How to live on Forty Founds a Year.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 32, 7 February 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

How to live on Forty Founds a Year.

Goldsmith's vicar wa3 * passing rich with forty pounds a year.' A lady writing fox the 'Girl's Own Paper 1 says thab her income is identical wibh that of the famous pastor. She has seen better days, and at thirty-six finds that her whole, income is only £40 a-year. She rents a single room in a London suburb from a gardener whom she had known and employed in her days of ampler means. Thid ia prettily furnished, has creepers to the windows, and can be converted into a bedroom by less than five minutea of transforming effort. A 'saddle-bag' couch serves for a bed ; an old-fashioned cupboard for a dressing-room and wardrobe. The rent of this room is £8, and this sum includes the sweeping of it also. All the rest of the work of cleaning, cooking, etc., is done by the tenant. Her dietary, of which fruib is a large ingredienb, costs _5s weekly. One pound is pub by for sickness, bub bhis" is rarely needed. She . puts aßide £2 !lss for charitable purposes. ' Dress comes to £6, which by contriving is made to include an evening and a tennis dress.' The laundress is put down for 30s and ' travelling, stationery, and literature' cost £3. Yeb this slight expenditure suffices one year for an ' excursion ' trip to Scotland and another year to Antwerp, and an annual visit to a brother at Nottingham. The sum of 10s is set aside for lectures and concerbs. Many friends coma in bo tea in the course of the year, and a children's party, two musical evenings, and a treattoherSunday-school class andbosome girls of an associabion for which she i 3 a worker are provided.. These parties are, paid for by £1 and whab is saved from her food money. Fire and lighb claim_ £22_, and 10s is pub down bo a depreciation and renewal fund. There is sbill lefb an unspenb 3s when all bhese items are added together. Her landlady allows her some additional room and assistance ab her parties,; and in return she teaches the daughber of the house French and drawing: ,