During the Great Depression, many Americans were struggling financially and did not have access to cash or credit. As a result, people often turned to bartering as a way to obtain the goods and services they needed. Bartering involves exchanging goods or services directly with others, without using money. For example, someone might trade a chicken for a sack of potatoes, or offer to do someone's laundry in exchange for a meal.
Bartering was particularly useful during the Depression because it allowed people to obtain the things they needed without having to spend money. It also allowed people to trade goods and services that they had in abundance for things they needed but did not have. For example, a farmer might trade some of his crops for clothes or tools.
Overall, bartering was a way for people to survive during a time of extreme economic hardship. It allowed them to obtain the things they needed to live, even when they did not have money to spend.