Carolyn over on The 1940's Experiment blog is doing a ration challenge of a different kind.
I don't know if you visit her blog from my sidebar ... or indeed for fellow bloggers from your own sidebars ... but I thought I would give a shout out to her and all her readers that have decided to join in with her for this World War II rationing month.
She has also done a brilliant free download for anyone that is interested.
Of course you know that if I wasn't doing my own Ration Challenge I would have been the first to sign up for this one, and indeed I might still do it only a month later. While I'll be tucking into rice and flatbreads Carolyn and her readers will be up to their eyes in potatoes and the National Loaf. Sometimes it's good to challenge yourself and learn something in the process.
Her grand total for food for the first week works out at under £12, which is amazing and it does show what you can do with clever shopping, eating seasonal foods ... and rationing.
Thinking back to when me and Alan both lived on WW2 rations for a month a few years ago we both really enjoyed it and felt all the better for not eating junk food and planning out our meals more carefully.
Rationing in it's many forms is on a lot of peoples minds at the moment isn't it.
Sue xx
Well done for highlighting Carolyn's brilliant 'experiment'. It deserves to be far more sidely seen.
ReplyDeleteWe are all experiencing massive rises in the cost of living (yesterday I spent £59 on just over HALF a tank of fuel) but I often wonder how much people spend on pizza, burgers or other fast food because doing so has become so normal for many families, but if all meals were prepared at home the overall cost would be so much less than buying takeaways.
Gah! WIDELY seen, what the heck is sidely??
ReplyDeleteSidely is like widely but neater ... and annoys my spellcheck to hell ;-) I knew what you meant.
DeleteFuel prices are crazy aren't they, I'm letting Alan give me a lift everywhere, my petrol will be going stale in the tank!! I'm always shocked at how much people will spend on a takeaway pizza, even if you HAVE to eat pizza you can buy four frozen ones for the same price and have a months worth of 'fakeaways' instead. My Ration Challenge pizza will be even cheaper!!
Wonder if I have time and energy to sort this all out? to join in before Monday - possibly not -. Good challenge though, specially for right now. I used to read her blog but somewhere have lost it from my blog roll.
ReplyDeleteYou could most likely raid your cupboards for most of what you need and just portion it out.
DeleteI think I might do this for the month of August. It neatly starts on Monday 1st and I have no holidays that will get in the way that month. I was going to do it straight after the Ration Challenge but then I realised that we would be on holiday for part of the month and I don't want to restrict things.
In the past I enjoyed reading the WW2 ration diets eaten by Carolyn, and yourself. As a newbie gardener, I am really beginning to appreciate why the "Dig for Victory" campaign was so important. We ALL need to be much more mindful about what we eat. Typing this as earnest guys on Radio 4 are discussing the rising cost of living, and effects on the physical and mental health of the nation. Two (ancient) charity slogans have come to mind. "This world has enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed" and "Live simply, that others may simply live"
ReplyDeleteBrilliant slogans both of them. We had lots of good posters issued with similar slogans that I would have to hang in the shop window when I used to be an Oxfam shop manager, they would always bring people in to comment on them.
DeleteI have been following the1940's experiment and would love to do it but it's not the right time for me at the moment , I am determined to do it one day. On reviewing our bank account for the last month I was so shocked at what I spent on food and having a savings goal to meet by the end of the year I have decided to do the " cash envelope system ", which so far is working well ( I was encouraged to do it after going into supermarket for tomatoes and dog food and spending £33 on I fancy that items ). Seeing the cash makes me think and having leftovers in the envelopes to put in a treat pouch is lovely, talking to my 87 year old mum about this took her back to early married life as this is how they did things, somehow when putting a card in the machine doesn't have the same mental picture as handing over cash.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have to find ways of managing our money that really suits us and our circumstances don't we, and as you say seeing the actual cash is a really good way of realising just what you are spending and on what. Sliding that card into a machine is like fantasy paying but getting that bank statement or credit card statement at the end of the month is very sobering. I am trying to use cash whenever I shop in the shops that still don't mind it and luckily our Sainsbury's self serve tills accept small change which is where I spend the pennies. As our grannies and parents used to say 'If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves'.
DeleteIn a way I think it is easier for those of us of a 'certain age', because we've been through it before, even as children. The old ways of my Grandma are still very much with me, and 'Waste not, want not' was often quoted.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, only the other day me and my brother were jokingly asking my Mum if all the 'starving children in Africa' that she frequently told us about were helped by us being ordered NOT to leave anything on our plates. We just didn't waste any food back in the day did we? There were very limited snacks available ... once a week if my Mum had any money left we might be lucky enough to get a Blue Riband from the bread shop. But usually it was three meals a day and a biscuit and hot milk before bedtime.
Delete( Anne Bee )
ReplyDeleteI’ve reverted to “cash” and just use my credit card very occasionally for rare things like hotel and airline bookings.
The “cash” takes the form of a debit card so the money is removed from my account as soon as it’s spent. It means no nasty surprises at the end of each month.
I check my bank balance ( at least! ) once a week and compare spending week on week.
I'm currently using my credit card for everything as I had a large sum refunded as I had overpaid a bill when I lived at the flat. It seems very strange.
DeleteI am going to check out that blog. Rationing was a bit different here in Canada and if it was just me I would give that a try.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
She's lovely. I'm not up for her specific challenge but I thought I would sort of modify it to make it work for me. It wouldn't be WW2, more about limiting certain foods, eating seasonally, pulses, etc.
ReplyDeleteIf you do it, I look forward to reading about it - after the rations challenge it will seem like a feast, I expect. xx