25 Ways People Earned Money During the Great Depression

Let's look at this list and update it for the new century.

1. Caught and sold fish, clams, and crabs (Oh, good luck doing that and not being shut down and thrown in jail today.)

2. Made homemade fudge and sold it (Sorry, if you're not fined and jailed for it, you will almost certainly be sued.)

3. Sold newspapers on the corner. Kids earned a little extra if they were promoted to “Corner Captain”, a sort of Great Depression multi-level marketing program where a kid brought in other kids to sell papers and earned a bit extra himself. (Here's a clue -most folks don't read the papers, let alone read at all in America any more. Good luck selling a corporate newspaper, though.)

4. Started a lunch truck/wagon (As long as you are licensed and permitted to operate, have at it!)

5. Grew, picked, and sold berries (If it's your land, fine. But, selling any produce without a license, permit or some form of taxation is illegal in many areas.)

6. Road work (well, not in Pennsylvania. The State owns the roads.)

7. Shoveled snow on roads (Same as last one, not happening. You can shovel snow for private interests, though.)

8. Multiple part-time jobs, including housecleaning (THIS IS VERY REALISTIC.)

9. Chopped wood or harvested driftwood (Possible. Again, land comes into question with licensing and game wardens will kill you first and ask questions later, just remember.)

10. Made and sold handwoven baskets (Not likely, but possible)

11. Mowed lawns and other kinds of yard work (Very likely.)

12. Door to door sales of things like shoes or sewing notions (Very likely. But, good luck with licensing.)

13. Made deliveries for stores (Somewhat likely.)

14. Made and sold quilts (Very possible, and it's a great idea. Just remember to give the IRS their cut.)

15. Sold homemade baked goods, like bread or pies (Sorry, not gonna happen for long until you are shut down.)

16. Sold eggs for 25 cents a dozen (Works great until a snitch turns you in and you are murdered by police for operating a business without a license. Routine questioning gone wrong, police felt threatened by your egg. Completely justified.)

17. Childcare (Excellent idea, until the department of child services arrives and takes all the kids and sells them to wealthy Saudi Arabian families as sex slaves. In particular, the girls with bright blue or green eyes.)

18. Rented out rooms (Your call. With as many psychos in the country these days. good luck.)

19. Mended or altered clothes (Very realistic idea.)

20. Washed windows (Plenty of bums doing that already for free.)

21. Would purchase produce and re-sell door-to-door (LOL Yeah, that's jail time for sure.)

22. Sold apples (Plenty of local orchards looking for cheap labor, I bet.)

23. Loaded coal (Nope.)

24. Piecework sewing (Sure, won't garner much payment, though.)

25. Sold homegrown produce (Sorry, not today. You might get away with it, but chances are you will be shut down.)

 

A Business License only costs $50US, BiAnnually where I live... (Bruce's Trading Post) and that allows me to conduct business, in many different arenas, as I choose.... It also allows AlaskaChick to do a large variety of commercial things, that she is interested in....

I run all my FFL Biz thru it, as well as all my Consulting Income, in Comms, IT, AND Energetic Materials.... I ALWAYS make a Small Profit, each year, that shows up on the Income Tax Forms... Keeps the FEDS at bay...

 

Not so easy these days.. Although @Brokor beat me to it...

Remember when we were free, until someone started yelling, "There ought to be a law!"

1. Caught and sold fish, clams, and crabs - Illegal in most States without a commercial license

2. Made homemade fudge and sold it - Illegal in nearly all States without a commercial kitchen and
proper licensing

3. Sold newspapers on the corner. Kids earned a little extra if they were promoted to “Corner Captain”, a sort of Great Depression multi-level marketing program where a kid brought in other kids to sell papers and earned a bit extra himself. - This enterprise no longer exists in most cities

4. Started a lunch truck/wagon - Again, licensing and safe food handling regulations make this prohibitive

5. Grew, picked, and sold berries - As far as this is concerned, I have seen roadside stands selling local produce but I believe a business license is required.

6. Road work - These were WPA projects, funded by the government

7. Shoveled snow on roads - This would depend on whether the State, City and County operations cannot afford to operate. Might be able to provide driveway and walkway clearing.

8. Multiple part-time jobs, including housecleaning - This could easily be done today on a cash basis.

9. Chopped wood or harvested driftwood - This also could be done if you could sneak into the National Forest and harvest where the timber industry has leased the timber rights. Harvesting firewood for your own use or commercially requires a permit.

10. Made and sold handwoven baskets - This could be done, but again a business license would be required.

11. Mowed lawns and other kinds of yard work - This could easily be done, and is being done, today.

12. Door to door sales of things like shoes or sewing notions - Not so easy these days

13. Made deliveries for stores - This could be a possibility if fuel prices and availability go south. Best have strong legs for the bicycle or a horse drawn cart.

14. Made and sold quilts - Not much demand for these and, they would be expensive as few sew these days.

15. Sold homemade baked goods, like bread or pies - Again, the commercial kitchen and safe food handling regulations, business license, etc. make this impossible today.

16. Sold eggs for 25 cents a dozen - Safe food, business license (although people do it today). Here fresh eggs go for $4.00 a dozen.

17. Childcare - Could be done today, easily.

18. Rented out rooms - This could be done as well, but say good by to your privacy.

19. Mended or altered clothes - I don't know anyone today with the machines or ability to tailor clothing, except a few professionals.

20. Washed windows - Would possibly require a business license.

21. Would purchase produce and re-sell door-to-door - I doubt there would be much excess produce available this next time.

22. Sold apples - Gleaning orchards after the pickers have been through used to be what a family did to bring in fruit to can, make pies, apple butter, sauce, and goods for their pantry. I suspect you would have to fight for those apples this next depression.

23. Loaded coal - Possible if the CO2 regulations haven't destroyed the industry by then.

24. Piecework sewing - Again, I know of no one who has the skills for this work, not that there aren't some, I just don't know any.

25. Sold homegrown produce - Entirely possible if you have the machinery, land, water and the seed.