Answer Miep Gies: "For everything you wanted to buy, you needed vouchers. One voucher entitled us to a really small quantity. Jews, after they were called to report for "work camp", did not get vouchers any more. So, I would have been forced to go to the black market, but since my husband Jan worked with the City, he could secretly obtain those vouchers, enabling me to buy vegetables, bread, potatoes, some butter, meat, textiles and cigarettes. Just enough to keep in reasonable shape!"