Housekeeper.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 411, 24 March 1904, Page 7

Housekeeper.

■..-■ — ' ♦ ■ • ■■■•>' '■■ ECONOMICAL HOUSEKEEPING. & §lili^ I '^ HOUT ' economy none can be The word 'economy' is very badly treated; It is often degraded bo as to mean cheeseparing miserliness, yet the above quotation, shows that economy ia something which is worth striving after, and which cannot be negleated safely by anybody. . True economy consists of judicious expenditure, so that every penny is balanced 'by the greatest possible amount of good. Unfortunately; economy is very rarely a natural instinct, and the cultivation of it demands self-control and the exeuise of will. Even for its own sake it is worth cultivating, but more eo when it is remembered that.it brings in its train ease, temperance,. cheerfulness, health, aad 'the glorious privilege of being independent.' ' How often is it seen that two women ha ring an equal allowance of housekeeping money produce very different results, One seems to have more and yet to spend toore than the other, ye* the result ia only apparent, for. both have the same. The real difference lies in the method of spending. One spends .her money, to • the best advantage, and does it with method and management, while the, other,' has;, no .' scheme of management, and 'spender it in a haphazard way. 'Undoubtedly much defends upon early- training, but it is never, too late for awomaa to try and overcome the deficiency of early training, and though she may never, attain the talent of one who had been brought up to recognise the duty of economy, every step upwards will bring increased happiness in her home.;

There are a few golden rules which form the foundation of economical housekeeping. In the first place, no matter what the iccome may be, the expenditure must be less. I need, not que te the words of Mr Micawber, which nave almost passed into a proverb, but if any reader doubts the truth of this first rale, let her turn to the pages of ' David Copper field,' and see what called forth Micawber's remark.

Then the expenditure must be uniformly propsrtioned. It is bad economy to pinch and scrape in one department, in order to make a lavish show in another — to rob the larder to desk the bask. Max 0 Bell tells. as that the lower classes of France live in a niggardly fashioa during three hundred and sixty-four days in the year, so that on the three hundred and sixty-fifth they miy have a luxurious feiat.

Another rule is to avoid debt by paying ready money for everything. The fewer household bocks and bills the better, and none Bhould be allowed to run on for . longer than a week. When books are ran, S the invoices of all goeds delivered most be preserved, so as to check -off the bills when they are sent in. With" each items as milk and bread, if they are not paid for as received, the amount must be entered daily in a little memorandum book. My own experience is that at first, the amounts entered do not agree with the tradesman's bills, the difference always . being in favour of the: tradesman, bat: ..'■' after the memorandum book has been pro. dnoed once-or. twice, the bills begin to agree with it better. When ores a scheme of expenditure has ' been drawn up, an account ■of all' money ' e-xpoaded mast be carefully.kept. Many housekeeping account books are in the market, but as a rule the number of items ' * is unnecessarily large and confusing. The simplest plan is to bay a penny memorandum bock and rule a line down the middle of each page. Divide the adjoin* ing poit':on3 of twj (ppoaite pages, each -,',, into three again, and letter the top of the six small columns with the days of the wek. Use the left band wide column for the various djpartwents of v expenditure, suoh as meat, flab, grocery, . etc", and use the right hand column fox totalling the amounts spent in each department daring the week, and at the end of the week balance it with any money in \ hand, and s;e if it equUs the money in band at the bf ginning of tte week. By keeping accounts in thid way it will ; j be seen whether the money ia properly ,g apportioned, and it will act as a check on'- • , needless expenditure, for the sundries,' j,which generally consist of money ppeat heedlessly, will assume huge proportions when duly set down. / We are told by ■Smile in his book on ;f ; 'Thrift' that John Wesley regnUrly f f . adopted the course of keeping an account : of his expenditure. Although he poa- - Gessedasmall kciinehe always kept his eyes upon the atate of his affairs, A year 1 before his death, he wrote with a tremhand, in his journal of expenses: * For more than eighty-six years I have kept my accounts exactly.' TV ,

A fruitful source of extravagance is the little expenses. A penny seems such a sm* ileum that it hardly seamsi worth * thought as to whether.jjs.nee4' be spent 'or' no, yet it only takeß" twelve peuaifß to make a shilling, Wthaia shilling J&y be \ Boon squandered. * The proverb, *He that (1363 not save pennies will never have pounds * applies also to the other ■)*.;' Johnny': ~«Whaf;|.~ Yon flte witfiMkrSiy. DuganP Why, that feller don't know w*enhe'aliokedT ; . ; .J- -'. 'V'S. ■',•„'« %>mmy V • Mebbe he don't, but Ma /; time I bet I mack- him feel he had sat- .?.; pioionsJ' . ■■-•<.'.'"■s . •'' 1/f .; j>