Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-10-10
KEEPING ACCOUNTS.
EVERY HOUSEWIFE SHOULD KEEP
TRACK OF EXPENSES.

Value OF System OF Household hook
, kceping-How a Little Attention t.
Bills and Purchases May Save Consid
cradle Unnecessary Outlay.
"Why should keep accountsfr says
the young and inexperienced housekeeper.
when want money my husband gives
II to me, and when that is gone ask him
for more. All the bookkeeping in the
world can't bring money back when once
1t Is spent" True. my dear madam, but
II you try the experiment Of comparing
your expenditures for given period under
your present system-or rather want OF
system-with your disbursements for the
same length Of time during which you
have kept an account Of them, you will
see, In all probability. very clearly that
during the latter period you have spent
less and got more for your money OF
course In making such comparison you
must take into consideration any unusual
payments such as do not occur regularly
The principal purposes of keeping house
hold accounts h's two. Firstly. to enable
you to see how much has been spent for
each specific purpose, and II such expendi
ture seems excessive, to ascertain the rea
son, and II possible eliminate 1t. Secondly
to prevent the possibility Of paying for
what you have not got, or Of paying twice
for what you have purchased
The machinery required for keeping
accounts Is very simple, and
Ii as follows; A cashbook, showing all
money received and paid Suitable files
Tor receipts and unpaid bills. A book for
each OF the tradcspeople with whom nc
counts are kept
SIMPLE SYSTEM
The cashbook is kept In the following
manner On the left hand side OF the page
ire entered all amounts received. and the
iates on which they were received. On the
light hand side are entered all amounts
'aid, with the date and the purpose for
which they were paid. and to whom. II is
II the greatest Importance that the cash
BOOK should be written up at least once a
lay, as II longer interval Is allowed to
lapse items become forgotten and omitted
FOR every amount paid receipt should
70 obtained, and 1t is from these receipts
hat the cashbook should he written up
he receipts should then he put away on a
lie so constructed that any receipt can be
eadily found and referred to without dis
urbing the Others
Accounts should be opened with a baker.
utcher, grocer, greengrocer milkman and
utterman, and with any other trades
eople with whom 1t may be desirable to
O 80, ana these accounts should be paid
very week. II accounts are allowed to
an longer than week difficulties are very
kelly to arise, owing to the impossibiity
remembering necessary details
Tradcsmen with whom accounts are kept
lust deliver with the goods each day bill
lating distinctly the quantities supplied
nd the price.
PAY EVERY WEEK.
Having satisfied herself of the accuracy
the bills, the housewife places them on a
10 "a common spike" will answer the
1rpose) until the end Of the week.
On Monday morning each tradesman
aving written up the book which he pro
Ides till the Saturday night inclusive, de
vers II to his customer. At the earliest
ossible moment the housewife should
,mpare each book with the daily bills
hich are on her file. Should there be any
Iscrepancy she should Immediately call
he bridesmaids attention to it and have
70 error rectitied. BY Tuesday afternoon
u the accounts should be checked off and
aid; the daily bills can then be DESTROYED
al 1t Is advisable to do so Mt once to avoid s
ring numbered with useless papers.
Receipts for the weekly accounts should ,
taken on a separate paper and not in Z.
10 book, as this is constantly In the hands I,
the tradesman, who may accidentally
purposely, mislay It in case of any dis S
tie.
BALANCING THE CASH
The cash account should be balanced ,
cry day, so as to insure that every item
pended has been duly entered, as any
ny small amount for which it may not
worth while to take receipts, and also '
nall sums paid for cabs, buses, postage,
c., will be remembered when making up
o account II this is not left too long. The
stem too frequently in vogue OF habitu b
ly humping" items as "sundries' il l.
UGH to be deprecated.
friend OF mine once complained to me
ry bitterly Of his wife's carelessness in
tering her accounts, and cited the follow c
Z entries as an example of her book
eping, Stamps Is, omnibus 3D.. sun
les I'll es. S%d." Perhaps this might v
we been slight exaggeration, but the d
oral 1t points is very obvious - London "
t-Bits y
Hal.