The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-24
HOW WOMEN WASTE MILLIONS.
Chicago Housekeepers Alone Might
Save 100000 GOO Year.

Chicago housekeepers waste nearly
5000, 600 600 every year. The exact fig
ures, taken from commercial reports and
the percentages of waste calculated by
domestic science experts. show that $685.
100000 is lost annually by careless buy
ing, unscientifc cooking and other do
nestle extravagances.
The School of Domestic Science sums
up the causes under several heads. Among
these the half dozen following are selected
by the Chicago Tribune as the most prom
inent:
l. Buying provisions by order and tele-
phone instead of seeing them.
q Buying prepared foods.
g. Buying fruits and vegetables out of
season.
a. Taking goods as offered by dealers
instead of insisting on quantities, brands,
and cuts wanted.
5. Loss on weight, wrappings and at
tractive glasses, cans, etc. in which food
is put up
6. Lack of expert knowledge of cuts of
meat and of how to cook least expensive
things to bring out food values and good
taste.
"The thing which the average house
keeper figures upon as most important
now in her time. said Miss Lyford of the
School of Domestic Science. When she
buys so as to save this she has to figure
against it not only loss of money, but loss
of nourishment. Again, you have to figure
If 1t isn't better to spend more money
to get nourishment."
Two women were talking of the little
chicken pies that are bought at the delicd-
lessen shop.
"They are only g cents and one apiece
is plenty" said the first housekeeper
but the crust is greasy and not nourish-
ing and besides we have been used to
having a great dish of chicken pie from
which we would fill up our plates couple
of times at least, and each time more
than the whole OF your one little pie"
OF the gain in the old fashioned plan of
going to market instead Of ordering by
telephone or by the order boy, the women
of the school cannot speak too strongly.
Said Mrs. Wagely, the secretary:
ut is a matter of fact that your roast
will cost more if you order 1t than it
does if you see it weighed. Your butcher
may prove perfectly honest and you may
have him for years and years and not
find a fault If you go and get your things
yourself. The minute you begin to order,
however, the total of your weeks bill
will be higher.
Another advantage of going is that IL
your Dutcner does not happen 10 nave the
cut you want, you simply and easily can
walk TO another place without any talk or
argument about it. Many housekeepcrs
do not do this. but it is the most logical
thing in the world to do. You ask for
certain thing, he says he hasn't it. You
say nothing. but go to another place to
get what you have decided UPON"
One of the things which Mrs. Wagley
considers it absolutely indispensable to
see cut is hamburger steak, which she
says should be cut off as wanted and put
ready prepared invariably will have
scraps and trimmings put in 1t.
One reason for the common habit of
ordering is given by a housekeeper in
the fact that in the majority of markets
the fresh goods are not brought up until
nearly noon. and this leaves the house
keeper no times to market but in the
middle of the day. To this is attributed
the erowdlng of markets just before din
ner. when it takes an almost impossible
time to get waited on.
1t is on the buying of ready made foods
that the greatest loss is believed to DE
found, both in money and nutrition. Says
Mrs. Smith:
Ready made cakes pies. and almost all
ready made fods are only in imitation.
They look beautiful and appetizing on the
outside. but did you ever eat anything In
your life bought in this way that was not
a disappointment? In too many cases
they are made of materials that we would
not employ in our homes'