"It made our hearts ache to see how bad off other kids were. Even if we only got sweets or fruit once a month, it made us think how lucky we were.” - Robert, Depression survivor
People like Robert that have experienced economic depression have provided researchers with first-hand recollections of what living with less, sometimes a lot less, was like. Sharing their stories can help us avoid economic hardship, and live more self-sufficiently.
Generally, those that went through the extreme economic conditions tended thereafter to avoid the self indulgence and immediate gratification that comes from easy access to material things.
Instead they reported focusing on what they considered more important - relationships with their families and community.
Not surprisingly, their advice and survival strategies center on a long-standing tradition of frugality, simple living, and reasonable material expectations.
Advice From Depression Survivors
- Pay cash instead of adopting the credit mentality. “Don’t spend money you don’t already have in your pocket.”
- Don't make the rich richer by giving them your money. “Don’t pay someone else to provide something that you can learn to do or to make yourself.”
- Cultivate traditional values of thrift and frugality. “Only buy what you can’t live without.”
- Avoid self-indulgence and self-gratification by immediate acquisition of possessions. “Give yourself a good, long waiting period before making purchases.”
- Do not gamble with your money (stock market, real estate speculation, lotteries, get rich quick schemes, etc). “It doesn’t matter how much money you make, it matters how much you save!”
- Work is the way to make money. "Don't be afraid of honest, hard work."
- Ambition is over-rated. "It is enough to just enjoy and appreciate each day."
Many depression survivors realized that good can come from bad, and meaning can come from tragedy. We have a lot to learn from their experience.
Hi! sorry if my english is bad, but i´m brazilian and don´t practice much. I just found your blog on google and i loved it. I´m trying to go one year without buying unecessary items strating from next june 1st and i´ve been reading lots of articles and blogs like your but yours is better than the others in my opinion. I´m not a minimalist or frugal person. My intent to go one year witthout shopping for anything is an attempt to reflect about the choices i make. Probably won´t do what you do but i´m interested in living in a healthier, simpler way. In Brazil we still lead simpler lives compared to us and europe. We cook our own beans from scratch every day, we drink juice made out of real fruit, we buy less, we rarely see products that are ok in the garbage and it´s realy common to walk. All of those things are starting to change because our country is getting richer but brazilian´s identity has a lot to do with being spontaneous and living life in a more improvised way. That´s just the way most people are. Onde serious problem here is that we treat our environment badly and companies and people are starting to worry about this just now. I know that the world often thins of Brazil as the country os soccer, beatiful women, carnaval and beaches but the great majority of our population lives in really big modern cities and do not have monkeys on their backyards (most of us don´t have yards!). You beeing an inteligent person must know all those things but i knoe that most people don´t.
ReplyDeleteBig Kiss.
Marina
Marina,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very generous comment, and congratulations on your decision to not buy anything for a year. I am very curious about Brazil and how it is developing. The traditional simple life you describe sounds beautiful, and I am all about spontaneous living. I would think twice before trading that for whatever global capitalism has to offer.
The environment is more important than anything else, and you are right to be worried. Again, congratulations on the June 1st start to your project - you will learn a lot, and be an inspiration for those around you. Let us know how it goes.
It's neat that Marina found your blog. What she described is happening in China, India and many other places too. Very worrisome.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the old depression photo is one of my favourite photographs. So haunting. I can absolutely picture myself in her shoes.
Geneviève,
ReplyDeleteIt is exciting to have the NBA blog expand globally. We have to define development and progress differently, for all of us.
I like the classic photo, too. It is scary to think of how everything we know can be taken away in a moment. Enjoy now. And now...