to think that if asked to go back WWII style rationing, we'd never cope?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Not that it's a seriously likely thing to happen, more a reflection of how spoilt we are by the 24/7 disposable consumer-goods culture, even in relatively hard economic times. Reading up on the WWII home front experience & all the fantastic ways people (women) then coped with shortages of basics, I can't imagine being asked to present a ration book at Sainsbury in exchange for my one solitary egg for the week. They'd have to barbed-wire the shelves and post armed guards... What would happen to all those fussy kids? Would they just starve to death? And I'm not sure I could knit a sock to save my life.

AIBU to think that, unlike our grannies, too many of us are a bunch of trembly-lipped 'ruined my life by delivering the wrong sort of tomato' wussies that would cave at the first mention of 'make do and mend'? ... or are we just as tough and capable of knuckling down in a crisis?

I think most people could do it. I wouldn't find it hard .The thing people would miss would be modern technology but they didn't have that anyway then.

Well according to research a few years back, statistically approx 85% of those caught stealing larger items started their criminal career by stealing food, because they were regularly going hungry. I used to have a work friend who was stealing food at 10. Her mum left & her Dad was an alcoholic so her & her little brother were fending for themselves. That was mid 80's.

If we did ever have rationing again, there wouldn’t just be a black market, people would be falling over themselves to rake it in by publishing books like ‘SuperHealthy Rations!’ ‘Yummy Vegan Rations!’ etc. Not to mention The Great British Ration Bake’ on TV.

I’m old enough to have still had a ration book when I was very small, not that I remember it.

My mother was always very frugal, partly because of rationing, partly because they were always pretty skint. Because of her example I’m still Queen of Leftovers.

I'm sure we would be healthier, my dm was a young child during ww2, she says she often had boils, styes and chillblains which are indicative of poor nourishment, she says this was not unusual and that most kids had them, she now also suffers with weakening bones, I wonder if that was caused by poor nutrition/lack of milk as a child.

as to how my gdm coped, she never ever spoke of 'the good old days', it was one hard slog for her trying to keep everyone clean, fed and healthy.

doh, 'not' sure

@LEELULUMPKIN You know the rich are still going to find ways to get round it.

Phil- Thus was it ever!