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Thanks so much for another fine post! I appreciated several points you made, such as that those who were already poor in the depression didn't have as much to lose. That is so true. I read that some rich people committed suicide during the Great Depression. I suspect there was less of that among poor people since they were already used to being poor.

I haven't had a garden for years, but I am getting some raised garden beds going this year. I have been using the Hügelkultur method with my raised beds, but it is still costing a lot to get this started. At least next year, I should just have to top off the beds with a few bags of potting mix. I planted 3 tomato plants, potatoes, onions, and marigolds today. I am trying the Square Foot Method. I saw a video that said you should always put a Tums in the hole when you plant tomatoes, as it helps prevent blossom end rot, so I tried that. I also saw that you should put crushed eggshells around your tomato plants, so I tried that. I have been saving my eggshells every day for this. I really hope I get a good harvest, and it is all worth it in the end. I am getting a lot more exercise anyhow. I'm averaging between 8,000 - 10,000 steps a day now.

I liked your point that we need to get into the study slowly and methodically. There are many things that I want to do, but right now my time is consumed with getting a garden going and getting my house organized. Hopefully, I will be able to do some of the other things later. I guess it is like each season comes in its time, and each season demands different things of us and offers its own rewards. Right now is the time for planting and spring cleaning. The hottest days of summer and winter will be times when I can do more mending and sewing. I want to try some new recipes too.

Have A Great Day, Everyone!

Becky Sue

I'm so proud of all the women who have joined in the 1930's challenge.  What they are learning will be fun now but if there is a SHTF situation in their future, the knowledge they're gaining will be priceless.  

I'm old, I've already done the washing by hand, wringer washer, hanging everything to dry inside or out, making do or doing without, cooking from scratch, gardening, canning and living in frugal survival mode.  I'm now in the years where my body is telling me no you cannot mix heavy batters by hand, so I'm keeping my mixer.  Ninety-nine percent of the time I cook from scratch and use the leftovers till they are gone.   I don't eat out but do allow myself two frozen pizzas a month.

My grocery budget is $140 per month, and I averaged $110 per month for the first quarter of this year.   I have a deep pantry and when Covid hit went two months without shopping for anything.  I wasn't in a panic over toilet paper because I had a good supply in my pantry.  My shopping these days is generally replacing what I use. 

During Covid I started using men's handkerchiefs and have continued to do so.  Due to allergies, I was using three boxes of tissue per month, so I've saved a lot in the years since then.  At that time, I had 12 boxes of tissue in my pantry and still have 6 left.  I keep boxes out for guests.  I also was able to make masks for myself and to donate from supplies I had on-hand.  

When my late dh was always wearing the toes out on his socks, so I learned to darn them.  To this day when I fold laundry I check to see if anything needs attention.  When a towel or wash cloth show fraying around the edges, I zigzag around the whole towel/wash cloth and gain several more years of usage.  A tiny hole in a knit can easily be mended, but if not mended quickly ruins the garment.

I have a Home Comfort Cookbook from 1930s or early 1940s that I found in an auction box.  It came with the wood cookstove someone purchased.  Some recipes are interesting for instance Roast Young Pig, it begins with 'Dress a young pig about 6 weeks old" and ends with "To carve:  Cut off head, slit down back ...  The majority of the recipes are much less challenging.

Ann W. I loved what you shared of your life experience . Spending only $110 per month for supplies was eye opening.

I feel greatly encouraged by your post and thank you for sharing 

I think I can explain the thing with Makkaroni. The pasta on your foto is what we call „Hörnchennudeln“, Cornetti is the Italian term. Makkaroni are as long as spaghetti and not curved, long sticks as mentioned in the receipe.

When I look back in time, I remember that my grandparents never had pasta, with the only exception of very little star or letter shaped ones for soup. I checked my mother’s school cookbook from 1963, and found only 6 receipes for pasta, 4 for homemade and 2 for sweet pasta. In other parts of Germany they have a lot of own pasta receipes, but where I live is potato land.

Here is a simple receipe for sweet pasta which you can also use for leftovers and loved by children: Cook 250 g pasta in 1 liter milk together with a dash salt, bit butter and 50 g sugar, serve it with cinnamon and sugar, or raisins/ dried fruits.

Hello Grandma Donna. Always lovely to see another post from you. I am enjoying following along in the spirit of the 1930's.

I so much wish I could find a lavabo here in Australia. I have much admired them on your website and on YouTube's Food around the world channel. I also notice they often have a bed in their summer kitchens.

I am sorry to hear you haven't had any bees around. Do you have native bees or honey bees in your area? We have many species of native bees but also very pushy honey bees from the neighbours. I worry they are too much competition for my gentle bees.

Your walking onions look very healthy, I tried to grow some a couple of years ago but the bulbs kept rotting. Perhaps we had too much summer rain.

We have noticed how much heavier the food seems when eating more traditional recipes. Earlier Australian recipes were quite British. We are sticking to our own version of simple eating. Tonight we are having pork and apple patties with beetroot leaves cooked in rice with onion and garlic.

Becky Sue K., I am also finding it very expensive to get my raised beds going. I have 3 of the 4 half filled and am using them like that and the fourth I am continuing to fill with prunings. I think I much prefer large pots overall. 

Ann W. I too am replacing what I use in terms of shopping but haven't managed to get the cost down to anywhere near your level. That is very impressive.

Good morning. I am enjoying reading your posts GDonna, as well as everyone’s responses. While I am not able to go “all in” on this study, and I taking to heart all that is being said and trying to do little things in my own home and life reflective of the lessons learned. As you said GDonna, this is a slow process, and I need to keep that in mind. 

I am sharing a couple of photos. One is the diary of my great grandmother she kept from late 1920’s through 1930’s. I am learning so much from reading this diary, and realizing how our priorities and focus has changed in current culture. It is quite sad and I hope for my home and my family I can help shift that back to a simpler time.

The other photo is of a poetry book my grandma had received as a gift from her teacher in 1931. As my dad wrote in his letter to me, this poet was known for writing poems about everyday American life during that time. 
I hope everyone is having a nice week. 

Your garden is so lovely! It was 38-degrees when I got up this am and my garden is still unplanted…. I have high hopes for it this year. My geraniums love the cold, though! Ha! Been working on cleaning out the house more to reduce my housework. When does Charles retire? It seems it should be soon!!! 

I am so grateful to Grandma Donna for putting us back into the thirties. Somehow it is where I can make the most changes to my life. And I'm grateful to everyone sharing ideas. I've already added some of them to my routine. 

I was sitting in my backyard yesterday watching the laundry moving around in the light breeze thinking how my outside is completely vintage and wondering how to do the same with inside my house. After thinking about it, I came up with a few ideas. They are not really my ideas. They are ideas from Grandma Donna's blog that finally click for me. :) I get very tired sometimes and that's when we get take out. The answer to that, I decided, is canning. If I have meat or soup or beans home canned in the pantry, it's quicker than picking up take out. Our power went out about a week ago and I thought I'd lose the food in my fridge and fridge freezer, so that's another reason to can. I bought some chicken to can, and I have a question. Grandma Donna, your canned chicken always looks so delicious, and I wondered if you hot packed it or raw pack? I've never canned chicken before, so I'm learning. 

Another thing is sewing. I still haven't attempted something new, but I'm getting much better at mending and altering. It really makes a difference! Some things I've mended more than once and they're still going. :) I will continue mending until I feel confident to start sewing something new, constantly expanding this skill. I put some nice sewing shears in my Amazon cart, and when I have enough points for them, I will get them. 

Getting off the Internet. This one is so important. Since I stopped looking at online news this week, I've had plenty of time for my tasks. I feel calmer too. My local PBS station sent me a confusing email yesterday about their public funding getting cut and asking for everyone to go to a website and stay informed about this. No, I won't is the first thing I thought, but I did break my rule and looked at the online news to see what they were talking about. I wish I hadn't! Bad news as usual. 

For the first time ever, my husband could lose his job in this economy. I made my 1932 Depression budget with this in mind. I am going to keep some categories as cash in envelopes, and big things like the duct cleaning we're having done this week, and the dental bills, will go on the credit card for points (though we have the cash in the bank). 

That's as far as I've gotten this past week. 

Thank you GDonna for the suggestion of "Clara's Kitchen" in book form.  I tried watching her videos but I received the message that I had to sign up for YouTube first, which I don't want to do.  I may try again and see if I can get around that.  I got the book from the library and have been reading through it.  There are so many pasta recipes!  

I was interested in her father's gardening - my dad used to put in a garden and we helped with weekly weeding and harvesting as needed, but not much else was needed, because we lived in an area with rich, black dirt.  Now I live in Florida with pale, sandy soil, and it takes a lot to make vegetables grow and keep the weeds down.  I changed to raised beds and added dirt, which increases the cost of gardening, but I hope that will reduce over time.  I planted late this year - I have struggled with a lack of motivation after going through three hurricanes and the loss of four close family members in one year.  I cover the plant beds at night to keep the pest population down but uncover them to let bees pollinate the flowers during the day. 

Stephanie G, I canned turkey last year and followed directions to cook the bird part way then pressure can the meat.  The biggest problem I have with cold pack canning is the shrinkage of the meat.  My partially cooked turkey meat shrunk a little, but not much. 

Since I still work full time, I can't go all in on the 1930's, but I'm simplifying things as I think of them.  My wardrobe is already simple - I have eight logo work shirts and seven pairs of slacks, which I mix and match five days a week, every week.  I have a few clothes for working outdoors and indoors, and some dresses for church.  I follow tradition in wearing dresses for church, with hosiery, and I wear the same dresses to weddings, funerals, and other events.

I make nearly everything from scratch and hand wash some of my laundry.  I make my own cleaners, mend for myself and do light household repairs.  My mother, who married my father during the Depression when nylon was scarce, knew how to mend runs in her stocking so that the mend was almost invisible.  I watched her a few times, but never got the hang of it. 

One thing I'm not going to do - use turpentine for medicine, as my father's family did!

Thank you, Joan S. That's just the kind of thing I'm looking for. Personal knowledge from someone I trust. I am sorry about so many losses happening to you all at once. :( I'll pray for peace for you, if that's alright. 

Yes, I always welcome prayers.  Thank you!

I am loving all of the comments along with the blog, I am just learning so much.

I can't believe what a difference just turning the TV off has made!  It was just backround noise and I am loving the quiet, it makes me slow down and be more mindful.

My garden is popping and everything except the parsnips are up,  I will give them a bit more time and if they don't pop soon I will replant.  I love them and I used to grow them so really want to have some again this year.

JC

Regarding my post above and averaging $110 per month for Jan., Feb., and March, I can easily do so because I have an extensive pantry and a large freezer both full.  If I don't want to shop, I don't.  I live in Iowa and have to drive 25 miles to shop so during the winter months, I often don't want to shop.  My meals are simple and living alone gives me freedom to please myself.  My late dh was a very picky eater, so all meals were catered to his likes.  I keep shelf-stable milk on-hand and, if I run out of bread, I have the ingredients to bake my own.

I have home canned pork, turkey, venison and chicken.  Each pint will easily make three or four or even more meals for me depending on how I use it.  The pork is loins, venison ground.  Chicken is mostly hind quarters cooked, removed from bones and cut to bite size although I do have some breast meat in larger chunks.  Canning raw chicken results in what is called "ugly chicken", but it's still tasty.  Other than salt, I do not add seasonings to canned meats so they can be used in many various ways adding seasoning when prepared.

For someone starting out with sewing, The Readers Digest, Complete Guide to Sewing, would be useful.  Singer has a bunch of individual books on sewing, mending, etc. which are also good.  I've picked up my library on sewing from thrift shops mostly for less than $1.  I've had mine for many years, so prices are likely more now.  

I've learned not to mention my thrifty ways or my pantry because people just do not understand.  I have a lady that I'm mentoring and just getting her to have one extra can of anything has been a struggle!  We live in an instant gratification, throw away and replace society instead of fixing/mending/making do or doing without.  Any kind of self-sacrifice is unheard of as long as there is a balance still available on the credit card. 

Grandma Donna wrote, Stephanie G, I always uses the Ball canning book. I use the raw pack method for chicken, it is very easy and of course we must have a pressure canner for canning meat and vegetables. You can get free canning information from the "National center for home food preservation" and that is online, just do a search for that.  

We have never had any problems with raw pack pressured canned chicken.  The Ball book states that you can leave the bones in or remove them.  I always can boneless chicken because that is how we like to have it in our jar.  I do not give directions to canning because everyone needs to go by the safe guidelines from trusted sources so I stick to my guns on that.  I am glad that you asked the question because that gives me a chance to repeat what I always say, do not take chances with canning, do not be afraid of it, just use the trusted sources.  

I am recalling my grandmother's farm house. It was very simple and she had only the basics. My mother was born in 1935. I know when I visited their home in the 60s it was very much the way it had been for decades. 

I am sure it will take me all year to achieve the simplicity of that time. 

This past week we had some work done on our kitchen so I had limited use of the kitchen. As a result our meals were really simple and clean up was quick! I'm thinking about how I can continue that.

I so appreciate all the helpful posts as we move through this together.  I checked on Amazon to see if they had a lavabo that appeared  like the one you found for your garden. .They do have one available. If anyone else is interested you might want to  check out the link below. The featured product is cost plus shipping. But there is a note/link   on the site to a free delivery option available  (minimal increase in price) to  prime members. It is cheaper than the pricier cost plus shipping option which is featured.

https://www.amazon.com/Books-More-Aluminum-Lavabo-Hand/dp/B07G3GWC5Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DVF9QHCWLRLR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ztpsF7p-qKhk_ODZMOgLsZJsfMILnUo7IgIisQGDEcJ0XE0eSA8mikRuaDW_xr0rP5BnCBiBUgcwTgPf2YDBtz9PB5rMkvsTk5OwPxBLCWQu8XkCoAy8Aj2C57iVLMaVb-sPUyXQsgR8gk91dVyucUuDShYJFnqc4gwVeB1BZTaz6lc7CMKE6KvhTlfYAQyvFOvoaLPJk71ilgfAZi_A4w.sGvU-gBegrR_cLrtMtT6F3gXJtPnvs6Gwm_mkCUZ880&dib_tag=se&keywords=Lavabo&qid=1746656529&sprefix=lavabo%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-1

My grandma canned whole chickens minus the cut out backbone in 1/2 gallon jars. She used the backs and cooked them to make noodles as the easy meal to have while doing all of the processing. She always followed the Ball canning book because as a young bride/mother they lived in Muncie Indiana and that's where the Ball factory was located. She said they gave public demonstrations at Home Ec. clubs and had some sort of kitchen available where you could sign up, take your food to be canned along with the jars, lids and such. This was to help out people who couldn't yet afford their own canner.

When grandma was able to buy her own canner she would have her sisters and friends come and they would have like a canning party.

I can chicken with1/4 a bouillon cube in the pints and a half in the quarts. That is plenty of seasoning for me. 

JC

I've been planting out my garden and allotment (my personal plot at the community garden) but my tomatoes got a slight frost the other night;  my son and I had covered them as best we could with some straw and netting but the tops of some of them look very sad now.  Hopefully it's just the tops and they will perk up again--it might frost again tonight so I'm going to bury them in straw this time!  There's a stable at the allotment site with a big manure pile next to it--plenty of mostly-clean straw and it's good for the soil too.

Regarding cooking fats, we use almost exclusively animal fats.  We can buy lard very inexpensively in the UK;  in the US I believe it can be found in the Hispanic section.  Our local butcher also gives us raw beef fat for free;  I render this myself and it keeps well in a jar for several months in my cupboard.  I like it because I know what's in it and how it was made, and I consider it an ancestral food--something my ancestors have eaten for thousands of years.  And it makes beautiful pastry too.

It’s so true, we cannot be in the time of our ancestors, but we can bring their values, skills, and ingenuity into our lives now.  Indeed, I think Grandma Donna is reminding us that the connection to our past is the way forward in these uncertain times.  In truth, thinking about all of the things my own ancestors went through just in the 20th century helps me believe we will make it through all of this somehow.  One of the biggest lessons I am learning from my ancestors is how important community was for them, and I know I need to strengthen my community bonds.  Being prepared isn’t only about setting aside food and preparing for water shortages or power outages, it’s also about knowing our neighbors and creating relationships that acknowledge how connected we really are as humans and how much we need each other.

I’ll be easing into 1932 over the rest of the month.  I just returned from a road trip with my son and husband; I saw Grandma Donna’s post quietly saying she and Charles would be going back to the 1930s the evening before I left for my trip.  My plan is to have a baking day, a shopping/town day, and a set mending/sewing day each week.  I spread my cleaning throughout the week because of my health, and I often choose which days to do laundry based on the weather, since I do not own a clothes dryer.  My son has Monday as his laundry day as it is his day off work, and when the weather is good I usually wash Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the cooler months, whereas in summer I can do it all on one day if I am feeling up to it.

I say that I’ll be easing in because I need time to transition us to 1932.  My husband and son won’t be doing the study with me, but they of course are impacted by the homemaking choices I make. I’ll be setting a strict grocery budget and carefully controlling the thermostat.  I plan to go through the house room by room and do a gentle clean out of unnecessary things, especially if they are the kinds of things that end up costing money to own without saving money in their usage.  This won’t be a Marie Kondo style decluttering or an attempt at minimalism — I am firmly at the age now where I see the value of keeping some things in case we have need of them later

Has anyone had good luck with oil based pie dough?  My son is allergic to dairy, and neither my son nor my husband eat meat (beef, chicken, fish, etc.) or any animal fats.  I want to start making pies (savory and fruit) as part of the study, but I won’t use ultra processed foods like shortening, palm oil, or vegan “butter”.  As a bonus I’m allergic to coconut oil.  So I was thinking doing oil crust using EVOO for savory pies and avocado oil for sweet pies, but it has been 30 years since I used to make oil crust and back then it called for an egg and vinegar.  I’m looking at some really simple oil crust recipes (flour, oil, salt, ice water) and am wondering if anyone here is making crusts like this.

Ann W, thank you for going into more detail. I think your thrifty ways are wonderful.

I cook for two and have supplies for four as I still have two adult children home most nights. 

You've given me a lot to think about in terms of stretching what I have here at home.

I have been enjoying getting my garden going. Something I have been doing when I work outside is not taking anything to listen to and no cell phone. It is my time to think and ponder things. Today, when I was planting bush beans, I looked at the seeds and thought about how they looked dry and lifeless, like they weren't very important. But when you think about it, each seed has DNA that is like a coded blueprint that determines what kind of plant it will become, how tall, what color, what shape the leaves and fruit will be, and how it responds to its environment. It is really quite amazing when you think about it. We can't see any of that when we look at the seed, but basically, the force of life is in each seed. These are the kinds of things I ponder as I work. Sometimes I will see a bird or something else to enjoy. Sometimes I watch my clothes blowing on the line. When you don't have any distractions, you notice more things and you are more in touch with your thoughts and with nature. It is very soothing.

I have appreciated how others have said they are easing into the study, as that is what I am doing. I would like to do a lot more, but right now, gardening and organizing my house are mostly what is getting done. I want to get back to doing the envelope system for paying bills. I want to learn to mend and sew. I want to try some new recipes. I guess everything will come in its due time. I have pretty much started washing clothes on Monday, as long as the weather is good so I am making what steps I can at the moment and I am glad that others are doing the same.

I have been struggling since this study started. Not with making life like 1932, but I'm mad at myself because I didn't understand money and I'm not ready for the ups and downs. My husband and I live below our means and put our money into retirement savings and paying off the house. That's what we thought we were supposed to do. But now that he might lose his job, putting our money there didn't do any good! If he loses his job, others will lose theirs too, and there won't be work for at least a year or two, or longer. The financial advice to save three to six months' expenses won't help very much when there aren't jobs for a long time. We asked about our retirement savings but there would be a penalty to use it. I wish I had saved money I could use without a penalty, but then how could I have saved for retirement? Should I have not saved for retirement or not worked at paying the house off early? I feel so confused and stupid for not understanding how this works. His job should be safe for the rest of this year, so I am using the study to help me put away as much money as possible in a way that I can get to it without a penalty. We're not paying extra to the mortgage anymore because we are using that money to have my husband's teeth fixed before he loses his dental insurance. I don't know what will happen next year. :(

Thank you to everyone who shared their chicken canning experiences! They are very helpful. 

Sigh...I always get a sense of calm looking at the pictures of your home. I swear, I am convinced I am a reincarnated 1940s farmer who clearly had a pickup truck, as I exhale every time i see one. (I drive a 15 year old truck that I get a warm glow every time I jump in to run errands). I am working on mending, well, learning how to do it wayyy better lol. I think I am a better hand sewer but I have a basic machine that I want to learn things on. I already do the envelope system and writing everything down. I also have my weeks scheduled accordingly with chores on which days. Today is errand day. I went to the store early (less crowds) and spent 306.00 for three people and a dog (I make his food) and some stock up supplies. Now, that sounds high, but it is the main shopping for the entire month. I will only purchase 4 more gallons of milk and bananas for the rest of the month when needed. I try to go to the store once a month for main shopping when I get my $20.00 off coupon from my store and the sales line up. It works well for me. I do all of the cooking and don't tend to buy ultra processed foods except my one bar of dark chocolate per month. I will start putting in my veggies in a week or so, we have a very short grow season here in the mountains of AZ and can't plant until after mother's day about a week. I am growing lettuces inside in my aerogarden. I also picked up 6 40 pound bags of kitty litter (I use pine litter, they make it for cats but if you go to a feed supply store, it is there for horses around $7 a bag versus $20+ for the bag with the kitties on it!!! and yep, same thing!) I am getting a portable air conditioner this month that I already saved for. I like using those more than central air. I don't put air conditioning on until after 7 pm (off peak) and run it at night, then keep the house closed up and it stays decent until I go to turn it on again. It gets to be about 80-82 in the house by 4 pm, but I turn on fans in the rooms we are in. Saves a good deal of money. I can't do heat well esp at night sleeping. I also like the portables bc if my mom's 18 year old central air goes out I can pop one over there quickly so she doesn't get too hot with her health issues, she won't do well. That way it saves her money to not have to panic replace the central air. I love this blog! So many lovely pictures and ways to learn from each other. 

Stephanie G, I am so sorry you are experiencing the possible loss of your husband's job. You did do the "right" thing! You are ahead of the game actually. You can use that mortgage payment to save, either in immediate availability funds or some more for retirement. You have equity in the house, and there's no risk of foreclosure. You can always find a job just to bring in money. It may not be what he wants and he could be overqualified, but there is always something to be found to just do the job and bring in income. I had to start fresh after being a stay at home mom for 25 years. I couldn't find anything for 3 years due to the gap in my resume. I have a degree as well. After applying 3 times to two different jobs, they both hired me. I have been at one job for 2 months and they are asking me to fill a supervisor position already as my stats are through the roof. The other is mainly because I love the people I work with and have so much fun there, I just do it about 20 hours a month. I work one full time and one part time. I also am the sole carer for my house which includes maintenance, cleaning and repairs. I also clean/cook/repair and maintain my mom's house. My partner lives here part time as he goes to take care of his mom half the week. I am 55 years old and I don't find it tiring at all. I figure it beats watching tv or doom scrolling and I would rather be occupied. (i prefer that word to busy because we have made being productive a bad thing in today's world) I still have down time and sit and enjoy a cuppa and listen to the birds. You have got this!!!!! You are already several steps ahead by what you have done already!!

I enjoyed your post and all the responses.  My Dad was born in 1929.  When we weren’t grateful enough he would tell the story of working in a butcher shop at 5 yo.  The butcher would trim the fat off the meat and give the fat  to my Dad.  Sometimes he left a little meat on.  That was his pay for a 5 hour day and his family was thankful.  FAT

Don't beat yourself up over what is done.  It also sounds like you are making good decisions to help you going forward.   Deciding to pay down your mortgage and build retirement savings was wise just as stopping those payments and building accessible savings is now wise.

Just a thought, if you think you will be unable to keep up with your mortgage, consider selling now before the unemployment and potential foreclosure happens.  Then use the equity to buy a less costly home for cash if possible.  Even if you could not pay cash, you could still quality for a lower mortgage while your dh is still employed.   

Find out now the cost of COBRA premiums so you know how to plan your job loss budget.  If neither of you has pre-existing health issues you probably could find health insurance for lower cost than COBRA.  Now is the time to figure that out.  You mentioned your dh getting his dental taken care of which again is wise, but I'd also suggest you both have annual physicals, eye exams etc. while still insured and employed.  Do that now so if there is any treatment needed, it will be done before unemployment.  An extra pair of glasses would be easier to pay for now that trying to replace broken ones while unemployed.  

If you have whole life insurance policies, they often have dividends that can be applied to pay premiums.  Also, a cash value that can be tapped for loans that do accrue interest but do not have a date when they must be repaid.  

Now is also the time to sell non-essential stuff.  When unemployment is high no one buys so selling now would be wise.  This is especially true of boats and other expensive fun things.  One less thing to license and insure.  

Throughout our marriage dh was out of work once 6 months, later 1 year and then 3 years before this last time so we were well versed on survival.  So, when we found out in June by a fluke that dh's workplace would be closing 12/31, so we immediately shut down all optional spending and saved every penny.  As it turned out he was too disabled to get another job, in fact, where he worked had been carrying him for his last year, but that's another story.  Anyway, we lost 2/3's of our income and had to start paying $750 a month for COBRA.  He applied for SS disability and 7 months later was approved.  We had to continue COBRA for the full 18 months and then each had to get our own health insurance.  What he received for SS was a life saver, even though it was much much less than what he'd been earning.  

Sounds like you're facing what people did in 1930's but unfortunately at 2025 prices.  By all means take advantage of unemployment and any offers of training paid for by .gov.  

Ann W your response was wonderful. I hope Stephanie finds it helpful.

Tomorrow will have to be errand day and baking day. I look forward to both but not on the same day! But my weekly schedule right now doesn't allow for anything else. I don't like to get so tired on Saturday since I rise so early on Sunday for church.

Nonetheless I look forward to finding bargains to add to my pantry and having baked goods for the coming week's meals.

I found 3 vintage women's hankies for a reasonable price recently. I will be putting those into my purse this Sunday. When I was little I always made sure I had one tucked in my little purse!

Stephanie G, I’m sorry your husband is facing a layoff and that you feel like the good financial choices you were making might work against you.  I hope in the long term you will find that they serve you well.   Like you, we mostly focused on putting money into the 401k, not carrying consumer debt, and paying off the mortgage (5 years ago now!).  While we realize now we should have put more money into a non-retirement account, it is what it is.  We would like my husband to retire soon, but all of this uncertainty has him thinking he needs to stay at his job for awhile longer.

Ann W offers excellent advice.  I do recall we took proactive measures in 2008, intentionally living beneath our means and saving every extra penny we could.  While we already had paid off all of our credit card debt in the late 1990s, we still had a mortgage, second mortgage, and car loan in 2008.  The 2008 recession was definitely an incentive to us to get things in order and in was in this time we decided we wanted to be 100% debt free at some point.  It took 12 years, but it did happen.  I hope you have enough time before the potential layoff to feel more secure in your financial planning

Thank you, Michelle L, for your encouragement. It lifted my spirits.

Thank you, Ann W, for your very practical advice. It helps to know that others have traveled the uncertainties of life and made it! 

Thank you, Kimberly F, for your understanding. It makes me feel like I'm not alone. 

All three of you have such valuable wisdom from your life experiences, and I am grateful that you took the time to share it with me. :)

Your mention of Home Ec and community canning brought forth such positive memories in me! I'm too young to have lived during Home Ec's heyday but I went to a small school that had those types of lessons as electives – I loved it.

Thank you for this post, Grandma Donna! As usual, it was very inspirational.

Your macaroni and cheese looks so delicious; I like how white and creamy it looks. Your included recipe was helpful, but what kind of cheese do you use?

I have loved reading everyone's comments! While I think we live relatively simply compared to most,  I haven't been living as though it's the 1930s... but I did start reading the book The Uncertainty of Everyday Life: 1915-1945 by Harvey Green. It details the ins and outs of the ways of life of various groups in that time period. It's so interesting to see how the daily lives of Americans evolved against the backdrop of two world wars and the Depression. The presentation is a bit dry at times, but as a librarian with a history background I'm riveted!

While I am not doing a 1930 'study' I am studying a lot these days.  Some things I used to do are being carefully and thoughtfully being added back into my life such as considering the foods I purchase and what I can make myself.  I'm doing a lot more 'from scratch' cooking, not that I ever quit but I did start back buying mayonnaise and treats and such and now I'm right back to the 'let's make my own instead.'   

I agree with the use of shortening.  I think the thing to remember is that yes, things were made without guidelines but shortening came about because butter was in short supply in towns and quite unaffordable once people moved away from making their own.  We moved to shortening and seed oils which were all touted as healthier and now we've swung back to 'use lard and tallow!'  Well use shortening too if you can afford it.  Product guidelines have been upgraded.  

Three years ago you couldn't get away from heavy cream in a recipe.  Now it's cottage cheese that is the new 'superfood'.  Truth we need to use moderation in all things.

I noted the mention of the macaroni sticks.  In the movie, Life with Father, the family is at the table and there is macaroni on the table and it was indeed long hollow sticks not the elbow shaped pieces that we call macaroni.  

I'm going to pull out my vintage magazines a few from the 1930's but most from the 1940s and '50s which are filled with good money saving helps.  

Also may I recommend the vlog/blog Becoming a Farm Girl?  Cassandra is a modern day homesteader living in a town house with a balcony garden but she cans something every week, uses all of what she has and touts things like 'gasp' reusing potting soil from pots and grinding egg shells to put in the garden and making broths from vegetable scraps.  I'm not saying everything she does is 100% for me but she's certainly made the wheels of my mind roll a good bit faster and harder!

Stephanie G, I think you are being unduly hard on yourself - we are all advised to put money aside for retirement (here in Australia, it's known as Superannuation - a certain amount is compulsory but beyond that, there are tax concessions if you make voluntary contributions), and to pay off our houses. It's important to provide for our "future selves". If you've been doing that, surely you are doing much better than if you had been spending freely as a lot of people do.

You are responding to new information and putting aside money now for when your husband's work stops; that's the main thing. And by focusing on being thrifty now, you are positioning yourself for success.

What a great idea to have dental work done now; that can quickly turn into a big problem if not addressed early on.

I kind of have the opposite situation and I sometimes wonder whether we should have put more into Superannuation.

We put aside some money every month in a higher yielding bank account because my husband's work is only casual. It means we don't have to panic if there is a bit of time between contracts for him.

There's a lot of value in that sense of security.

I'm not sure whether our retirement savings will cover anything but the basics, depending on circumstances as the years unfold. I'm seeing the garden and thrifty skills as my "retirement plan", and hoping my husband can happily go on working for a long time!

In recent years I had a health situation and if our money had been tied up in retirement savings, I wouldn't have been able to pay for the treatment I needed.

After that experience, while I do see the value of some retirement savings, I think a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

I hope things work out so that your husband and others don't lose their jobs. In the meantime, please don't be hard on yourself! You sound like a smart and prudent person to me.

Stephanie, I meant to reply to you on the last forum but did not.  I think it's very important that you stop thinking you made a mistake.

I chose to be a stay at home mom and wife and I did so for over 30 years.  I'd worked just enough quarters to earn the social security I paid into the system, but I was 60 when my husband retired at 65 in 2020.  The day we signed the release on our retirement fund, the market crashed.   Our investment advisor asked us to leave the remaining funds alone for a few months until the market recovered.  We were left with his social security to live upon...That came up to about half what he'd earned each month in his job.  All righty then.

Over the years I was at home, I honed my frugal skills. I also stocked heavily in my pantry and freezer.  I stocked heavily enough over the years that while it hardly resembled the Extreme Couponers highlighted on television, I furnished my children with three-five fully stocked pantries when they moved out after moving back in with us over the years.  Then I went about rebuilding it.  

We did not contribute to a retirement fund.  Yes, I said we had one, but it was strictly employer fed.  We bought a small annual insurance policy and paid for that.  When hubby retired, not only did we lose a goodly portion of our retirement funds, but the insurance policy also couldn't be found.  My husband insisted he'd never had one. I insisted he did but the county could not produce it and he told me I was simply wrong.  So there we were.  

Over the years we had lived very frugally and paid off all debt.  We drive a 22-year-old car (our newer model is just 21 years).  Our home was paid for.  Thank goodness!  When he retired in 2020 that and our pantry helped us to find our way on the lower amount of money.  Three years later when I was eligible for 'early' retirement and social security, we applied and got that amount.  Forget waiting until 67 or 72.  We needed extra help NOW and that did the trick.

In the meantime, our retirement fund recovered.  Like you we can't withdraw from it until my husband is 73 without some heavy penalties (at least 20%).  An auditor found the missing insurance policy as they audited the counties financial records.  We took that money and invested it, not in a retirement fund but as strict investment.  We continue to live off Social Security.  

I will not tell you that things are easy.  We live frugally.  We are careful.  But we can manage.  And so will you.  You have spent years living frugally and you've developed skills you don't even realize you have.  Perhaps you won't have social security, perhaps retirement will not be drawn out right away, but it's there and you can access it if need arises.  Three to six months expenses is NOT enough to have in savings.  It doesn't take a financial genius to figure out that it's not nearly enough.  I've chosen to ignore that advice altogether and while my husband was working we put any extra money that came out way into savings.  It's not enough either.  But we manage.

Fear is the greatest enemy you have.  Fear will paralyze you and prevent you from using the skills you do have and prevent you from learning new ones that will serve you well.  

Forget the regrets part.  It's of as much use to you as fear, absolutely none.  It too is a tool meant to distract you from what you CAN do.  And believe me, from a vast amount of experience that preceded retirement years, you can DO a whole lot more than you think you might.  You will figure it out as you go.  You're in a place where you can get loads of information that will only help.  I suggest you also visit The Prudent Homemaker site.  She has some wonderful frugal and delicious recipes on her site as well as just plain good information.  Jessie's Pilgrims and Strangers is another good site to visit.  Annabel's Bluebirds are Nesting and Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm blogs are wonderful sties as well.  Patsi's A Working Pantry, and here on this site there is a world of information.

One of my favorite quotes is by Arthur Ashe.  "Start where you are.  Do what you can.  Use what you have."  It applies very well to the frugal life.

Thank you, Kellie O, Terri C, for your encouragement and your stories. It helps. :) The only news I read online is economic news, looking for hopeful signs. There never is any! If I can make it for two more years at my husband's present rate of pay, we can finish paying off the house and have some more money in savings. Then a loss of income wouldn't be great, but it would be manageable. If the economy is going to crash, I hope it's a slow crash! 

I'll continue to think of you Stephanie G and send you best wishes. 

Terri C you are inspiring, and thank you for the wonderful quote from Arthur Ashe, but also your "All righty then!" I love that!

Easing into the 1930s...we have stopped using the dishwasher. Our water processing system needed a part replaced; it was a good impetus to handwash so we didn't overload the system while we waited for the new component.

Nice opportunities for connection as we wash and dry the dishes together - I will persuade the family to continue with hand washing dishes.

This morning I made some Damper in our slow combustion stove. 

Damper is a traditional yeastless outdoor-cooked bread which Australia claims as its own, but I'm sure there would be bread like this made everywhere.

Similar to a scone dough, you rub butter into flour and add milk to achieve the right consistency.

You cook it buried in campfire coals in a "camp oven" (cast iron pot with handle and lid); I thought I'd try it in the combustion stove.

Tricky to get in and out of the stove, but the result was well received by the family so I will continue to practise my technique!

Here in SE Australia it's been very dry. We have been waiting for the rain to "break" the season and get us into Autumn (Fall). There is flooding happening further north. Today at home, we have up to 400mm rain forecast; I think that equates to about 16 inches!

Thank you Grandma Donna and everyone on the forum for enriching life with your information and encouragement; it's such a nice community!

Sorry, forgot the photo. You cannot see that the other side got a bit burnt - next time I will turn the pot partway through!

Grandma Donna Wrote, Kellie O, there is always a first time for everything and then we get better and better. :) Thank you for sharing.

Thank you to all of you for your wonderful forum posts.

For those approaching retirement, I would suggest you figure out what your retirement income will be i.e. Social Security in the USA plus any IRA, 401K or other investments.  The one year before retiring start living on that amount banking the surplus.  You will quickly learn what needs to go!  Also, you will need to factor in Medicare supplement policy premiums and RX insurance premiums.  Also, deductibles and RX that are on higher tiers which will cost you.  

The time to learn to live on retirement income is before you retire because if you cannot manage, you'll need to reconsider whether or not you can retire or develop an alternative plan.  This is also the time to track every penny of spending because you cannot manage a budget unless you know where the money is going.  

Grandma Donna wrote, Ann W absolutely right, because that social security amount you are supposed to collect does not reflect the deduction of Medicare, the supplement that is needed to cover that percentage that Medicare does not cover,  and the cost of deductibles, co pays, medications etc. and that is just medical.  After the deductions and medical expenses there is a lot less to live on.  So I agree with Ann about doing that practice run before making that move to retire. Thank you Ann

This post and comments were filled with ideas. I think mayonnaise used to be called salad dressing. I can remember my grandparents explaining how it changed. For a canning course that's worth it's weight in gold I recommend homesteading family  I took the course to brush up on it and learn even more than I did years ago. You can't put a price tag on safety. There class follows the ball blue book along with other recipes that have been adapted for us to safely use and is very easy to follow. I'm able to can meals, condiments,, veggies, fruits, etc. 

For finances we just need to do the best we can, as often as we can, and hope for the best. The avg family doesn't even have $400 to their name, but yet they drive cars, live in houses, etc they can't afford. We call it fake rich. 

When we were paying off debt, we sold everything that wasn't tied down and just changed little things. With our line of business it's they say impossible to pay off debt, but we have less then 2 years left on 3 pieces of equipment. Most in our industry will justify going back into debt. Our facility, land, and outside things are fully paid along with handful of vehicles. Our current home is not, but we plan to build our home cash diy and then sell the current home. If we'd had a builder for our shop we'd never afford it along with a home. We got a quote to build our shop and home on paid for land and it started at 800k. Nothing fancy and actually quite small for both under 1500 sqft. 

These thing have all taken time. For us this has been a journey of massive sacrifice consistently for 14 years of no vacations, eating out is a pizza once maybe twice a year, living well below our means. Things just take time. Something we've learned is that it hurts us inside like our feelings are hurt when we see others doing things  we choose not to spend money on. There living for the moment not long term. We greatly enjoy what we do. We work as a family and homeschool. Our place is different each season and our customers are happy. 

Most folks don't want to be at home and aren't content. 

If anyone doesn't want to use crisco I'd recommend rendering lard. We use it and find it cheaper plus it's an old thing to use. I get 5#s for under $10 from our farmer. You can render in a crockpot or on the stovetop.