It's getting so that we're almost afraid to turn on the news, because it seems that every time we do, the news gets worse. Jobs are disappearing right and left. The value of investments is in freefall, and at least one mutual fund has turned out to be nothing more than a clever Ponzi scheme. It's hardly surprising that fear is in the air, with people talking about the impending collapse of the American dream.

Scary as the headlines may be, is it really time to press the panic button? This is the worst economic downturn since the 1930's, to be true, but the United States survived the Great Depression and came out stronger than ever. And we're here because our parents and grandparents survived that era of privation and fear. Surely if they survived, we can as well -- except how many of the skills that enabled our forebears to survive have been lost in the meantime?

This site is dedicated to rediscovering and relearning the skills that enabled our grandparents to survive the Great Depression, in hopes that with them we can pull through the current downturn. Over the following weeks and months I'll be adding more materials, so be sure to subscribe to the update service so you'll be notified as new materials are put up.

Last updated April 7, 2009.