Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-10-28
Small Economics.

If any who read these lines are con-
scious that their pockets are made of such
materials that whatever money is put into
them will burn hole until it gets out, |
would advise them, whenever they take
the air, to leave their money at home, or,
every halfpenny they spend. 1t is aston
ishing how foolish small extravagances
appear when they have to be put down in
black and white, after the temptation to
indulge in them is over. And they must
be put down in detail, and not convenient
ly classed together under the general
heading Of sundries'' The item "sun-
dries" is never admitted into well-kept
household accounts. No one who has not
tried it would believe what a check it is
upon personal expenditure to keep a
thorough account ofmoney spent, and not
only check, but help; for prices may
be compared, and thus lessons learned
from experience.
Generally speaking, whenever large
savings have been made, they have been
effected in little sums. Very few persons
Of ordinary honesty deliberately set to
work to make large purchases which
they cannot afford, and yet numbers spend
just as much in the long run in little
things that they scarcely think worthy of
notice. II is very difficult to realize fully
the value of small sums. If the half
pennies and pennies that lie loose in the
pockets were properly appreciated there
would not be so much pecuniary embar-
rassment in the world as there is. "Many
a mickle makes muckle;'' this is true of
nothing more than Of half-pennies and
pennies.
These little savings, as a rule, must be
made in personal expenditure more than
household is generally needed, but the
small personal luxuries which cost so lit
tie are not. And when any saving is
made in this way the money should be
put aside as saved instead of being mixed
with the spending fund, and additions
made to it as frequently as possible; that
will make you understand as soon as any
thing what small economies amount to.
When money is put aside to be saved it
should be put IN some place where it can
not be directly got at | cannot speak too
highly of the Postoffice savings bank
for this purpose. The very fact that d
little trouble and formula has to be gone
through before it can be obtained prevents
it being spent many a time when it most
certainly would be if it were close at
hand.
| said just now that what was spent for
the household was generally a necessary
outlay, and yet there are two or three
ways in which money can be saved here
that should like to mention.
The first is by buying in large quaint
ties. Of course the danger is that when
there is a stock of things to "run at" as
servants say, they will be more extrava-
gantly used. All can say on this point
is that they must not be "run at" A
proper quantity must be portioned out
and the rest put away. Then it will be
found that articles may be bought both
cheaper and better in large quantities than
in small ones.
Another way to save expense is to pay
for everything as you get it. If you do
this you will avoid overcharge and will
buy far less. If the money had to be put
down at the moment many an unneces-
sary purchase would be avoided. People
who have limited incomes are those who
can least afford to live on credit, and I'M
fortunately they do it more than any 9TH
ers.
| heard of a workingman the other
day who was very DESTROYS to save, and
yet in looking over his expenditure he
could not detect any extravaganza in any
part of it. He came to the conclusion
that the only way in which he could pos
sibly economic was to walk to his work
instead of riding and to take his dinner
with him from home instead of buying it
in the city. He dld this and put away
the money thus saved, and in few years
he found he had in his possession enough
to buy the cottage in which he lived. He
was besides much better in health for the
regular exercise he had taken.
| Speaking of dinners reminds me to say
that it is no economy to live poorly. Ma
ture requires a certain amount of nourish-
ment, and will have it or be revenged, and
the revenge will in all probability take
! the form of a long doctors bill or dimin-
ished working power. This sort Of saving
is penny wise and pound foolish" The
things to save out of are shams, false APP
pearances and self-indulgences, not neces-
saries Where is the saving in work
ing in a dim light to save candles
or gas, and injuring the sight? In
wearing boots that take in water,
and bringing on rheumatic fever? In
living on poor food and lowering the sys-
TEN? Far better wear a shabby hat a
week or two longer than usual, or dis