Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-05-17
WAYS OF USING MONEY.
(By Ruth Cameronl)

IduCe are earning dDUuN Tue Sdlnt Sdu-
aries, but they use their money in
very different ways.
One Of them spends as little as pos
sible On her daily needs. She walks
to save car fares; she eats at cheap
places; she denies herself any amuse-
ment which costs anything; she
thinks twice before she spends a quar-
ter; she is always saying she cannot
afford this or that little thing, and
she religiously jots down every penny
in her account book. With the mon
ey that she thus accumulates, she
buys very expensive big things-a
handsome set of furs, costly vaca-
ton trip, a mahogany dresser for her
room, etc. People are always saying:
What a lot Mabel does get out Of
her money!"
The other girl always has plenty
of money for little things. She goes
to the theater or to some lecture al
most every week; she gratifies her
love for pleasant surroundings by eat
ing in one of the most attractive res
taurants in town, despite her friends
Mortified protest that everything costs
five or ten cents more there. She
never thinks about car fare or any
of the little expenses, and she de-
spises account books. Consequently,
she never has big things like her
friend. She has only enough to help
her family, save a reasonable amount
and buy fairly presentable clothes.
The people vino praise her friend are
always saying: Isn't it strange that
Lucy doesn't have more to show for
her money with the good salary she
has?"
Now this point of view is so famil
lar as to be a truism, but there are
times when quarrel with it. May |
recall to your mind a sentence which
think | have quoted before? The
right use of money is to accomplish
what you wish with it"
Presumably both Of these girls want
the largest amount CT happiness pos
sible for their money. The question
is: which gets it? The first girl is
always tied down to thoughts Of mon
ey. Spending a quarter bothers her.
She scrimps herself and denies her
self to save a dime. She gets big
things for her money and is proud of
it and boasts of it, but is it worth
she put into that mahogany dresser
while? If some of the money which
she scrimped for it six months-had
been distributed over that six months
as oil to make the machinery of her
daily living run more smoothly, would.
MT she have been happier on the
whole?
The second girl never thinks Of
money. She allows herself plenty to
oil the machinery of daily life and
she gets as much as she can out of
the rest and is content. To be sure,
she he's an oak bureau in her room
instead of a mahogany dresser, but |
wonder if her peace of mind and her
freedom from money worry do not
make the balance pretty nearly even.
Now please do not tnlnk am al
vising you to spend all your money
on little things. I'm not advising an!
extreme. I'm Just trying to do that,
do not forget that peace Of mind and
freedom from money worry are some
Of the precious things of life, as we'll
as costly furs and mahogany dressers
Remember that there is such
thing as thinking too constantly Of
saving money and consequently chain
ing yourself down to continuous
thoughts Of money. To my mind,
nothing but duty or necessity can
make that worth while.