I spent half my life in Clark’s sandals with the toes cut out! My mum was very frugal out of necessity I think. She loved Izal toilet paper, hated the “soft stuff”! She had dozens of blocks of Fairy Household Soap in the airing cupboard to harden and that’s what we washed our hair in when we had a bath. My dad used to light a paraffin heater then carry it lit upstairs to the bathroom! We had enough but very plain food really although my mum had a sweet tooth and encouraged mine with sweets and chocolate. Like others, I never cleaned my teeth, nobody bothered! No wonder I have a horrendous collection of fillings now.
I was given various medications though: Cod liver oil and malt, some kind of tablet for stopping your blood getting too irritated in spring (?), Fenning’s Little Healers, Carter’s Little Liver Pills. I wouldn’t eat much so I had to be fed disgusting green herbal stuff and Benger’s which was added to milk to feed you. I do wish they’d left me, I might be slim now!