On top of the food rations mentioned in yesterdays post, during the war years everyone received a Points Allowance varying between 16 and 24 points per month. These points could be spent outside of the shop you were registered at and used for things like cereals, pulses and tinned goods.
The points value of these foodstuffs went up and down according to availability and demand, controlled by Government directives. For the purposes of this year I have decided to keep my points at 20 per month and the value of each item fixed. There is lots of mixed information about the values of all foodstuffs so I have taken an average in some cases, not I hasten to add to make things easier for me but just to try and keep things on an even keel.
To keep it just like it would have been during the war I will get a new allocation of points at the beginning of each month, My points, the same as in the war years cannot be saved up and carried forward and must be used within the month of issue, although they do not necessarily need to be used all in one go.
Foodstuffs and their Points Value per lb of weight
Rice - 2
Dried Pulses - 4
Pasta - 2
Tinned Tomatoes - 6
Baked Beans - 2
Oats - 2
Breakfast Cereals - 4 per pack
Biscuits - 2
Dried Fruit - 16
If I find any more food that can be bought on points I will add them to this list, but these are all I have found up to now, ignoring the meat and fish items that I won't be consuming and that used up an extraordinarily high amount of points, at times up to 32 for a small tin of salmon for instance. Not a problem if you were a large family and wanted a fishy treat but no good for a single person who would never have been able to acquire enough points.
It was not just food that was rationed during the war years, things like clothes and household goods were also rationed and only available on points or coupons. I will not include any furniture items I need to buy for my new flat on my rations because I am mainly going down the Facebook Marketplace route (apart from my new bed), but I am going to try and follow the soap rationing guidelines and also the clothes rationing.
Each person got four Soap Coupons per Week
1 small bar of soap = 1 coupon
Large Bar - 2 Coupons
Soap Powder - Small = 1, Large = 2
Household Soap - 2 (I will class this as Washing Up Liquid)
I will also give Fabric Conditioner, shampoo and bubble bath a one coupon each value
Also each person got 24 Clothing Coupons per Six Months
LADIES & MEN:
Big coat 18, Suit 26
Shoes 7, Overcoat 16
Vest 3, Mackintosh 16
Knickers 3, Jacket 13
Petticoat 3, Trousers 8
Corsets 3, Shoes 9
2 pr. Stockings 3, Slippers 7
LADIES & MEN:
1 pr. stockings 2, Vest with short sleeves 7
Dress 7, Singlet 3
Gloves 2 ,Underpants 4
Scarf 1, Shirt 5
4 Handkerchiefs 1, 2 Handkerchiefs 1
Nightdress 6 Collar 1
Pyjamas 8, Pyjamas 8
Slippers 5, Tie 1
1 pr. Socks 1
Hats NIL, but very expensive.
I think I'll do without replacing my corset for the year, and I will wonder about the differing values given for stockings when the need arises!!
Although this years Challenge is to be mainly focused on the food side of things to try to bring my normal day to day diet into a simple and healthy way of life, I do think it might be interesting to see how the other rationed items might fit into my year. So with the soap and clothes I will most likely start off with good intentions and see how things work out.
Although I have already done a lot of reading and quite a bit of research online some things may change slightly over the course of this year as I learn more and adapt things to fit in with what I learn, so nothing is written in stone.
That's it for today, there's lots to think about there and now I think it's time to get together the food I need to start this Challenge and get my Year of Modern Rationing underway. For the first few weeks of this Challenge I will be shopping from my own supplies before heading off to the shops with my ration books but always keeping in line with the amounts I am allowed to have each week or month.
It's going to be so interesting and I am really looking forward to this ... which is not something you would have heard said during those terrible war years.
Finally ...I really want to re-iterate here loud and clear that I am in no way making fun of or belittling the hardships that people went through during the Second World War. I am of a generation that has heard first hand experiences from both my parents and my grandmothers of what they went through during this time. I have nothing but pure admiration for each and every person that came through this dreadful period of our country's history in whatever way it happened for them.
This year long Challenge is dedicated to them and all that they have taught us.
Sue xx
