The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-07-28
ON THE SAME INCOME.
Some Families Have Things While
Others Don't.

You know 1t Is q common thing" said
4 social philosopher, Ito find two families
Of the same moderate income living very
differently. one with a house scantily FUR
aished and always short of money, and
the other with a house we'll furnished and
always something in reserve.
IF we are the people with the scanty
house and the scanty purse we wonder
how the other people do 1t. The answer to
this Is extremely simple; they do 1t mainly
by economy and the %scrupulous avoidance
Of waste.
''They never dribble away their money,
as we do. We haven't learned yet the les
son that every cent counts and that cents
saved mean dollars. We may not be ex-
>~ravagant, but we buy what we want. II
we see a bargain we get that whether we
really need 1t or not; we ride when we
could walk. we treat ourselves to
and ice cream soda and sundaes freely,
spending in that way many more dollars
than we think.
I'VE buy lots Of new ribbons and odds
and ends Of things; we don't mind spend
ing a quarter when we want to, or more,
never dreaming how these small sums
mount up, and the first thing you know
Ne haven't any money, we are hard up
and we haven't the things we really want
either. How Is 1t the other folks can have
hat they want with no more money?
THE other folks ave money by saving
1t, by not dribbling 1t away. When they
really need something they rave the
money for 1t and they are able to get 1t,
when we can't, but they are able to have
the money only because they save 1t.
They never waste a cent.
IF a / cent stamp will do they don't
slap on a 2. You or I might put on the
2 cent stamp and let 1t go, but they
don't, they prefer to have the cent to
keep for themselves, and 1 must say I
think they are wise. When they get
through using a light they turn 1t out,
they don't let it burn on. to be of no use
to anybody; they turn 1t out and save the
money, and 1t all counts.
They econom.ze In their purchases and
they haven't the slightest hesitation in go
ing where they can buy to the best advan-
tage. They usually pay cash for what
they buy and so are able to get the full
,enefit Of opportunities, but whatever bills
they may W they scrutinize closely, and
IL they find a bill with 10 cents too much
charged on it they don't say. oh, we
ant bother about that, let 1t co. but they
10 bother about It: they want the 10 cents
chat belongs to them n they attend to
1t and get 1t.
"They save on the telephone. Five cents
for a telephone call isn't much. but %
calls cost a dollar. They telephone when
hey really need to, but they don't tele-
phone for the fun Of It; they prefer to
keep the money. Without being over fin
icky, they are careful about their furni-
ture and their rugs and about their
clothes; they don't break or tear things,
and so their things always look we'll and
they last longer, cost less for renewals,
II so in that way they save money, a
lot Of it. and yet their house always looks
veil, as they do themselves, and they al
lays have money for VIA thety want to
buy and to go with when they want to go.
There's nothing mean about them-or
The contrary they always v money to
spend when l haven't, and they can &c
when l can't. but they don't fool away
their money, and they don't throw away a
cent. They practice practical economy
and that wa lies prosperity. and very
great comfort"