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Rationing became a way of life for people on the home front during World War II (WWII), from 1941-1945, affecting everything from the quantity and kind of food people ate to the clothes they wore. Rationing insured that each person could get his fair share of the products and food goods that were in short supply due to the war effort and import reductions. Four different ration books were issued during WWII. Ration book two contained red and blue stamps, numbered A-Z, each with different ration point designations. The red stamps were for butter, margarine, meats, cheese, fats, and canned fish. The red stamps were for canned fruits and vegetables. When book two was first issued, each household was required to itemize and declare all their canned goods; stamps were removed from their ration books for the canned goods they already had on hand!

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