Living a Ration Book Life

[LizzieMaine]

The gas would be ok for me (I use public transport) but would kill my husband who commutes 1.5 hours each way..

If commuting was essential to his employment, he'd qualify for a B card, which would entitle him to up to 32 gallons a month.

 

[HudsonHawk]

If commuting was essential to his employment, he'd qualify for a B card, which would entitle him to up to 32 gallons a month.

I'd need closer to 32 gallons per week. Or I'd have to move, which would mean more housing built. Or my employer would have to let me telecommute, which would require electronic gadgets. That gas ration would throw a monkey in the wrench pretty quickly. I suspect that for most folks today, being limited in our mobility, or finding new ways to do it, is what would necessitate the biggest change in our current lifestyles.

 

[Sharpsburg]

You're my heroine, LizzieMaine!

 

[kiwilrdg]

The issue of commuting during WWII was conveniently handled by the building of new housing, or in some cases complete towns. There was a functioning transit system in WWII so it was easier to cut gas consumption.

The real reason for gas rationing in the US was really to make the tires last.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Sounds like the way I have been living all my life except for the gas and speed limit.

In Canada building materials were in short supply and building of new houses curtailed. I had one relative who did a complete renovation on an old house that should have been replaced, simply because he could not build new.

On the other hand thousands and thousands of "wartime houses" were built to house the workers at new war industries. Whole neighborhoods sprang up overnight.

These were small saltbox style houses with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, kitchen and living room downstairs, heated with an oil burning space heater in the living room. At the start of the war they delivered a whole prefab house on 2 5 ton trucks. Later they put a trailer behind the truck, and delivered a house with one truck. A crew of workmen erected a house in a day or 2.

I wish I could find out more about this project but everyone seems to have forgotten about them, even though there are thousands of them across the country.

 

[kiwilrdg]

The hardest part for me is reducing the cooking fats. I was taught how to cook with minimal waste but since my mother grew up on a dairy farm in WWII they had more butter than most people.

I enjoy making eggless, sugerless cake.

 

[3fingers]

I've thought about this a bit before. I could do it myself, except for the gas, since most of it would be a fairly small change from the way I live now. The biggest difference that I see is that the rest of the world has changed in a way that would make living this way difficult. The small town I grew up in was nearly self sufficient as far as business goes. There was a choice of grocery stores, gas stations, a dime store, clothing stores for men and women, a full line shoe store, a furniture store, a radio and record player shop, two drug stores, a full time doctor and dentist, a veterinarian, plumbers, hardware store, furnace repairmen, farm equipment and auto dealers, etc. There was no need to travel to purchase much and most did not.
Much of this list was still there in my childhood years. We started losing businesses badly in the late 70's-early 80's.

I was in that town this afternoon. (my mother still lives there)
The list is now down to a convenience type gas station, a cafe, a piddling grocery store, a part time doctor and dentist, two taverns, a fellow who repairs tires and changes oil, a small body shop, and a funeral home.

The next town is 12 miles away. My point is when everything you had to have was within a short walk 12 gallons of gas was a bit easier do deal with. Especially since all of your neighbors were in the same spot, so everyone put together carloads of people and gas to make trips where several people got there business done at the same time if they had to travel any distance.

One of my old neighbors used to tell about his team going to a basketball tournament in 1943. Each of the parents donated a half gallon of gas so the boys could get to the game to play.
I think it would be difficult to get that type of an arrangement pulled together today.

 

[Stray Cat]

Could you do it?

Let me think..
I'll start with the easies: I'm a pedestrian - so all of the above that mentioned vehicles does not apply to me. Since I live 15 minutes on foot from my workplace, I do not use public transport. And since I generally dislike rides of any sort.. I've got that covered. And the fact is, it those days my people didn't own cars - you were considered wealthy if you were owning a bike!
Food.
I live in the countryside, so I believe there are some differences in rationing here. We have our own garden, and our own animals, so for the majority of year we don't depend on shopping for food. As a family, we don't use canned food in our daily diet (thank you, mom!), and we don't use food that comes with the package. Our milk comes from my neighborer's cow, and our bread from the baker down the street. Our meat.. how should I put it - we provide our own provisions of pork and chicken.
House.
My home (as I've been mentioning in other threads related to this subject) was build by my great-grandpa. Some maintenance is made every now and then, but it' structurally still the same. We don't have a thermostat in our house, so there's to be no setting of one. The temperature is as the Weather commands.
The installations are as they always were (also, we mostly do yearly maintenance). The heating system is a wood-based central furnace located in a special boiler-room.. we do have gas-line and we are "on the grid", but after doing the Energy Efficiency calculations we have decided to stick to the old ways.
About spending everyday materials:
(Here's a good thing about growing up in a constant economic crises) We save everything. Since mom was a teacher, all the papers that came to our house were used.. on one side. That left the other side just for me. lol
We save on clothing (have you noticed how people these days throw away perfectly fine skirt because it's hemline is gone a bit off? Nobody here fixes anything?!). We mend our clothes.. don't we all?
..
Yes, if you have been wondering: we are a bit strange - we're the XX century family.
What can I say.. we "reuse, reduce and recycle" - and we're serious about it. :thumb:

 

[JonnyO]

I would be able to do everything with the exception of the gas ration and speed limit. I drive 26 miles round trip to work daily and take the highway. I believe if I went 35mph on the highway I'd get run off, I live in New York.

 

[Late to the Party]

When I lived by myself, in a city with a good mass transit system, I could have lived that way with the exception of 10% of gross income to bonds, since I was living with no excess income. If I'd had 10% extra in my budget I would not have eaten beans and rice so often.
Now, I could probably do it MYSELF, but I think such an experiment would have to include all members of a household. I'm married to Mr. Consumer - who would not participate at all, which, in my mind, would invalidate the experiment.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've thought about this a bit before. I could do it myself, except for the gas, since most of it would be a fairly small change from the way I live now. The biggest difference that I see is that the rest of the world has changed in a way that would make living this way difficult.

That's quite a good point. If such an emergency as we experienced in WW2 were to erupt again -- could *modern society* adapt to the changes that would be necessary, the compulsory sacrifices that would be required? 1940s America was able to do so in large part because they had a deep tradition of community to draw upon -- we weren't as spread out physically, and we certainly weren't as spread out psychologically.

 

[kiwilrdg]

The main reason why the rationing worked was that it had to work. The rules were arbitrary and oppressive but it was to support a war that was being fought to prevent occupation by another government. People did relocate to save gas (and thus tire wear) but they realized that many were relocated to other continents to fight the war. The saving of all cooking oils and fats was done so there would be a supply of nitroglycerine. Much of the rationing may not have made sense to some people and some turned out not to be necessary but it was needed to ensure a reserve. Any attempt to replicate it today is not the same as it was during the war. We can get an idea of what it was like physically but we cannot have the motivation. If it is being done for any modern reasons we only experience our own cutbacks.

 

[sheeplady]

That's quite a good point. If such an emergency as we experienced in WW2 were to erupt again -- could *modern society* adapt to the changes that would be necessary, the compulsory sacrifices that would be required? 1940s America was able to do so in large part because they had a deep tradition of community to draw upon -- we weren't as spread out physically, and we certainly weren't as spread out psychologically.

I think the answer is no. We have a war going on right now in the U.S.- it's not even in the consciousness of the public. There have been numerous reports about inadequate equipment and care (like healthcare and support programs for injured vets) over the years... nobody is turning in their bumpers or limiting their shoes to make sure the troops have what they need. And we don't even need to sacrifice as individuals to do that, simply fund it. But the issue is that it is pretty low on our priorities. How many people here have seen those reports and written to their legislators?

I really think we have failed to function as a united society (at least in the U.S.). We've become more politically fractured and we lack united goals as a country. Perhaps it is because we don't have a major issue to face, like a world war or a great depression. But even if we did, I think that we'd spend more time arguing over inconsequential stuff than actually *doing* something about it. Given the number of people I've met that have no belief in charity (which is giving a small part of your time or money to those who are in need) I doubt they'd give up a much larger portion of their possessions or possible possessions to a cause, any cause, or at least they wouldn't until it was too late.

 

[kiwilrdg]

During WWII my grandmother was in a volunteer group that went into town dweller's kitchens to teach women how to make meals that would stretch rations. I think the inability of people to make their own food from ingredients would be the most difficult part of any food rationing.

Gas rationing would most likely be less severe than it was in WWII because the modern rubber synthetics are so durable so gas would be the main automobile concern, but some people would need to relocate or otherwise modify living/working locations.

People who can do basic sewing would also be in demand because a simple task like darning socks is beyond many peoples ability.

If there was a need I am sure people would find ways to make it work, just as they did when Japan woke the "sleeping giant".

 

[kiwilrdg]

I think the answer is no. We have a war going on right now in the U.S.- it's not even in the consciousness of the public. There have been numerous reports about inadequate equipment and care (like healthcare and support programs for injured vets) over the years... nobody is turning in their bumpers or limiting their shoes to make sure the troops have what they need. And we don't even need to sacrifice as individuals to do that, simply fund it. But the issue is that it is pretty low on our priorities. How many people here have seen those reports and written to their legislators?

The political points may be part of the decision that some form of rationing is needed but the will of the people and proper administration of the rationing is what would make rationing work.

If you recycle the bumper of your car would not change the fact that my retirement pay is docked to pay for my disability payment from the Veteran's Administration.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Any attempt to replicate it today is not the same as it was during the war. We can get an idea of what it was like physically but we cannot have the motivation. If it is being done for any modern reasons we only experience our own cutbacks.

I don't believe I framed the exercise in a "let's replicate the past" mode. I have no interest in "replicating" the past. The value of an exercise like this is that it can spur us to looking inside ourselves in order to examine our own personal consumption patterns -- and evaluate how they affect, and are affected by, the circumstances of our lives. What if we *had to* do with less? Would we be able to adjust, or are we so accustomed to the excesses of the modern era that we'd be lost? That's the real question an exercise like this can help answer, and I think those who tried it might just find they could in fact live without a lot of what they think they couldn't live without.

Those who don't feel like making that sort of self-examination are under no obligation to comment in or bother with this thread in any way. They're perfectly free to go back to polishing their I-phones and measuring the length of their zippers while we go on with our discussion.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The political points may be part of the decision that some form of rationing is needed but the will of the people and proper administration of the rationing is what would make rationing work.

One of the keys to the success of the OPA was that it was operated at the county level. Members of every community made the decisions that affected their own community, their own neighbors. If you applied for a B card and were rejected, the ration board chairman would tell you to your face why you were denied -- and he or she was likely someone you knew and respected. Decisions were far less arbitrary than you'd expect given the scope of the rationing program.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Could easily do all of this except for the gas and travel restrictions. I *loathe* clothes and shoe shopping so I wear everything I can until it falls apart. Even then I try to sew what I can and when it falls apart a second time, that is when I chuck it. I don't own a home so the home stuff I don't do anyway. I also take very good care of electronic equipment and still use some things from the 90s -- because they still work!

Couldn't do the 12 gallons a month unless I quit my job...lol Would love to!! Haha! But I can't, unfortunately.

I couldn't abide by a 35mph speed limit. Living just outside the city, I need to use a highway to get anywhere. 35mph would just cause an accident or get me pulled over.

My family lives in New Jersey so going to visit them would be my "recreational" driving. Because while I'm there I usually stop off at parks and abandoned places and take photographs for myself.

Everything else, I could manage.

 

[sheeplady]

The political points may be part of the decision that some form of rationing is needed but the will of the people and proper administration of the rationing is what would make rationing work.

No, what makes rationing work is a public that cooperates. If the public (in general) fails to cooperate, then the black market and cheating in general will be as large as possible. Although laws help to regulate society, the only way those laws are effective is if the public supports them. There is no amount of regulation or enforcement that will prevent a large black market for rationed goods as public support.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I really think we have failed to function as a united society (at least in the U.S.). We've become more politically fractured and we lack united goals as a country. Perhaps it is because we don't have a major issue to face, like a world war or a great depression. But even if we did, I think that we'd spend more time arguing over inconsequential stuff than actually *doing* something about it. Given the number of people I've met that have no belief in charity (which is giving a small part of your time or money to those who are in need) I doubt they'd give up a much larger portion of their possessions or possible possessions to a cause, any cause, or at least they wouldn't until it was too late.

I think you underestimate peoples' collective resolve in times of crisis. Though not as intense or as long as WWII or the Great Depression, I have seen it in times of crisis and natural disaster, and the sense of charity and community which erupts is impressive, if not overwhelming. While it's easy to malign "modern" culture, and everyone has a sense of "back in my day", Americans on the whole are very giving and forgiving. I have often thought about the "Greatest Generation", and wondered if my generation could have done the same. I have no doubts that should the need truly arise, people will rise to the occasion.