This weekend just gone, the wanderer returned. My chap had been trawling Europe with two of his closest friends, and after twenty four days of adventure, returned to his sanctuary in Southampton. My oh my I was delighted to see him. I was even more delighted that he brought food with him. Bacon bought by others doesn’t count towards my ration does it? Is it deceptive and underhand, or simply making the best of a kind gift? Ultimately, this is not a deprivation exercise and I can allow myself to be cunning to acquire certain foodstuffs. I know from my research that food as gifts was quite common during wartime.
Today is Monday which means time to purchase supplies.
Milk – ration, £1
Ham – ration, £1
Cooking fat – ration (to last three weeks) 75p
Coleslaw – off ration (I count it as vegetables) 70p
Apples – off ration, £1,75
Carrots – off ration 18p
Cucumber – off ration 69p
Sultanas – 8 points, £1.69
Ciabatta bread – off ration, reduced to 99p
In my first week of eating in this manner, I still had a fairly robust stock of food behind me. The pasta has since dwindled, I have no tins remaining and I’ve used my entire points allowance for this month already. Don’t get me started on the sweet ration, although you will be pleased to know I still have some left! That’s a big deal for me!
I do however have the luxury of a freezer, which is going to come into its own this week. It was disappointing that there were no reduced g-f loaves or rolls this shopping trip, and the greengrocers was closed by the time I arrived after work. But this experiment is all about making the most of what you’ve got and eking out the pennies. I’m determined to at least last the month on the wartime diet.
The Domestic Storyteller 