The evening world., 1911-11-10
SAMPLE BUDLET
FOR NEW YORK
HOUSEWIVES.
~ Marguerite Mooers Marshall.

~ Marguerite Mooers Marshall.
A new way Of solving the high cost
OF living problem has been offered by
DR.. Benjamin r. Andrews, Professor Of
Economics at Teachers College. He
calls II the Household Budget Sys-
tenn. At the beginning Of the month.
he suggests that each housewife APP
portion her known income to cover all
necessary expenditures. and then keep
strictly within her Limit Here Is the
distribution which no recommends as
most satisfactory:
One-fourth for food. one-nfth for rent,
Is per cent. for operating household ex-
peusss. Is per cent. for clothes and one
fourth for the higher nceds-amusement.
education. travel and savings.
Yesterday I showed this schedule to
Mrs. Belle de Rivera. a well-known
~telubwornan. who has made a special
study OF household economics.
Tho general plan Is excellent she
declared ''Of course every income goes
further II II Is handled In a systematic.
logical fashion. But l disagree de-
cidedly with the percentages which DR..
Andrews advised.
Suppose we take n family with an
income Of $50 a week. 500 a month. That
Is the usual salary Of ban employees,
mechanics Of the higher grade and In
fact many men who consider themselves
AS we'll OF as the average Suppose
also that the family consists OF the
man. his wife and two children.
They must certainly pay more than
onc-nfth OF their income-sU-for rent
II they have any longing for real com
fort. ] venture to say that they an
not find n suitable apartment In New
York FOR less than $50 a month. So you
see hat would mako inroads from the
start on DIR. Andrews schedule,
THINKS WIFE SHOULD FEED
FAMILY ON 81 A DAY.
III a woman Is careful and knows
how TO manage she can feed "A family
CT this size on 81 a day. or, say. $50 for
the month Her meat bill will average
80 cents a day, but she can make 80
cents cover the other things. p~articu-
lariy II her husband lunches downtown
The gas that she uses for cooking and
iilutiilfldll WA lpb1Oi . III
other s. monthly.
"A woman with two children whose
husband Is earning $50 a week should
certainly be allowed a servant, unless.
OF course, they are trying to economize
for some special purpose. But " she
has no maid she will be very closely
confined. and too busy and tired TO get
much enjoyment out OF life. ! think
her budget ought to contain $50 for a
maid.
That leaves $50. The personal ex-
penses OF the husband must be greater
Than those OF his wife or children. be-
cause he has to pay for lunches and
carfare. as well as clothes. TO say moth
Ing OF cigars! / should say he might
take geo a month. Sc a week. to cover
these demands. Ths wife's clothes al
iowance ought not to exceed SIS q
month. and the children, at least when
they are little. can get on with $40 n
month between them.
That leaves the respectable sum OF
$40 for amusements, education. travel,
emergencies and savings. 1t should all
be added to the bank account and then
drawn from as need requires. While
the children are young they can be sent
to public school and the money saved
ttH Dc put desu' hAShSi
later. or course, there will be occa-
sional doctors bills to pay from this
fund, and the family ought to take 1T
tie trips and enjoy theatres and con-
x-aerts at reasonably frequent intervals
But why do not more wives adopt
ach a simple AMI Ingenious system of
oookkeeping?' I asked.
= 1T Is not the fault OF the wife, in
nine cases cut OF ten. when the family
income Is spent unwlsely" Mrs. de
Rivera declared. 1t Is tho husband
who Is most often to blame, because he
holds the pay envelope and his wife
must take whatever is doled out TO her
n be thankful for II.
DLAMEs THE MEN FOR LACK Of
ThRiFTiNESs IN WIVES.
'How many men earning $50 a week
would be willing to limit their personal
expenses to IS. less than u u days
Many, with no larger salary, spend 80
cents or 10 cents a day on cigars alone.
TO say nothing OF what they pay for
lunch, carfare and drinks. These very
men are the first TO accuse their wives
OF extravaganza when the latter indulge
in a new hat or an occasional box OF
candy.
mo family in average circumstance
ought to run up bills. II Ia a psyche
logical fact that one is sure to spend
moro when one Is not compelled to put
down the money"
. Then do you think every man should
turn over his weekly pay envelope to
his Wife," I asked.
mot precisely that. but he should
4 5000 A -.