again. 
7. Nothing was Wasted 
When it came to food, everything was used or eaten.  For example, when it came to something like a chicken, the feet and bones would be used for soup, the gizzards would be consumed, even the feathers would be used for featherbeds.  My brother cooks with chicken feet even today. Fruit with bruises would just have the bad spot cut out of it before eating it.  Absolutely everything they could possibly eat was used to feed their families. 
8. People Took In Boarders 
A boarder is someone who rents a room in someone's house. Renting out rooms  in their homes meant extra income to help them survive.  With so many people without work during this time, they looked for other ways to make money.
9. They Recycled
Instead of throwing something out, it would often be used for something else.  Feed and flour sacks were used to make clothing, newspapers were used to line the walls like wallpaper to keep drafts out, old scraps of clothes were used as rags.   Wood scraps would be used to make toys. They kept everything they could in case they could make use of it.
10. They Layered Clothes to Stay Warm 
During the depression, many people couldn’t afford to properly heat their homes.  To save on resources they often didn’t heat the house while sleeping. They layered their clothing to stay warm and slept under horse hair blankets or feather beds made from chicken or goose feathers.
At our house we layer clothing, but I do use  a blanket throw heating pad on the coldest of nights. While it uses electricity, it can save you money because you can set your thermostat lower at night.  It is cheaper to heat just your bed instead of the whole house.  
11. They Made Stuff
When they wanted or needed something, their first thought was to figure out how to make it instead of running out and buying it. They were experts on how to figure out how to make it themselves.
12. Other Modes of Transportation  
Riding bicycles and walking were popular during The Great Depression due to their frugal nature.  If a person did have to drive somewhere, they did it as minimally as possible and avoided going out of their way in an effort to save on gas.

These frugal tips from The Great Depression are excellent ideas of how we can save money today. While we hope we never have to suffer through a depression, we just don’t know what tomorrow may bring. While we can’t always control outside factors that affect our finances, what we can control are the skills we continue to learn to become more self-sufficient. The more we learn to be frugal, the more we are able to be self-reliant, the better off we are in the long run.

The lessons we learn through the stories from that time can continue to teach us today. It is because of what they went through that we can learn the best ways to save money and be frugal.  The frugal living tips from The Great Depression are some of the absolute most successful ways we can cut our budget and expenses.
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Menu Plan Monday

In no particular order, these are the meals I plan on making this week. As usual, we have plenty of salad and vegetables to serve with these meals.
Baked BeansBaked Potato BarSoup Beans and CornbreadSalmon Patties, Mashed Potatoes, PeasHomemade Chicken SandwichesStir Fried Rice
Come back on Friday if you're interested in reading which side dishes we chose for each meal.

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Frugal Friday ~ November 5, 2021

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

Family ties may lengthen to accommodate distance, but they are never broken. ~ John Boy Walton

My Frugal Week
This week was mostly spent at home, although I had my final eye dr appointment on Thursday, which worked out well as that was the day Taco Bell was giving away a free taco. So, I made sure to go by and get one.
Bailey taught me another aspect of her business this week and she will be paying me for my work. I still barter with her on our cell phone plan. I process and steam for her and she pays the cell phone bill each month. 
Earning Money
I earned $5.00 on another survey from the Consumer Opinion Institute. Rather than keeping it in my wallet, since I was by the bank I went ahead and put it in my checking account. 
Avoiding Spending
I couldn’t avoid spending any money this week either since I had my last eye dr appointment. I filled up my gas tank and bought another $10 eye drop RX. Gas is up to $3.09 per gallon here, so it cost me $42.00 to fill my car up. Ouch!
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
It is chilly here this week, so we broke out the herbal teas. A nice warm cup in the morning is enough to help take the chill off. 
Meals This Week
Friday: Chili Tacos
Saturday: Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli
Sunday: Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Spinach Salad, Carrots. 
Monday: Macaroni and Cheese, Salad
Tuesday: Macaroni and Cheese with Chili, Salad
Wednesday: 15 Bean Soup with Onions & Italian Sausage, Potatoes and Carrots
Thursday: Chicken Strips, Fries, Cole Slaw
Freebies
The birthday freebies were still coming for Bailey this week. She had a $5 cash from Kohl’s to spend and got this potholder for free. 
That is all the news to report on our frugal week in Tennessee. Thank you for dropping by, you are always welcome here. We would love to hear about your week in the comment section.
Belinda~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting this site. 

 1. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small percentage that helps me to earn a living. Any items you place in your cart from one of my links means I will earn a small percentage from that sale. 

 2. My PayPal Tip Jar

Frugal Frugal ~ October 29, 2021

Welcome to Friday! 
My Frugal Week

Last Thursday evening we had a bad storm come through our area. During the storm we heard a loud noise and the whole house shook. Turns out a tree fell in the storm and landed on our front deck and stairs. We’ve asked our handyman Timmy to take care of it and he will when he has some extra time. 

Last Friday we were up early to go to a church yard sale where I was able to pick up some fabric, cloth napkin, dish towels, apron, and Minnie Mouse potholder. They didn't have any prices on items, but were accepting donations for a missionary instead, so we filled up a box of items and gave them a nice contribution.

Also pictured are three reusable cloth sandwich bags, which we picked up on Saturday for 50 cents, two Rubbermaid bowls and one pitcher, and a hand held shaker cup.   
One of the items was an Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner which you fill with vinegar and water and then run in the microwave for 7 minutes. Honestly, you can do the same thing with a glass bowl, so no need to go and buy one. 

On the cleaning front we took down the bathroom curtains this week and washed them. I steamed them before Bailey put them back up and they look so much better. 
I’ve been deep cleaning lately since I can see the dirt so much better now. The nurse at the eye doctors office said more people say they can see the dirt so much better after eye surgery than anything else.
I cleaned out my closet this week to get some sewing projects out of there, so I can work on them this week. The fabric I bought at the church yard sale would make a good large casserole potholder for Thanksgiving. 
On Wednesday I had a doctors appointment and left early to get some errands done. I took my car in for an oil change and one of my headlights was out, so they replaced that for me and aired up one of my tires that needed it since the cold weather started. 
Earning Money
I listed one item for sale on eBay this week. 
I cashed in my Checkpoints for $3.00 in Amazon gift cards this week. It's been hard to do this app since we haven't been driving during the pandemic as much as we used too, so it was good to be able to use this again. 
Avoiding Spending
I couldn't avoid spending money as I had the oil changed in my car and a headlight replaced.
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
We’ve been doing the usual things, keeping a check on the leftovers. Checking the fridge every day before making new food. I soaked a two pound bag of pinto beans this week and made homemade chili with that. This chili will last us several days of different meals, which makes this such an affordable option. 
Meals This Week
Friday: The last of the Taco stuff. It was good while it lasted. 
Saturday: Pork Chops, Fried Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions 
Sunday:  I had chicken in the refrigerator to thaw and I was going to make BBQ with it, but Bailey requested Sticky Pineapple Chicken again. I served this with rice and corn on the cob. 
Monday: For breakfast I heated up the last of the rice and added some cheese for protein. It tasted great and is such an affordable meal. Many people the world over eat rice as a staple in their diets. It is an inexpensive way to fill your family up without it costing a lot of money. 
We also had chicken left from Sunday dinner, so I served that for dinner with corn on the cob and baked potatoes.  
Tuesday: We ate lemon pepper tuna sandwiches for lunch and then made pizzas for dinner for movie night. 
Wednesday: Hamburgers, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions
Thursday: Homemade Chili
Friday: Chili Tacos
Recipe of the Week
Cheddar Muffins
This is a good recipe to use up any leftover mashed potatoes you may have on hand. 
Ingredients:
2 cups mashed potatoes1 egg1/3 cup vegetable oil1 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 & 2/3 cups flour3 Tablespoons sugar2 Tablespoons diced chives1 Tablespoon dried parsley1 Tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Combine beaten egg, cheese, vegetable oil and mashed potatoes.Combine remaining ingredients & stir in potato mixture just until moistened.Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes.

Saving on Entertainment
We cut cable TV back in 1998 and have never looked back. There is nothing wrong with having cable TV if you can afford it, but most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, have very little retirement savings, student loan debt, credit card, and other consumer debt. Entertainment is something that you can do for almost free, so if you are looking to save money there are plenty of resources to entertain yourself without spending too much. 
What I've been Reading This Week
60 Comforting Fall Meals to Make from Southern Living
Freebies

- Another birthday freebie this week was this half gallon container of ice cream from Publix. I just can't get over them offering a big container of ice cream to people on their birthdays. 
- From Stedi.org, which is a substitute teaching resource, here is a Harvest Activities Book. It's 23 pages of fun activities for children.
- A base was stolen in the World Series, which means you get a free Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell on Thursday, November 4 all day, in-store, online, or in the app. 

That is all the news to report on our frugal week in Tennessee. Thank you for dropping by, you are always welcome here. We would love to hear about your week in the comment section.

Belinda~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting this site. 

 1. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small percentage that helps me to earn a living. Any items you place in your cart from one of my links means I will earn a small percentage from that sale. 

 2. My PayPal Tip Jar

Supply Chains & Christmas ~ Something to Ponder

As you probably have also, I’ve been reading in the news lately about it being hard to shop for Christmas this year due to supply issues. I’ve thought about this and decided this isn’t necessarily going to be a bad thing. 
As far as decorating goes, We have plenty of decorations from years past to decorate with this year. And I suspect a lot of other people are in the same boat, and have plenty to decorate their homes with this year without buying anything new. 
Also, while we may not have all the traditional foods we normally have, we will most likely have food to eat and that is more important than doing without a traditional food for one Christmas. Some people may go hungry on Christmas and that is a sad fact, so I will be grateful for what we do have on our table this holiday season.
Another truth of the matter is that many of us do not NEED anything new, so not being able to buy presents for each other this year really wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It’s just the thought of not doing or having what we are used too, but we can make new traditions that mean just as much as our old traditions. 
I’ve always loved the tradition of giving each child three gifts to represent the three gifts the wise men brought to the baby Jesus. 
My Grandmother used to make up games for us to play that were so much fun. One year she hid my Grandfathers gift and the first person to find it won a small gift. 
We can look for ideas to make the holidays fun while keeping them frugal in order to fit our budgets.  With a little bit of effort we could make this a Christmas to remember. 
I’m just not going to worry about what we’ll have or not have for this one Christmas season. I can make Bailey some homemade things that she will love with things I already have on hand. And that way I won’t be adding any stress or worry for myself about supply chain issues that I have no control over anyway. 
How about you? Are you rethinking ways to do Christmas this year?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~