The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-30

Mrs. Louise L. Hogan, Miss Anna Bar
rows. Mrs. Mary Roberts Smith, Mis-
Emily G. Balch, Miss Lucy Wheelocl
and others.
XII. ECONOMIC BUYING OF FOOD
Many Americans hesitate to practice
economy lest they be considered NEAR
or stingy; but it is only wise expendi-
ture Of money which is economic. "A
veneration for costliness is one of the
vulgar vices said Matthew Williams
and we require education before We are
convinced that a cheap article is not
always mean one. On the other hand
we must be able to see when the best is
really the cheapest.
When purchasing clothing we know
that its wearing qualities must be TAX
en- into consideration, and that it should
be adapted to the season. but we sell
dom apply the same reasoning to our
| foods. Yet some foods supply much
more nutrition than others. even at the
same price, and our diet should be va
ried as radically as our clothing with
the changing of the season.
The average buyer of foods merely
| calculates the cash available to see
whether it admits of the purchases
which eye and palate crave. The econ
omic buyer also estimates the human
| foods upon the table, for time should
be expended as carefully as money.
Some housekeepers spend time and
| perhaps car fare in going TO a distant
| market when they could be as well
served nearer home for a very few
cents additional
| In some cases it is cheaper to buy
higher priced foods than to pay for
service or to use ones own strength
to prepare less expensive articles.
Housekeepers of moderate means fire.
quently find it wiser to buy bread and
other cooked foods than to keep a cook.
In other countries bread is seldom made
at home, and if bakeries were rigor-
ously inspected here and kept up to a
high standard. we should be better
served by them than we are with aver
age homemade bread.
True economy, therefore, lies in using
our income in such a way as to get the
most out of it under our own condi-
lions. Because Mrs, A. buys this and
declines that. is no reason why Mrs. B.
should not do exactly the reverse if it
is better adapted to her needs.
The housekeeper who never goes to
grocery and market and does not study
the market reports in the papers is
rarely an economic buyer. She is like
ly to go on in the same old routine in
stead of varying her menus with the
little surprises that may be found by
visiting the markets. There are bar
gains to be had in foods as well as in
clothing when the market is over
Cuts of meat cannot be made to order
and the first choice falls TO the early
visitor 10 the market.
Usually it is best to select one gro
Gerry and one market where the bulk of
supplies can be purchased, but this
need not deter US from occasional Wis
its to other places. Accounts should
be settled weekly or monthly with the
regular tradesmen, and cash paid
everywhere else.
Fuel, water and ice are bills which
strictly should be included in the cost
of food, and will vary with climate,
size of family and other conditions. Yet
for the same household it is not diff
cult to estimate the amount of these
bills for the month or quarter in adj
vance. There are certain supplies
which are as essential to the family
table as is water, and the quantities
and bills for these will vary so little
from month to month that they have
been termed constants. Such are
flour and other cereal products, sugar,
tea, coffee. butter and milk. Whether
flour should be bought by bag or bar
rel depends upon the capacity of the
family for bread-eating. Where other
cereals are used less flour is required.
AS a rule ii is wiser not TO keep large
quantities OF cereal foods on hand, as
they grow rancid or fall a prey to in
sects. The economic buyer will see to
it that proper receptacles for keeping
foods are provided at home.
Little is gained in buying sugar in
large lots; a supply for the week or
month is usually more satisfactory
than to give space in the house to a
barrel. Spices, tea, coffee and reliShes
are best when provided in moderate
lots.
The average family of four or five
persons finds a quart of milk a day
fair allowance. though more is required
where there are young children or in
valids. A double ration of milk, how
ever, would add more palatable nutri-
ton to the daily diet than the same
money spent in any other way. 1t is
poor economy for farmers to sell their
milk at or cents a quart. reserving
little for their families. Milk taken as
a. beverage does not always seem to be
as satisfying as when it is combined
with other foods. Even If it costs 6 or
cents a quart the economic house
keeper finds it wise to use milk freely
in soups, sauces and buildings.
Where other fats are used in cooking
and olive oil and fat meats appear
often on the table, one pound of butter
a week for a person is a generous al
lowance. Whether the butter is bought
in five-pound boxes or twenty-pound
tubs will be decided by the facilities
for keeping foods. Something will be
gained in price by buying the larger
lot, but that may be lost if the flavor
deteriorates by keeping. Cooking but
ter is never cheap, for it may spoil
other good food, nor are the sterilized
tod
butter for the table is essential, and
home-clarified beef fat is better fla
vored more wholesome and cheaper
than third quality butter.
Eggs from Is to % cents compare
favorably from an economic standpoint
with other animal foods. and at such
price should be used freely as a substi-
tute for meat. During the winter
months they are to be omitted from the
menu and will be all the more desirable
when they are again abundant.
Meats in all sections of the land are
costly foods. though in the west they
are much less expensive than in the
east. If q family is small it is not
to buy large joints. and even
small pieces of the toughest sections
will require long cooking and. there
fore. considerable fuel to render them
palatahle. The truest economy in pur-
chasing meats comes from the ability
to see such bargains as may be found
in almost any market.
The actual amount of nutrition in any
piece OF meat is not always measured
by it's cost or weight. The relative pro-
portion of edible and non-edible sub
stance must be estimated. An expensive
roast contains much fat and bone, and
the actual meat may be no more nu-
triuious than an equal weight from the
round or neck, which would cost not
half as much per pound TRIBE heart |