In light of the times...ideas to get by ?? (apartment, house)

[emu742]

Well, I have been guilty of 'lurking' as you call it ... and can definitely agree and sympathize with the current situation of the "recession/depression" discussed here on this forum lately, and we are definitely feeling it out here too.

So I have been thinking a lot lately of what kinds of people and businesses fair well in a very bad economy, like back in the times of the Great Depression. I definitely agree that its the people who know how to get by and raise a lot of their own stuff, and those who don't 'need' extra things like spas and trips to paradise etc.

But I'd love to discuss it in more detail ... for example, what did your family do to get by during the great depression? What worked, what didn't work? What were people willing to spend money on (movies I think??)...what types of local businesses faired the best? How could this translate to what we could all do now to get ideas for a more secure future? Especially in Maine, with the chance of less tourism, what businesses/jobs will last and what wont?

I would just love to discuss it and see what everyone thinks and feels about this .... and hopefully we'll help eachother out with ideas and tips in the process

[RANGER.101ST]

my grand father use to tell me storys he said he never notised a diffrence becouse they where allready poor farmers.they use to grow all of their own food includeing wheet and oats for flouer.my grand mother used a loom for makeing cloth or blankets.
my brouther has the loom new and his wife uses it all the time .so if they could make do back then i gess we will be fine.

[Nor'Eastah]

My grandparents used to talk about the depression a lot when I was young - this would be in the 1950's, when it hadn't been that long ago. My grandmother couldn't afford meat often, and bought eggs, slightly cracked ones, and she knew how to tell which cracked ones were good, and which were not. So in the 30s and early 40s, they ate eggs, crepes, omelets, whatever you could do with eggs, she made it. Even in the 50s she was still in the habit of buying day-old bread. When we lost power, she always had candles around to light. She lived frugally, but always had a spare dollar in tow. I recall once my mother got herself a $20 bill in the mid-50s, and told us kids that she felt rich. That was when the dollar was still worth something!

I do recall my grandfather telling us that if you were able to hold onto your job, you didn't even know there was a depression! Unfortunately for him, he suffered a burst appendix in 1930, underwent surgery (no antibiotics yet, back then), and spent 6 months in the hospital! This is no lie. He was lucky to survive (was not expected to), but it does tell you something about the health care system back then. He lived to be 83. In those days, a doctor would make house calls if needed. Today? Hah!

As they say, history never repeats; it rhymes. The depression of the 1930's was deflationary, with falling asset prices and not enough money to go round. This time, it is likely to be inflationary, meaning that prices will go so high that people will not be able to afford to live as they have been. There will be plenty of money around (the Fed is printing up a storm), but its value will be much less. Having a job this time around will guarantee nothing in particular, as wages have not been keeping up with inflation.

The idea of going to work for the man in the city will not work this time. Seems to me that the real winners will be those who were losers last time around - farmers and homesteaders. If you can be self-sufficient, you will get through it just fine. And whereas the population was fairly docile during the 30s, we have entirely different attitudes and demographics now. There may be blood in the streets. Certainly you would not want to stay in any major city when it all goes down. Move out to the country and far from the crowds and violence which will surely erupt when those who are used to government handouts find the hand to be empty.

It just won't be the same as the last time.

[emu742]

That is very true Nor'eastah, I think it will come down to being that way too if it comes down to it. I would suppose if it got really bad, there would be a lot more 'trade' for things, such as painting for food, etc. Especially with the dollar losing its power, and jobs not supplying nearly enough $ to keep up with the inflation.

[mainebrokerman]

who, or what group will do well no matter what shape the economy is in??
the politicians, of course!
they are still spending "our" money like drunken sailors,,,,because they spend so much on pork, we should call them "pigs", not elected officials


to answer the original question....i believe thier is "need" money and "want" money (expenses) the want money can be eliminated..this includes, downsizing your car payments, not going to restaurants, not wasting money on booze, or cigarettes, not stopping at a store for a few sodas and a snack,,(a 20 oz pepsi is now well over 1.50

just watch your pennies, if you have kids, plan activities, that dont cost alot....

plan your meals ahead of time, cherry-pick the grocery flyers, and stock up on the good deals,,look at cost per meals,,potatos go a long way and so does chicken,, you can buy day old bread at the bread thrift store,,,,loaves of bread last a few days longer today than 10 yrs ago

bring your clothes to a local seamstress(for repairs) instead of buying brand new,,
and if your bow to your kids demands of only brand name clothes, and sporting items, check out e-bay, they have some great stuff at half the cost.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

not wasting money on booze, or cigarettes, not stopping at a store for a few sodas and a snack,,(a 20 oz pepsi is now well over 1.50

just watch your pennies, if you have kids, plan activities, that dont cost alot....

.

Get rid of the kids and keep the booze and cigarettes.

[elston]

Mom and Dad both were coming into adulthood during the depression; Mom talked about walking the railroad tracks in Lawrence Mass as a kid to find pieces of coal and sometimes an engineer would let a shovelful fall so the scavangers would have a few lumps to take home to heat the apartment. Mom said one of her first jobs was working in a 5 and 10 cent store. She said there was very little business...but you wanted to always look busy so you didnt get laid off. She remembered making a display of lip stick tubes in a huge pyramid.....and later making sure it all fell down.....so she had to do it again.....she said if the boss saw you not working you would be let go.....she was always busy!

She had recipes for cake with out eggs or milk; and they made everything stretch so there was something for everyone at the table.

Dad, said he always had some kind of job......he said if you were willing to work and to take the hardest meanest job for less than anyone else......you could find work...I don't think that was generally true...but it seemed to have worked for him. Dad's family raised a lot of their food in their garden.

Mom altered and mended clothes; she and gram even darned socks--I believe that is a lost art.

They took as the lesson that no matter how hard times are....family is the most important. They also kept their dignity and pride. They were strong Democrats and FDR was a family hero.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Old timers shut down one house for the winter and two families moved in together. After "mud time" the boarding family went home. People were polite and respected each other so any squabbles were quickly settled.

I watched my grandmother remove a worn shirt collar, turn it around and sew it back on. It looked like new. She darned socks using the appropriate size glass jar inside the sock. During the long winter they told stories, read from the Bible and watched "stereopticants". Those were photos that seemed 3D when viewed through the viewfinder. (During the 1950s Disney came out with similar devices and the scenes were on round discs with multiple pictures at the edges of the discs.)

I mentioned on the thread thread that I buy nylon thread and patch some of my gear even now. I live on 107 acres and I know how the folks lived who built my house in 1885. In a pinch I could live the same way.

[BacktoNE]

My mother's family was okay during the depression. Her father had a good job with the railroad, they even had a woman come in once a week to help clean. THey were very fortunate.

Unfortunately because my mother never wanted for anything, we were raised the same way. If we ever regress into similar times, I'd be dead in a week. I have absolutely no survival skills, no idea how to live off the land, etc. My husband would be better at it because of how he was raised as a child, but he's spoiled these days too and it would be really tough.

We both really need to put more thought into just what we would do should things get really bad.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by elston

Mom altered and mended clothes; she and gram even darned socks--I believe that is a lost art.

Nope... I know how and made sure my girls -- in their 20s and 30s now -- knew how even though they have not done it since they left home.

I learned from my grandma; Mom knew how -- in theory -- but didn't after Dad said the knots gave him blisters. I dunno why she made knots... Grandma (her mom) taught me just to leave a longish end at the beginning and end; they can be trimmed back a bit after the first time the sock is washed. No knots in my darns!

Somewhere I wrote a how-to article about it, but I'll be darned if I remember where...

And speaking of such things, I have my grandma's "darning egg" though I usually just do it over my fist. And I just bought some black wool yard to darn a pair of heavy wool socks that are at least 15 yrs old... this is the first repair they have needed.