The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-04-12

'But how can we save on this sal
airy, Elizabeth We haven't lived
extravagantly. btill it seems to have
taken ALL
Perhaps there is something lin
which we might retrench. Suppose
you mention some of your items
The most important are house rent,
one hundred and fifty dollars, and ar
ticles of food, five hundred dollars.
Just half
yes, and you'll admit that we can't
retrench there, Elizabeth. I liket
live well. 1 had enough of poor board
hsfore married Now I mean TO
live as well as I can
Still we ought to be saving up
something against rainy day
That would be something like car
rying an umbrella when the sun
Shines --.....
Still it is well to have an umbrella
in the house.
u can't controvert your logic, EIiz-
abeth, but I'm afraid we shant be able
to save up anything this year. When
! get my salary Faised, it will be time
enough to think of that 81
Let me make proposition to you,'
said Mrs Newton. You say that
one half of your income has been ex-
pended in articles of food. Are you
willing to allow me that sum fer ths
purpose?
You guarantee to pay all the bills
out of it ? ...
Yes .....
And relieve me of all care on that
point p ... e
Yes . .
Then I will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure. But / can
tell you beforehand you won't be able
TO save much out ofit.'
perhaps not, At any rate ] will
engage not to exceed it. -.-a
That's we'll. 1 shouldn't relish
having any additional bills to pay
AS am paid every month, will at
each payment hand you half of the
money ..r-..-
The different characters of the hus-
band and wife may be judged from the
conversation which has been recorded.
Mr. Newton had but little prudence of
foresight. He lived chiefly for the
present, and seemed to fancy that
whatever contingencies might ariso in
the fntHre, he would somehow be pro
vided for. Now trHst in providence
is very proper feeling, but there is a
good deal of truth in the old adage
that God will help those who help
themselves, and ip proportion as they
are disposed to help themselves.
Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, had
been brought up in family which
was compelled to be economical, and
although she was not disposed to deny
herself comforts. yet she felt that it
was desirable to procure them at 8 fair
price.
The time at which this conversation
took place was at the commencement
of the second year of their married
life.
The first step which Mrs. Newton
took. on accepting the charge of the
household expenses, was to institute
practice of paying cash for all articles
that came under her department. She
accordingly called on the butcher and
inquired
How often have you been in the
habit of presenting your bills, Mr.
WilliamsF =
Once in six months was the re-
ply,
And suppose you sometimes have
bad biilsi' -
Yes, one-third of my profits, on an
average, are swept off by them
And you could afford, ! suppose, to
sell someyhat cheaper for ready mon-
ey.'
Yes, and I would be glad if all my
customers would give ms chance to
do so.
I will set them an example then,'
ssid Mrs. Newton. Hereafter what
ever articles shall be purchased of you
will be paid for on the spot, and we
shall expect you to sell as reasonably
as you cam"
This arrangement was also made
with others, who, it is scarcely need
full to say, were very glad to enter in
to the arrangement. Ready money is
the great support of trade, and cash
e9stoHer is T.Grth two who purchase
on credit.
Fortunately, Mrs. Newton had
small supply Of money by her which
lasted till the first monthly install
n,ent from her husbaad became due.
Thus she was enabled to carry out her
cash plan from the beginning.
Another plan which occurred to her
Ms likely to save expense, vas to p&r-
chase articles in large quantities. She
had soon saved enough from the mon
ey allowed her to do this For ex
ample, instead of buying sugar q few
pounds at a time, she purchased a
barrel, and so succeeded in saving a
cent or more on the pound. This,
perhaps, amounted to but trife in
the course of a year, but the system
carried out in regard to other articles
yielded result which was by no meaRs
8 txiae.
There were other ways in which
careful house-kseper is able to limit
expense which Mrs. Newton, did not
overlook. With an object in view
she was always on the lookout to pre-
vent waste, and to get the full val
ue of whatever was expended.
The result was beyond her antici-
pations.
AT the close of thei year, On ex-
amining her bank book-for she had
deposited whatever money
she had not occasion to use in one of
these institutious-she found that she
had one hundred and fifty dollars.
besides reimbursing hersslf tor the,
during the first month, end