Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-09-17
He Tells How They Live and
Enjoy Life as They
See 1t on That
Sum.
ONE READER THINKS
TIGATWAO A LEECH
SAYS He is Productive and OF
No Good to Any Community
Offers Advice to Man
Who SkimpS TO
Save.

at costs me about 800 per month
to support myself and family, when
includes my wife and one boy. The
boy is years old and he wears some
few clothes out but still he is not as
extravagant as people generally cred
it boys with being said railroad
man today.
Il could save more money than I
am doing if Ii became necessary,
since we lived on less than $40 up
TO a few years ago. | was then work.
ing in an office and my salary was
S45. We lived on it and even on
occasion saved a little, but when L
got a better place, we determined TO
enjoy life as best we could; hence
our increase i'm expenses. We don't
throw away money but we always
get our moneys worth. We believe
in enjoyment of life, though we
do not care for many features or
amusement which others claim is an
absolute necessity to the true enjoy
ment. We are Of quiet disposition
and generally spend our spare mo-
ments at home, though we often at
tend theatres, take rides to the
mountains when possible, and have
a good time. We keep a horse and
buggy in which all three of US can
easily ride and our little trips do not
cost very much. We do not own our
home, but we will some day.
Average ExpeDscE.
Clothing for myself averages
about SO per month. My wife scarce
ly ever spends over So per month, as
size does her own dressmaking and
don't care much for style, so she
looks neat. The boy gets along with
about So a month, which makes the
total for clothes about $19 on an
average the year round.
For rent. we pay SIC for a four
Ill. .1..a~ ton.
The light costs US about So per
month on the average. Fuel adds an
other 81 per week or 81 per month
TO the account in the summer and
about twice that in the winter, but
as we also use ice i'm the summer, the
average account is about balanced at
IS per month for fuel and ice the
year round.
For Food.
I'VE spend an average of $32 per
month for food, including groceries,
meat, etc. That is the actual figure
taken from a years expense account
book Our grocery bills are not as
heavy as many families of the same
size since we make our own pur-
chases my wife utilizing the horse
and buggy for marketing. 1t is much
more satisfactory than attempting to
purchase groceries from a man who
takes your order, and you never see
the goods until they are delivered. l
think we get the best the market af-
fords by our plan. If there is any
thing nice in the fruit or vegetable
line, we buy it, unless the price is too
steep, in which event, we wait until
ii becomes cheaper.
Keeping a Horse.
Keeping a horse is somewhat ex-
pensive, but the enjoyment we de-
rive from our horse and buggy is
worth five times the cost. We have
small stable for which we pay 81
per month and the feed and other
expenses just averaged $12 per
month last year which brings the
total up to S14 per month for th1
horse OF course l do not figure the
time l spend IN caring for the ami
mall When | am at work, my wife
and boy feed the horse. and both
are experts I'm hitching and unhitch-
inC.
"I regard the horse as the cheapest
item i'm our expense account. That
animal means that we will take
plenty of outdoor exercise, for we
can go and come when we please. 1t
will surprise you probably, when !
say that | have not spent one cent
for medicine for my family outside
OF the common household remedies,
which are Indispensable, since We
purchased the horse.
Saves some Money.
'"Dhis brings the total expense up
TO $9l and you can figure 50 for
amu-ements and "a for incidentals
for the house Tor that is about the
average, II costs me just about 500
per month / see where l could save
money by buying less and cheaper
but we don't care to do that.
MY salary averages $145 per
month, or at least IL did last year.
and Of that amount We saved an
average Of $f5 per MONTH We could
have spent more money beyond any
ttuhr b1If We hHL IiI wanted