Readers Respond: How to Survive a Great Depression

1. They banded together and helped each other out.
2. They were flexible.They found any kind of work. They looked for multiple streams of income. They rented out rooms.
3. They cut costs. They made do with what they had. They patched their clothes.
4. Cash was king. They avoided banks, and loaned to each other.They bartered services.
5. They diversified their savings. They didn't put all their money into one thing.

How to Survive a Great Depression

This is just as bad as the 1930's

It's very difficult to find any kind of work-just like it was in the 1930's. This is just a repeat of the 1930's, with the exception of the banks not closing down. The town I live in is in very bad economic shape, and the jobs that are available (which are very far and few), either you're "over qualified" or "not qualified enough". Somedays, I don't know how I'm going to make it. One day I'll get lucky and earn a little money by doing some kind of odd job; and the following days, there wouldn't be anything for me to do. I think I wasted my time graduating from high school, going to college to think I'm "bettering myself", when in reality I'm back at square 1. Something's got to give with this recession, and it's bs saying that it's over because it's far from over. I have to take my hat off to the people who lived in the 1930's when things were slightly rougher than now economic wise.

—Guest Dee

This depression isn't as bad as 1930's

This is only my opinion, but this recession isn't as bad as the Great Depression. The people who suffered the most are the ones who lived beyond their means while they had a job and couldn't cut back expenses after they lost it. Most people who lived within their means may have had some setbacks when they lost their jobs. I read that one person made $180,000 a year and had a $120,000 mortgage and then lost her job and foreclosed on her mortgage. Why couldn't she pay off her mortgage when she had her job? What the heck was she spending her money on when she had a job, and I seriously doubt that money from her job went to the poor.

—Guest Katie

A great impending depression

how do I survive this, since I am retired on a fixed small income and have a disability? As I believe, only through faith in God and his family of believers.

—Guest michael hubbard

ulafsOAOOYzQedcCmOL

that stocks cnoubed back from a nearly 700 pt drop and there are serious slides this week but it isn't the worse one we have had.128 point loss is steep but it is much better than the 700 that it was.The liberals running around yelling the sky is falling the sky is falling is part of the reason for this they are in a panic and DEMANDED a bailout which is only a bandaid. It might get worse but we are ok. The WHOLE WORLD is experiencing the same thing right now .so the world won't crash!Not to say it isn't serious .it is I do believe the government will handle this .and solve it eventually!BAD NEWS If OBAMA Is in though .and we will never hear the end of it that it was the republicans but it is the democrats CLINTON did this .don't be fooled into thinking different. You can't make money like we did back then and not pay for it now. IT was AMAZING the money we made during Clinton years but it was a false bottom a bubble under false economy and we were in a recession when Bush took office ..but no one says anything about THAT!There was a crash in 1970 too ..Look at history a recession is on average at this time .we go in cycles and we have ALWAYS corrected the situation within two years.Remember too this is a good thing that this weekend is a holiday weekend and all markets are closed hopefully people will step back and take a second look. We are living the housing bubble 45 percent drop right now that is a WHOLE LOT OF LIBERAL caused problems from Clinton !Stock is a sliver of a market based on earnings .companies are going to earn 40 percent less but not all companies are going to go out of business right now ..we are not going to go down.Companies are trading at muliti million dollar lows right now so that means we are going to go up! It will take time..!Just DON'T PANIC!!!!!!! We are senior citizens and we are worried about our 401 K's and stocks and we have taken a huge hit but we have done this before and it went up before and it will go up again.You cannot solve 30 years of unwinding credit being defaulted in just a few days.Not ONE BANK has lost ONE person's FDIC money .so it is really not THAT bad yet! Oh and please stop listening to the news ..they can give you facts but they are also VERY NEGATIVE! That is their business to report everything they have 24/7 to cover news and they are fighting for time! So the most outrageous they get the more viewers they get.

—Guest bOoMqvKIrd

Share ideas with neighbors

I plan to talk to my neighbors considering the bleak future to come. No one can predict the future regarding anykind of disaster, economic collapse, EMP fallout, Radiation poisoning from a bomb, War, etc etc. Are we prepared as should be? Unfortunately, I'm not. I'm just basically covered for a few days. I'm a doomsday prepper so I like to be prepared for everything. Unfortunately, I don't have thousands of dollars to spend. I'm lucky if I have $10.00 a month to spend on supplies. It is going to be slow storing stuff. I hope to start a raised garden too because of these outrageous prices in the stores.

—Guest chrisjm

How to survive a great depression.

We need to promote local businesses that will in turn, put Americans back to work. We need to invest in our nation, our people once again. That in turn will strengthen our economy and get us back on track. We should not live beyond our means, but live within our limits of what we earn and try to save 10% of our income every month.

—Guest Cheri

Skills you need

I have been reading the responses here, and I'm hoping that most of them came by cell phone because the spelling and grammar are atrocious. If this is any indication of the plight of our country...that most people cannot communicate succinctly and correctly...no wonder there is high unemployment! People, PLEASE, along with the "spend less, save more, plant gardens," IMPROVE yourselves. Read books. Improve your English. Read about economics. Don't rely only on the internet for your news. Take classes at your local community colleges. Diversify your skills. If you can't find a job in one field, learn another. But please, improve your communication skills - writing, grammar, spelling!

—Vecchiola

Stop the laziness

My parents went throught the great depression and they taught me how to make do, there have been many times that I have needed to use these skills in my life to feed my family, to cloth my children etc. I am so tired of everyone compaining that they have had to cut back on entertainment, what ever happened to playing family games etc, they are also very educational. I have a vegie garden and if I cannot afford meat for a meal, oh well i add lentils or beans etc. Start repairing things that need a touch up don't throw it out, I reuse old towels as rags, or if they are not to bad sew them in half and use them as mats for mud. Start thinking about what you would actually need to do if you had nothing left. it is better to have something a little worn than not at all. Everyone says reuse, recycle etc but you need to live by that code. If you need to think about it don't buy it, if you can live without it do. Start living a life not a material life. We do and we do just fine.

—Guest Shaz

learn to live with less

my grandparents knew full well how to survive in the depression. it's called "wear it out, fix it up, or do without". they were poor, but not deprived. they learned how to repair things and make sure that everything was truly worthless before trashing it. they spent only on things they really needed, and went to movies not just for entertainment, but for the free dishes and glasses provided. many of these are still in good condition, used by my uncle now. i live in china now, and that's how things are done here. there are a lot of people who still fix things, instead of throwing them away. i've also had to downsize things before. it's just not that hard. spend $2 for every $5 you make. if you can't hack that, then spend $3. you'll always be poor if you spend $6 for every $5 you make, or don't account for paying tax.

—Guest sandi j allen

Live in moment

Some said to get three jobs to make it. Where are the jobs? One job is hard to find. How can You get three? Right now I work part time at any thing I can find. People have been good to me in the wages I get. I put out a good days work.. That's what's keeps them calling me back to work. K trusted the Banks and our Government to protect us from the thief's that robbed us of our homes and jobs. I had a simple life. That's why I lasted longer than most who spent and never saved. Most used the Equity in their homes to live way over their means.. They all went down quick. They gave up and quit fighting. Some Divorced, splitting the family. Some moved back with in-laws or parents. That didn't last either. I just hope our health holds up till we recover. Pray for our Country..

—Guest Dave

We the people

I say lazy people quit living off of unemployment, get 3 part time jobs if need be, spend your money, stop waiting on the liars and socialists in washington to provide your every need, churches start helping your people, church people start helping those you can, stand up, be proud, be american. Government is not the answer, hard work, honesty, integrity, blood,sweat and tears. I think its a shame how we as a proud and strong nation have bowed down to a man, an image, an idea. Here is your change you were promised, the change in your pocket.

—Guest Kc

Directly control our political destiny

In the 1700s, because of time and distance problems, we decided to elect representatives to vote for us at a central location, Wash. D.C. WE VOTED FOR PEOPLE AND NOT ON ISSUES. After they got to D.C. they could bring up and vote on any legislation they wanted. This was and is still the flaw in our system. Plus congress members could cause problems for 2 to 6 years before being voted out. This is 2011 and because of our incredible communication technology we no longer need a representative republic. We just don't realize it yet. We the people of the United States can directly put forth issues that we would want to vote on using our cell phones and computers. The top 10 issues could be put to vote once a month. All interested Americans would then immediately decide the issue. The people in DC would just carry out our wishes. If we don't like the job they are doing, we would immediately fire them. I personally want all manufacturing to return to the U.S. We need jobs.

—EHartley23

War and the Federal Reserve

Guest "Warren B" is right about war, and the prelude is building with China's rapid building of a navy and buying submarines and aircraft carrier hulls from Russia. And, "Conservative 21" is right about the Federal Reserve. Get a book called "The Creature from Jekyll Island", a factual book of the history of the Federal Reserve, and you will see what you never have before. This is the cyclic reaping of the wealth of common citizens that takes place cyclicly, when the wealthy elite flush-out the assets and move them to themselves through the manipulation of economies and housing markets. It had to take place before the Boomers cashed in the wealth they'd built over there generation. 'Quantitative Easing' is simply flushing out wealth through the deliberate de-valuing of anything denominated in US dollars - you've already lost nearly 40% of everything you've saved, and you'll lose more - right under your nose, and no one's lifted a finger!

—Guest Throw-em-Out

The Great depression

what would i do is that i would help others not only myself and family. And also not worry about money and just focus on me and others

—Guest Anne

how to survive and save i do

grow a garden do your reasearch on what you eat and grow it and can it ..im in my 50s and i couldnt go with out its taste so much better then grocery store..or buy bulk at farmers mkt ..people tell me it takes too much time . excuses..people have become lazy ..no home cooked food its all heat and serve now yuck.. vi wont live forever but ill die healthy

—Guest linda myer