What key elements from the Great Depression in the 1930's should we be study

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What key elements from the Great Depression in the 1930's should we be studying to help Americans prepare for what's to come as this Second Great Depression deepens!?

I've heard we should have enough cash to survive for a few months (that’s rough to do in these hard times), as well as water, canned foods, exc!. People are talking about how expensive it is going to be to heat our homes (for those of us who can manage to keep our homes)this winter!. What can we do!?

I feel the need to be as prepared as I can!.!.!. My husband is/was a well paid professional with a college degree, his company was one of many who laid everyone off in our community (So!. Oregon)!. The company I work for is much smaller, we had 30 employees, I am one of 3 that are still employed there now and our hours have been cut back to about 20 hour a week!. We were/are a middle class family of four (soon to be 5) that is well below the poverty level at this point!. With the unemployment levels reaching all time highs there isn’t any work available!. It’s really depressing!

(I know we're not alone, I see the same scenario playing out in our community and on the TV everyday!. I don’t want to be consumed with worry and desperation, so I’d like to take an active part in preparing my family for the future (in a depression, if need be)… I agree that this winter may be really rough!?!?!?)

ANY PPODUCTIVE ADVICE WOULD BE HELPFUL AT THIS POINT!
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Firstly, that shutting down spending is absolutely the wrong thing to do!. To stimulate the economy, you have to keep the wheels turning!. In the 20s, the government cut back on everything!. That meant there were fewer jobs, at at time when more were needed!. Fewer jobs meant fewer industries were able to continue to operate, and businesses folded left, right and center!. It was a vicious cycle and not until the sudden demands of WW2 exploded, did the depression come to an end!. Men had jobs in the military!. Factories sprang into production!. Where did the money come from!? It was there all along - but had been taken out of circulation!. In large part, by the government, and in another part by the general public, who were afraid to spend any money in case they, too, should become unemployed!.
The media is doing a massive disservice in their coverage of this event because it's whipping up panic and hysteria!. Keeping calm, keeping an eye on your budget (and if you don't have one, start one) and staying within that budget, are the best solution to what's happening!. Extravagent spending is out, of course (unless you have extravagent money socked away somewhere) but normal spending and little splurges are perfectly okay!.and in fact, are good for the economy!.
The stock market has dipped before, and it always comes back up!. You may have to wait for a while to recoup, but it will return!. If you have spare money, now is a great time to go bargain hunting among some of the super stocks that you couldn't afford before!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Can't really compare, one was a complete loss of real capital, while the current problem is a crisis o confidence!.

Today our economy is built on credit, where it wasn't 80 years ago!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't claim to be an economic expert but I have had a few graduate course in the subject and I should reference at least one point!. You mention that you have difficulty with an a few months emergency funding but that itself is part of the problem!. We as Americans do not save enough!. I know it sounds cliche but it is more than just saving your money for emergencies, the money you save is money to loan to others and if Americans do not provide that credit then foreigners do!.Additionallyy thepoliciess that make it easy forpeoplee with no money to buy a homecompoundss the problem by a removal oftheirr primary motivation to save and therefore create the credit the nations needs!. Www@QuestionHome@Com