New Month, New Points, New Rations

 

So, here we are a new month and my second 'official' month on rations and a new twenty points to spend ... and this is what I chose to spend them on this month.

First I had looked at what was left over from my first months rations ... a little rice, most of my lentils, pasta and dried fruit and about a serving and a half of oats.  Not a bad starting point and then I chose the supplies in the top photo

I played fair and just had one sleeve of the 'Weetabix' biscuits.  During the war years this was the size of the cardboard pack ... just twelve biscuits ... so it seemed a bit excessive to take thirty six.  The remaining packs will be in the cupboard for the next points spend.

Then it was time to sort out the Monthly rations.

This month I have decided to take a pack of two 'No Chicken Kyivs' from Aldi instead of the egg ration. As mentioned on the last post, each month I will choose one meat-free replacement for the eggs.  There is also a surprise item in this month's choice!!

At the start of my rationing journey I had decided to take 4oz of instant coffee in place of the jar of Camp Coffee that I could have had during the war years.  I really thought that I would need this to pad out the 2oz that I have each week on the weekly rations, but ... I have not touched this at all.  The two ounces that I get each week has been more than enough, and as you can see from the jar behind the monthly ration jar, my supply has been steadily building every week with each 2oz top up.

So I have decided that I will swap this 'coffee allowance' each month for something from my food cupboard, just as if I bought it and swapped it with a coffee loving neighbour during the war years.  This months swap choice is a jar of Mayonnaise.

And finally ... the Weekly Rations.

6oz Butter

3oz Cheese

2oz Oil

1 litre Almond Milk

2oz Coffee

8oz Sugar

4oz Vegan Sausages 

*Fish Fingers instead of the £3.50 Meat ration

and 

2oz Sweets.

Somehow this all feels so much more logical.

*Officially as they only cost me £1.75 I still have another £1.75 to spend, but I think I will leave it for this week and think a little more carefully about what I choose to buy with my £3.50 next week.

And of course, don't forget I have all the non-rationed vegetables and fruit in the fridge and freezer to bulk out the monthly and weekly rationed foods.  Including some homegrown tomatoes and potatoes from the Victory Garden.

Sue xx

My October Ration Reset Information

 

This is the information sheet that really seemed to help me think about and put into action the new rations from today onwards. I think I am the kind of person who needs to 'see' what I'm learning and these little images made it all so much easier to plan from.  It shows you which years more foods came onto the ration as well as the extras for pregnant women, invalids and children.

Here's the un-scribbled on copy so that any meat eaters can see properly what you could have.

I have been and will continue to follow 1942 rationing for the whole of my journey, I'm already chopping and changing enough without having to move forward each year as well and 1942 is the year that the most foods were rationed.  Although looking at this image shows me that jam rationing went up to a whole 1lb each month instead of bi-monthly.  But I think I will stick with my bi-monthly ration of it for now as I have the stash of compost heap jelly to add to my rations.

This is the plan that I typed out for myself to make gathering my rations together each week.  It's nice to have something to reference especially as this month is different to last.  

As you can see on here, on the 'monthly rations' section I am also being generous with myself and allowing myself a bag of British onions once a month rather than just 1/2lb which is only about two large onions.  I use them such a lot and I do grow my own and hopefully will be doing so again next year if I get all the onion sets in soon.

With today being the first of October I will be getting my weekly rations weighed out, my monthly rations sorted and choosing my Points shopping to have for this month.  Twenty points doesn't go far I need to think about this months choices.  

I'll be back tomorrow to show you what I choose.

Sue xx