The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-30
MRS. SMITH LECTURES ON
HOUSEHOLD FINANCIERING.
A SURE SIGN.

| for her own sake and that of the family
| welfare
| "An Arrangement oy which the wife con.
| trolls the expenditure OF certain portion
| OF the income is practicable wherever the
| man receives salary or regular daily
| wages.
"A reguplar income tends 10 develop
thrift and to teach people 10 avoid debt,
| ut there is always a tendency Ia live up
TO the limit OF IL and 10 leave too small
| a margin for saving and for extra pleas
| ures
ION the other hand, whenever the FAM
| fly income is irregular as farming and
| many other kinds of business. the prob
| lem IL household fina 1cic-jng is much
| more difficult and requires both greater
/, self-control and better judgment 1t is
/ usually possible for such families to de-
| termine upon a definite minimum amount
! which may be counted upon for ordinary
| living expenses.
Whatever the plan adopted for distrib-
| uting the family income, the wife should
have at her command and should be
| compelled TO live within definite share
| OF the income.
"She should have her own bank account
| whenever the sum is large enough 10
| warrant one.
| after the minimum income OF the fam
/ ily has been determined the next most
| important question Is how and when IL
| shall be paid out. Cash payments are
much to be preferred but they are feasi-
| bic only when the housewife does her own
| marketing and buying.
| VALUE OF CASH PAYMENTS.
| whoever pays cash asks no favor
| Of the tradesman and commands
the best quality at given prize.
| The tradesman who lends money by all
| lowing the payment of bills to be post
I nod CT for hfG 1G at.d met
have interest on the money necessary to
| carry on a credit business.
| "He must necessarily therefore reim-
burse himself by charging higher price
| or by giving a poorer article. 1t should
| never be forgotten that credit costs
: something The cash customer is always
considered a good customer and can al
ways have the first choice OF the market
| and favors IL any are desired.
| THE next point TO be considered Is
when and how shall the buying be done.
| Undoubtedly the buying of food is best
! done I'm central market. Here the
housekeeper has an opportunity to see
| a large variety and several grades of
| goods She is thus educated TO observe
and purchase wisely"
SYSTEMATIC HOUSEKEEPING.
Turning TO a second phase of her subject
| Mrs Smith enlarged upon the advantages
the housekeeper.
She also explained the disadvantages OF
| buying In small quantities and deprecated
the custom of bargain hunting among
many women.
Continuing, she said:
IF time is money labor is still more
so. To economize labor is to release
human energy for higher labor. and no.
where is this needed so much as I'm the
household. This business of domesticity
has got beyond us.
There is no salvation but IN the APP
| plication OF trained thinking. We must
organize simplify, systematze and above
all get true perspective OF values.
! Household financiering means not
merely buying carefully, keeping ac-
counts, paying promptly watching in
Vulnerable petty dotais--it means the con-
servation and redistribution OF the
family resources so that the best things
for the eternal welfare OF the household
| are obtained from them
Let us add all OF taste and culture
that we may to the family environment.
but never till we have counted it's cost.
not only In money, but I'm blood and
tears, and nerves
Let life be large, generous. refined.
rather than elaborate and anxious"
Mrs. Smith closed her eloquent and
valuable lecture with the following timely
sensible and practical thoughts:
GOOD FINANCIER1NG
Good hnancering means more than
10 make ends meet and 10 deceive ones
neighbors by strained elegance.
1T means TO choose seriously for ones
family what is best worth having out OF
many. many things that are well worth
having. And when that standard has once
been set 10 hold TO Il I'm the face OF
fashion and conventionality.
| This is TO put domestic values I'm their
true perspective. IL means TO simplify
| life. at any cost of mere appearances,
until we are adequate 10 g. till we can
grasp Il as a whole, putting trivialitics
where they belong. and keeping essen
tlals ever before the eyes.
Good fnancierlng means 20 be salts
fed 90 have what Is best for our own
! household, through " may seem less cle-
giant. less impressive, even less salts
factory than that which others have
"As Stevenson said. long since: TO be
| honest To he kind. TO earn a little and