The Art of "Good Buymonship"

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 59, Issue 3, 15 September 1939, Page 277

The Art of "Good Buymonship"

HOW good a buyer are you? Do you invariably “get the most” for your food shilling ,or your clothing shilling? Do you know a good eggbeater from a poor one? Can you tell which saucepan is the best type for your stove? Jit 4 ’ . . ' Are you the kind of person who flits from one shop to another all afternoon. ending, up at 5 o’clock with exactly nothing? Or do you dash into town at 3 o’clock and out again at 4 o’clock with your arms, filled with parcels? Answer these questions frankly, and you will know whether you are a really good buyer or not. Many Temptations Today the would-be wise buyer has a difficult path to followdifficult, not as our grandparents found it, difficult (because of scarcity of foods and lack of choice), but difficult because of the immense number and variety of things offered for selection. Never before have there .been so many shops—never before such a bewildering array of things on their shelves— before has such highpressure salesmanship been brought to bearnever before has there been such clever advertising. r. In other words, never before has a buyer needed to keep her, or his, wits and her - sound common sense close behind her or to think more definitely than she, has today. Yet we find there are —men and women alike—who allow high-pressure , salesmanship, attractive bottles, and extravagant advertising to trick them into making many a foolish purchase.

' Today, buying is an artan art which extends into the domain of food, clothing, and equipment. Art of Buying Food In the average home food takes a high percentage of the income, and while in the farm home the buying “It takes a great deal of boldness mixed with a vast deal of caution to , acquire,a great fortune; but it takes ten times as much wit to keep it after you have it as it took to make it.” —Mayer A. Rothschild. In ‘other. words, it takes very much less time and effort to SPEND a shilling than it does to EARN it!And, we might addsometimes a great deal more THOUGHT. * •» an ■■*«*«* 0* CJ U Ut Ul> o of .it is not quite such a problem as in the town . home, nevertheless some things do have to be purchased. Here are. a, few useful points to remember when you do go food shopping: 1. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. : 2. Ask for the price before buying. 3. Ask for weights and measures instead of ;for “a shilling’s worth.” ...' 4. Remember that buying in bulk saves money. For example, a 501 b. bag of flour costs Bs. 3d., compared with 10s. 5d when it’s bought by the lb. 5. Buy fruits and .vegetables “in season.” 6. Watch the market for 1 price changes, and be prepared to make changes in your menu.

. .7., Planning the menu for three, or four days ahead permits better “buying plans” to be made. ,8. Select perishable goods in person.,; but order.; staple . goods " by the name and brand you’ve learned by experience to be good. Determine the brands you . want before you order, and read all the labels on tinned and packaged foods.. Buying Clothing ■■■ But food is not the. only tug on the purse strings. Man must be clothed as well as fed, and there is an art to the buying of the garments he wears. Here we find the problem is not only how to spend but what to buy and how to know what one is buying when one does spend.;. The answer to the first problem must be given by each individual herself, and the answer to the last can be found only through inquiry, experiment, and study. ' Our advice to all who shop for materials is to ask for samples, and, with these, to carry out a few simple tests which will give an idea of whether the 1 materials will stand up to wear, to laundry, to dry cleaning, to pressing, and to crushing. , x .' 'Useful Guides In general, guides which will help you “to get the most” for your “clothing shilling” . are these:— , 1. Take an inventory of the clothes you have, and decide what. new ones you really need. 2. Learn to know fabrics and the tests by which you can distinguish between them and can determine their

qualities. (These tests were described in last month’s “Journal.”)

3. Examine “ready-to-wears” as thoroughly as possible to test for crushing, draping, and wearing qualities before buying. ■■' .> ■■

4. Notice if the garment considered could be “made over” or remodelled, and if it has sufficient hem.

5. Consider your wardrobe as a . whole. Note the general colour scheme, and then buy new garments which will “fit in” with the ones you have already. For instance, don’t buy a brown frock when the only hat, gloves, shoes, and handbag you have are blue, unless, of course, you are prepared to buy a complete new set of accessories. 6. Beware of fashion fads, unless you have the type of purse which allows several new frocks every year. If your new coat has to last for three or four seasons, select a conservative style which can be . just as smart as one of “Dame Fashion’s” extremes. 7. Know your type and buy accordingly. Remember that just because a garment looks well on the fashion model or on Mrs. X it will not necessarily look well on you. 8. Buy the best you can afford, and then take care of it. One good garment may outwear two cheap ones, and it will always look and feel better. 9. Beware of so-called “bargains.” 10. Use advertisements intelligently. Don’t believe ALL they tell you. Kitchen Equipment From clothing to kitchen equipment may seem rather a “jump,” but it isn’t such a big one when it’s all paid for out of the. same pocket. And just as there is an art in buying the one, so is there an art of purchasing the kind of equipment which will give you the best return for your money. Again, it is largely a matter of studying your real needs, knowing relative values, and then spending what you can really afford. Again, too, there are certain points which, if we will but consider them, will help us in choosing all tools. They are: 1. Construction. which we mean size, shape, and material. Is the tool the right size and shape for your purpose? Is it made of material which _ will. stand up to \ wear?

2. Efficiency. ls the particular piece of equipment you are considering fitted

to the task it is supposed to do? Does it take more time to use and care for than to do the job without it? In other words, does it save time and energy? ■> 3. • Utility.— is the wearing capacity? Is it one tool which really does the work of several?. 4. Economy. it really justify the initial cost? Will it cost much in upkeep and repairs? Is it expensive to clean? 5. Need. — Is it really needed in your household? For example, a paring knife or a kitchen sink are needed more than a fancy vegetable cutter or costly cooking utensil. Whether it is a paring knife or a refrigerator, a saucepan or a sewing machine, an egg-beater or a vacuum cleaner, consider these points. Examine it, ask questions about it, and then, having satisfied yourself that you really need it, buy the best you can afford. Answers to Inquiries

Storage of Butter

“Waikanae Reader.” — It is assumed that you have a knowledge of the method of manufacturing butter and therefore do not desire detailed advice in this respect. The ordinary precautions for the manufacture of butter must be strictly observed. The pasteurisation of the cream by standing it in a vessel in hot water and raising it to a temperature of 175 deg. F. and cooling before churning will assist in making good keeping butter. The addition of boracic acid as a preservative is permissible, but if it is intended to sell the butter it must not exceed 20 grains per lb., and a statement to this effect must be printed on the wrapper. ; To store the butter, thoroughly scald the earthenware crocks, and then cool them. Ram the butter solidly into the crocks with a wooden rammer, and cover the top with butter-parchment and a layer of salt. Store in the coldest place available.

Fish Soup

SOUP is an excellent method of using up the otherwise inedible parts of fish, such : as the skin, bones,

head, etc. Compared with meat soup in general, it is of higher food value. When made from trimmings only it contains albumen gelatine, and the same bone and nerve building materials as found in the fish. If shell-fish is added the soup contains all the very valuable foods found in these. The prejudice against fish , soups is due to • a lack of knowledge -of the properly prepared article. When once a wellmade fish soup is tasted the objection is generally overcome. Fish soup is easily made, nutritious, and very . appetising. The water in ' which .fish '.has been boiled should be used for soup, or for sauce to serve with fish. Ingredients. Fish, 21b (approx.). Butter,.! oz. Flour, 1 oz. Milk, 1 pint. Onion, 1. Water, 1 pint. Cloves and peppercorns, two or three. Salt and pepper. Method. — and scale the fish and remove the skin. (To remove the skin, put the fish flat on paper or board and make a cut just through the skin above the tail. Hold the tail firmly on the board, and, with a cloth in the other hand, quickly tear off the skin up to the head.) Remove the flesh as when filleting, and set aside in a cool place. Put head, skin, bones, etc., on to cook in the cold water; add onion, cloves, etc. Boil 1 slowly for about one hour, and strain. ' Return the strained liquid to the saucepan and add the fish. Cook slowly un- • til the fish is quite —about twenty to thirty minutes. Work all through a soup-strainer and return to . saucepan. Add milk and seasoning and ; stir in the butter and flour mixed to a smooth paste. Stir until boiling and serve with small dice of toasted or fried bread. Any kind of fish may be usedred cod, red snapper, tarakihi, butterfish, f etc. i ;