In 1929-'39, most people's refrigerators had an extremely small freezer compartment INSIDE of it, so people shopped for food daily or every other day or two.
Candle light instead of electricity? NO! But they did shut of the lights when they left a room and never left light on for no reason, as anyone who grew up with a parent/parents who had been kids during that time, well knows!
People of every class, had forever, darned socks, repaired slight tears in clothing, turned men's shirts collars and cuffs when they began to fray, or had a servant do it for them and yes, some people still had servants during the Depression.
And there was DEFLATION during that time, so prices, for EVERYTHING, was lower than they had been ! So while people, even very well off ones, cut back, there were many things that people continued to do, that saved money, that had been done before the Great Depression hit!
We put iron-on patches on tears in our jeans.
Today they buy then torn. Go figure.
In 1929-’39, most people’s refrigerators had an extremely small freezer compartment INSIDE of it, so people shopped for food daily or every other day or two.
In the early 1960’s we had one of those and no freezer. We only went grocery shopping weekly. Either Friday night or Saturday. Lots and lots of canned stuff. Tuna, salmon, Spam and some regular refrigerated stuff. And could fit a few things into the freezer compartment. Living out in the country we didn’t have convenient access to food sales outlets on a normal day so it was canned and careful planning.