Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-08

TO the majority OF people economy
means simply purchasing an article
Tor small sum of money. 1t may be
that some comparison is made with the
price usually asked for the article, but
often no such comparison is made. The
questions OF value received and fnal
cost rarely enter into the calculations
The real cost of an article is not known
11til those two items are counted in with
the original cost.
Relying on sight or first impression is
responsible for much extravaganza with
people who mean to save. Not long
nnce saw meat displayed for sale. 1t
vas in small pieces, suitable for stew,
Ind was marked at seven cents pound.
The first impression was that the meat
was cheap at seven cents On having
Two pounds weighed out, discovered
That there was probably quarter of a
supful of meat and large quantity of
bone. Seven cents pound for meat is
not dear, but it is quite good price for
bone
First Cost and Last Cost
A shin of veal or lamb Is compare
:ively cheap; SO is cut from the neck
81 ru1np The latter has the advantage
n the fact that there is no waste because
Of bone and gristle. The liver, heart
Ind kidneys of calves are cheap because
there is almost no waste, and the first
price is also low. In some communities
the sweetbreads and brains are almost
given away. They furnish valuable
tood, and their purchase is true economy
because they are all available In other
communities they are esteemed as luxu-
ies and the prices are almost pro-
hibitive. The availability is the same
in both instances, and would make no
difference in the final cost, but the first
cost makes the purchase an economy in
one instance and an extravaganza in
another
The same thing is true of the skirt +"
Of beef; in communities where it is not
esteemed its use would be true economy
on account of its cost Even where the
price is rather high its use is still eco
nomical because it furnishes good food
without waste making the final cost
small
The Fireless Cooker
The heads and feet of some animals
Ire often used as food The waste is
considerable but the price is usually
low The final cost would be increased
BY the long cooking required, but this
,ould be eliminated almost altogether
by using the tireless cooker
Quite another example is furnished by
the difference between what is bought in
the market and what is ready to cook
IN such things as Lima beans and peas
Where the original cost is high it be-
comes very high before the things are
ready to serve At any price the prep.
aration adds materially to the cost The
pineapple necessitates much waste in
preparation; blueberries require almost
no waste Whether the use of such
articles is extravagant or not depends
entirely upon the original cost.
Brains Versus Pocketbooks
Another example of economy is in the
use of a cheaper article to obtain the
same results as are given by more ex-
pensive article The first cost of cauli-
flower and asparagus is comparatively
high in most communities; their use in
Ecalloped dishes and for cream soups is
near the line of extravaganza The eco
nomical woman will obtain the same
delicate flavor by using kohlrabi or cab
bage substituting her own skill for
money Few persons would know that
they were not eating asparagus or cauli-
flower