—for one thing, in the ‘thirties, over half the population of the U.S. was still basically agricultural—lots of folks could help farm or at least visit country cousins for food-—
Agriculture had been in a depression since the 1920’s. The market for US grain during WW I dried up. By the 1930’s a drought in the Great Plains made things even worse. They called it the “Dirty Thirties” because of the dust storms. My grandfather sent a load of grain to market and received a bill for the balance of the shipping; the grain sold for less than the cost of freight. But, you are correct, at lest there was something to eat on the farm. I do not think today’s generations would have the sand to do what my parents and grand parents did to survive.
The agricultural portion was almost worse.
When you hear “25 per cent unemployment”, remember in those days they didn’t count farm families. Prices cratered, so much so that farmers couldn’t afford to take their crops, milk, eggs, etc, to market. Top it off with a serious drought aka “dust bowl” and a scarcity of cash for anything.
Country stores were still taking payments for debts made in the 30s well into the 60s, maybe later I dunno.