The past few years have been a challenge financially, especially since having to quit my job last year and no longer able to work as an employee in Canada. This means that I am always looking for ways to spend less money to get by.
One of the benefits of being on the “1940s Experiment” is that eating wholesome, ration book style food, cooking from scratch, and shopping wisely, has cut my food bill in half and is personally saving me £20/$30 per week which is £1000/$1500 per year (just for me). Add to the fact that my diet is now low in cholesterol, low in saturated fats, full of fibre and vitamins and much easier digested proteins from leafy greens and beans, and I’m losing weight, I think this is a WIN WIN situation!
Click here for typical weekly rations during the 1940’s
Shopping wisely and buying discounted fresh food, is always part of my budget. Big bags of plain organic oatmeal used for breakfasts and for thickening stews, 10 lbs bags of local potatoes bought for $1.99, dried split peas, lentils and beans are economical and wonderfully healthy, making desserts from dry/stale bread, eating in season fruit and veg.. buying food in the summer and freezing it for the winter (a luxury the 1940s family would not have had)….. all of these things help.
Last night I made a big cheese and potato pie (wartime recipe) and served it with veggies and homemade gravy. The two meat eaters had a couple of sausages each and I had my potato without the cheese topping. The whole dinner for 4, large portions, was very filling and cost me about $1 per person. I call that good value for money and it was satisfying to see everyone clear their plates.
Tonight I will be making vegetable curry and once again am aiming to bring it in at $1 per plate!
C xxx
The 1940's Experiment 
Seeing that you cutting your expensive down and need go a little further, have you tried to do Haybox cooking, there are plenty of recipes on internet under Fireless cooker and free ebooks to download. I have just download about 8 ebooks on this subject as I have modern Thermal cooker plus Haybox to finish off.
Look into both as Haybox cooking was done in WW2
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I like your montage for making pumpkin soup. Did you do this yourself? It looks very professional and branded. As does the Pinterest advert up there. The recipes all look delicious. I feel inspired to give it all a try again.
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Yes I did and I love Pumpkin soup and great value when they are in season and it makes a LOT!!! 🙂 Thanks Joss xxx
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Hi Carolyn
Good on you. I found a free wartime online recipe and handy hints book. You may like to have a look. It’s called the “War Economy Recipe Book” – from NZ. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WarEcon.html
thanks, Bev xxx
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Awesome Bev- thank you!!!!
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It won’t let me connect to it at the moment but I’ll try later! Did anyone else get through? C xxx
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Got through! Love it!
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Cool! I thought you may like it. Love the author of the book – “Housewife” – hehe . I’ve been trying to find some free online recipes of NZ’s favourite frugal but healthy cook (Aunt Daisy – who wrote cookery and handy hints books, as well as having a radio show from the 1930s right through to 1963). All I could find was Howick Christmas cake, cornflower blancmange and beetroot chutney!!!
However, I did find another gem – not cooking related but 1940s related. It’s a collection of British/American 1940s radio mystery and suspense stories. Check this out: http://archive.org/details/SUSPENSE
Bev xxx
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