Entertainment during the Great Depression: Making Old Ideas Work For Today’s Frugal FamilyOne of the teenagers in the local homeschoooling community is doing a huge project on the Great Depression. He was talking with my son last week about some of the things he was researching, and one of the topics they started chatting about involved Entertainment. During the Great Depression, we think of people as so impoverished that they never left home, and never had any fun. From what my son’s friend was telling him, this is actually pretty far from the truth. I decided as a Frugal Living Expert, that now was a good time to take a closer look at things families did for fun back then, because right now we can all definitely afford to save more money!
In the 1930’s, movie attendance was at an all-time low, and that was before the prices of movies skyrocketed! Theatres started slashing ticket prices (perhaps some theatres today could learn from that!) and offering double-features to entice movie-goers. It worked! Perhaps because people just needed a good escape from the reality of the Depression? In those days, women were just beginning to be cast in a light other than that of a mere sex symbol, so I’d bet that lots of women went to the movies to see this turn of events. Shirley Temple and Judy Garland were popular actresses of the era, and movies such as The Wizard of Oz offered wonderful escapism. In those days, news reels also often played before the film itself began, so this was an added benefit – people could enjoy a film AND see the world’s happenings, all at one time.
Of course, today, movie prices are ever-increasing. I’m one of those people who has to really, really want to see a movie to be willing to pay the cost of theatre tickets as opposed to waiting for it to come out on DVD for rental. Amazon.com has a terrific online movie-rental program – grab some microwave popcorn and enjoy an inexpensive movie night from the comfort of home! If you do head out to the movies, be sure to check their website beforehand for and special offers. One local theatre near me has a free popcorn night once a week, and offers free admission on your birthday.
Another form of entertainment that we can easily incorporate into our lives today is the idea of family game night. It doesn’t have to be a pricey board game, a simple $1 deck of cards is good for all sorts of fun, from a simple memory-type of game to more complex card games like poker and rummy.
Did you know that the game “Monopoly” is a product of the Great Depression? It was invented in Atlantic City, NJ, on a tablecloth by a man named Charles Darrow! Today, there are too many version of this game to count! Disney Monopoly, Star Wars Monopoly, Beatles Edition Monopoly, a Dr Who version….the list goes on and on.
I think that my family may start up our own family game night this fall. It would offer a wonderful bonding time, for little to no money. Like many families, we own lots of board games. Perhaps this weekend, I’ll try to put some hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place! 🙂
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