Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-07-12
TALKS ON THRIFT.

NO. ZS-H0uSenOld Accounting
Experience teaches that it is
the men and women who pay at
tention to small savings that be-
come wealthy. By saving nickels
and dimes, thrifty person lays
the foundation of fortune. -
Jas. A. Garfield.
It pays to run the financial end of
the home on business principles, and
full and accurate accounting is one of
the fundamentals of good business, for
it is it not hard to conceive of bust
ness without a day book or ledgeri
Every household should keep reg
ular account of all earnings and ex-
penditures. Only in this way can you
be able to make up a domestic budget
intelligently and know just where your
money is going and how much you can
afford to spend in any given direction.
Thus an orderly person will know be-
fOrehand what is required and will be
provided with the necessary means of
obtaining it.
But it must be on more detailed
plan than that of the wife whose ac-
counting consisted of these two en-
tries: On one side" Received from
John, $4,000" and on the other side
"Spent it ALL"
The work of the home consists of
several distinct occupations. The
2 housewife, in conducting the affairs
of the home, performs the duties of a
hotelkeeper in providing bed and shell
ter, the work of a caterer in providing
! food, the work of the laundry in the
+ various cleansing processes, the work
, of the nursery in caring for the chill.
rdren, and many other duties that are
a considered separate occupations outside
, the home, but which in housekeeping
q are classed as one occupation for one
: person, and are supposed to be con.
Quoted with economy. Great as this
= task is in itself, it is usually made
, more difficult through the absence of
y any regular method of handling the
various items of income and expense,
The very best way to reduce expenses
!. is to itemize everything and set it down
q in black and white, and then cut on
, each item. This means limiting one 3
= outgo in practical way. It may be
: unpleasant but, after ALL one can be
economical and yet respectable and
comfortable if it is done with a cheer.
full spirit and in a dignified way.
A There are specially prepared books
for household accounts which may be
Z procured cheaply, or you can make one
to suit your own requirements from
n blank book such as can be obtained at
4 any stationery store. Here is a plan
A which you will find entirely feasible;
Get book with pages about 1Ox12
= inches. Then rule each two facing
A pages vertically so that there are, say,
Z us columns, The first space at the left
, is for the names of the various items
h of receipt and expenditure from day to
. day. The second column is for the
D.. amounts of the items of income re.
ceiyed the third column is for the fig.
q ures Of expenditure and the Is remain.
?. ing columns across the two pages are
n for the classification of the various
II items carried out from Column 2. For
10 example, some such division might be
: made as this Column l, receipts; 2,
d expenditures; 3, food, 4; clothing; 8,
, help; 6, savings bank or real estate;
"A 7, insurance; s, carfare; o, recreation; /;
,s 10, gifts; IL, fuel and light; 10, water
?. and sewer; IS, furniture; IA, ice; Is,
-e doctors and medicine; l6, lawn AMI
q garden; II, miscellaneous expenses.
N Foot up each column at the bottom
e. of each page and carry it forward to
le the top Of the next, checking the cor.
he rectness of your bookkeeping by see.
m ing that the grand total Of the totals
IT. of the last Is columns equals the total
h. of column .. Start anew each month
70 and then you can easily compare the
figures Of one month with those of
p. another in the same year, or You can
II. make a comparison Of corresponding
a. months in different years. At the end
c. of the year YOU can add up the monthly
he totals to get the totals for he year.
,s The experience Of one thrifty woman
an along this line was described in a wo.
AS man s magazine, as follows;
Ms At the beginning of the year we
pit make our apportionmeut for gro.
it ceries, meat, clothes, house furnish
n. ings, etc, on the basis of past eS.
Sc perienee and anticipated needs.
IN Fais is one Of the most important
y. features Of our system. II is where
k, the finances Of many family 20
on tho rocks. Suppose our income
as is 500 month, we, must not