If you have ancestors that lived in America during the Great Depression, they may talk freely about how they survived those tough times. Some people don’t want to talk about it, but if you are lucky enough to know someone who does then you may want to spend some time interviewing them so that you can preserve their stories and their wisdom for future generations. When you talk to someone about how they got through the Great Depression, you may be surprised by what you hear – their tips for frugal living are usually relevant even in today’s economy and some of the stories are quite fascinating.
Today, I came across a few frugal living tips from the Great Depression that are very timely. With the economy in a recession, many people are looking for ways to make their money go further. During the Great Depression, people had to get very creative in order to survive. After the economy improved, many people that lived through the Great Depression continued to live frugally because they feared that it could happen again. Even in their later years, they still try to save a dollar for every dollar that they spend, they prefer to buy used items instead of new, and they will do anything and everything to repair items before replacing them.
Some of the stories about what people did to survive during the Great Depression are fascinating. I could have spent hours reading them, but fortunately I was able to tear myself away for long enough to get some work done. I do not remember hearing any Depression stories from my grandparents, so I have been learning vicariously by reading the written accounts of other people’s grandparents. It is my hope that the memories of those who lived through the Great Depression will be preserved by their families so that their stories are never lost.