How to Keep Your Food Bill Down
Nine-panel leaflet: a woman shopper clips a newspaper price list, compares it with shelf prices, reports an overcharge to the rationing board, and the last panels show a price panel and a judge. The footer says to clip it as a reminder. The technique is faint: an ordinary shopper models each step.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Office of Price Administration (named on sheet; issuer line not printed)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Office of Price Administration (named on sheet; issuer line not printed). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1020 (NAID 514546).
Text on the object
HOW TO KEEP YOUR FOOD BILL DOWN CUT THE OPA LIST OF TOP LEGAL PRICES FROM YOUR NEWSPAPER [on newspaper:] OPA PRICE LIST TAKE THE PRICE LIST WITH YOU WHEN YOU SHOP [on sign:] OUR CEILING PRICES ARE IN OPA GROUP 1 [price tag:] 9c [on list:] OPA PRICE LIST GROUP I J'S BREAD, 12 OZ. 9c COMPARE PRICES IN THE STORE WITH THOSE ON YOUR LIST. RETAILERS MUST DISPLAY PRICES. (tell them this) "Dear War Price and Rationing Board" 1. NAME OF STORE 2. ADDRESS OF STORE 3. NATURE OF VIOLATION 4. DATE OF VIOLATION 5. YOUR NAME 6. YOUR ADDRESS [on envelope:] RATIONING BOARD IF WRONG PRICES ARE DISPLAYED OR IF NO PRICES ARE DISPLAYED, WRITE YOUR RATIONING BOARD. IF YOU ARE OVERCHARGED GET ITEMIZED SALES SLIP AND MAIL IT TO YOUR LOCAL RATIONING BOARD. [on report:] YOUR REPORT AT THE RATIONING BOARD A PRICE PANEL STUDIES THE CASE AND ASKS THE RETAILER TO COMPLY. IF NECESSARY, OPA WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTION. WILFUL PRICE VIOLATORS ARE SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF 1 YEAR IN JAIL AND $5000 FINE. CHECK THESE POINTS Everytime you shop 1 DO YOU HAVE YOUR OPA PRICE LIST? 2 ARE PRICES DISPLAYED IN THE STORE? 3 ARE DISPLAYED PRICES SAME AS OR LOWER THAN YOUR LIST? 4 ARE YOU CHARGED MORE THAN LEGAL PRICES? CLIP THIS OUT AS A REMINDER
