What was rationing in World War II?

Rationing in World World II put limits on what people could buy due to the short supply of goods in the country. After the United States entered the war, production of consumer goods dwindled.

To ensure all families received a fair share of basic items, the government issued ratio tokens or books. These tokens specified how much of certain items people could buy. The items rationed included gasoline, bread, milk, meat and sugar. At the same time, the prices of goods were frozen by the U.S. Office of Price Administration to prevent suppliers from dramatically increasing costs.