Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-06-11
WHAT ECONOMY MEANS.

Ia A~AAOO~o S"sVA C"oaOuS 1/utOEC01uOO "
tho MAJ GRITTY of People.
Many people have a false idea OF
what economy means. They believe
they are economical while they indulge
in many articles which are pure luxu.
ries simply because they are cheap.
They frequent bargain counters and buy
many things they do not need, under
the impression that they will need
them at some future day. Thus they
fritter a great deal of money on things
which do them no earthly good. They
buy two cheap dresses, when ono good
one would last longer than both the
cheap gowns. The price of an article
is very poor criterion to go by in esti.
mating its cheapness. An inferior ar
ticle which contains intrinsic flaws is
generally dear at any price. What is
Of no possible use to you is an extrava-
gance, no matter how cheap it may be
in price. Wise women are seldom led
away by specious labels on goods.
They make up their minds what they
need before they start out on a shop
ping expedition, and purchase goods to
meet that need. After looking through
the shops they often select some
thing different from what they
had first intended, because they find it
Is better suited to their purpose or that
it will be difficult to get exactly what
they had planned. 1t is always wise to
make out shopping list, with the limit
of price which you intend to pay oppo-
site each article, and keep yourself ii
possible within this limit. The value
Of keeping petty cash account book in
which every item bought for the house.
hold is set down and balanced with the
amount of money received, at the bot
tom of every set of pages can not be too
highly commended. 1t keeps expense
within bounds, and is useful to the
housekeeper in estimating tho value OF
articles she intends purchasing. It
shows how long the goods and other
clothing have lasted, and many other
things which no mother can always
keep in her memory. 1t is an excellent
thing to give children, as soon as they
arrive at about twelve years, or even
before, little allowance for spending
money and an accountbook. Show
them how to keep an account of
small expenditures, and make it
a condition that they do so If
they wish to receive their allow
ance. There is no instruction moro
necessary to children than instruction
in the. wiselmanagement Of money. Chill
dren should be. taught early what true
economy is, and to exercise their judg-
ment-not their fancy-in making pur-
chases. A little instruction now, and
experience, if need be, Of the genuine
discomforts Of extravaganza, may save
them from much suffering in after
years, when, perhaps, you can not help
them. Only when people have con-
quered the spirit of the spendthritt
within themselves can they help their
children. II don't understand it," said
brilliant, worldly woman, who had
been accustomed to indulge every whim
when she could, ''as soon as have any
extra money necessity arises for its
uso." The secret was that what was q
luxury when she could not obtain it sud-
denly became necessity when she
could; and thus it will always be with
some persons. Trivial things which
they might do without seem for the
time to be veritable needs which they
will be wretched If they forego. Self
indulgence is an unmerciful tyrant-N.
Y. Tribune