"In my day…" Yeah, yeah, life was different during the war, and yes the stories are interminable, but Britain did spend a decade knocking up meals on the tightest of budgets and with the most rudimentary of ingredients. There must be some lessons we could use.

Historian, Grahame Nealmes, has an eye for understatement: "When rationing was implemented people had to learn to make do," he deadpans. With the older generations as our guides, we can start getting thrifty.

Back to Basics

During rationing basic foods such as potatoes were used to bulk out meals, so stock up on lentils, porridge oats and potatoes, which are all cheap and filling. As a bonus these are also healthy options. As Mr Nealmes notes: "People actually got healthier and leaner on rations".

To cook lentils, boil them in a little water and leave to simmer for twenty minutes. They can then be added to curries, soups and stews. There are also more inventive ways of using lentils, for example, as an alternative to tomato purée on pizza bases.

Porridge oats can be cooked up with water for a hearty breakfast dish, as you already know, but for more adventurous oat-based goodness try: Oat Cuisine: Classic and New Recipes for Cooking and Baking with Oats. It really does exist, click the link if you're skeptical.

Finally, potatoes are as versatile as their waffley cousins. Delia Online is essential for even the most basic culinary feat such as roasting a spud.

Do-It-Yourself

During WWII the government introduced a 'Dig For Victory' campaign encouraging people to grow their own veg. You could employ the same principle as fully as you like. The easiest version would be to buy a basil plant from the supermarket.

For the more adventurous, you could even rent an allotment. I know several students in York who have done just that for around £20 a year. They are perfect for sunbathing and barbequeing, as well as growing the odd carrot. For allottment information see local council websites. Or just plant some seeds in your garden.

Creative Cunning

During the war the Ministry of Food tried to encourage people to be inventive and consequently dishes such as potato and chocolate pudding and carrot fudge sprung up. Learn to make surprising use of the ingredients you have. It doesn't have to be a desert made of root vegetables.

Team Work

Cooking during the war became something of a team effort, as resources were pooled. Employ the same principle and you will be amazed what can be made with some shared leftovers. The last three items in four fridges is more likely to herald dinner than the last lonely objects in your own. When feeling uninspired, the Ready Steady Cook website will generate a recipe if you enter your ingredients.

Of course, cooking together is a great excuse for socialising, so crack open a bottle of (baragin bin) wine and enjoy your mates as well as your thrifty food.

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