Cost of Goods and Living – During the Great Depression
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Cost of Goods and Living
“Living through the Great Depression has caused me to be tight. I dont ever want to through anything away. My old coats were used over and over again (Growing Up).” This quote was said by a teenage girl during the Great Depression, meaning that people were always being cautious with what they would buy. They would mainly spend their money on food, entertainment, and house held objects, but some wouldnt have had any money, so they would have had to find different ways to provide food, clothing, and shelter to their families.
Back then, food was a lot cheaper than what it is today, but to some people it was a lot. A family of fours food for the week would usually cost around thirteen dollars. Most people had eaten powdered milk, dried beans, and potatoes. A loaf of bread would cost about ten cents. A can of salmon cost around twenty-five cents, and ice cream cones were sold at about five cents, that was only good though if u were able to buy the ice cream! Most of the things people bought were bought at local stores. A lot of people bought canned goods, because they lasted a long time without going bad. For people that had a lot of money, they could afford to buy steak, which was twenty-nine cents a pound, but for the people who didnt have the money to buy it, they ate liver and sausage loaf which cost around fifty-five cents. Some snacks people had eaten were like apples which were five cents an apple, or like tomato cheese puffs, which were twenty-nine cents. Milk, which is what most people drank, was ten cents a quart. Americans taste in food changed during the Great Depression. Almost all immigrant families abandoned their ethnic foods, due to the rising costs and inconvenience.
During the Great Depression, people had had to find ways to entertain themselves. One idea came from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He decided to start a new program called toy-lending. It was for all the kids that didnt have the money to but toys. Each week, a kid would loan a toy, just the way you and I loan books from the library. Another non expensive way of entertaining would be miniature golf or what they had called “midget golf”. It was created, using old tires and pipes. Through out the Great Depression, movies, like Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz, had cost around five to ten cents. Although the movies hadnt been expensive, driving to the movie cost more than the actual movie itself. Gas, around then had cost about twenty-five cents a gallon. A game that was invented, during that time period, was Monopoly. It was invented, so people could pretend to buy places. By 1935, almost two-thirds of American homes had a radio in their homes. A radio had had the cost of $40, which is equal to a small LCD TV in 2007. Roller skating was an activity kids could do free; all they had to do was strap their shoes to the skates. A sled that you could have steered