The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-07-10

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which In housekeeping are Chased
as one occupation for one person.
and are supposed to be conducted
with economy. Great as this task y
"a itself. it Is usually made more
dfaicnlt through the absence Of any
regular method OF handling the yarl-
llots items OF income and expense.
The very hest way 70 reduce ex-
peuses Is to itemize everything and.
set It down in black and white. ana
then cut out each item. This means
limiting ones outgo in practical
way. 1t may besunpIeasan but AZ
ter all, one can be economical and
yet respectable and comfortable Il
it Is done with a cheerful spirit ana
In a dignihed way
There are specially prepared books
for household accounts which may
| be procured cheaply, or you can
make one TO suit your own require
mgnts from a blank book such as
can be obtained at any stationery
store. Here is plan which you VIII
ind entirely feasible:
Get a book with pages about 1Oxl2
inches. Then rule each two facing
pages vertically SO that there are,
say, eighteen columns. The first
space at the left is for the names OF
the various items OF receipt and ex-
penditures from day to day. the
second column is for the amounts OF
tho items OF income received, the
third column is for the figures OF ex-
penditure, and the fifteen remaining
columns across the twoapages are for
for the classification OF the various
items carried out from column 2.
For example, some such division
might be made as this. Column J.
receipts; 2, expenditures; 3, food =
clothing; 5, help; 6, savings bank or
real estate; 4, insurance; 8, car fare;
3, recreation; 10, gifts; IL, fuel ana
light. 1l2, water and sewer; is, FUR
niture; Il. ice; 10, doctors and med
icine; is, lawn and garden; ~ mis-
eellaneous expenses.
Foot up each columnsat the bottom
of each page and carry 1t forward
to the top Of the next. checking the
correctness of your bookkeeping by
seeing that the grand total of the to-
ItaIs of the last fifteen columns
equals the total of column 2. Start
anew. each -month and then you can
easily eompare the figures of one
month wfthlithose of another in the
same year, or you can make a COM
harrison of corresponding months IN
Fdi9erent wears. At the end of the
wear you can add up the monthly
totals to get the totals for the year.
The experience of one thrifty
woman along this line was described
/ in a wonan's magazine, as follows;
cat the beginning of the year we
make our apportionement for gro
fceries, meat. clothes, house furnish
ings. ETC., on the basis OF past ex-
perience and anticipated needs.
This is one Of the most important
features Of our system. 1T is where
the finances of many a family go on
the rocks. Suppose our income Is
500 a month, we must not spend as
much as that, nor nearly as much,
flor we must provide for the ineytta-
HE rainy day If every family
wou1d set its face like flint on this
noint. many disaster would be
avoided. After our estimates are
made we add up our figures. Alas!
we find that we have planned to
suend over hundred dollars more
than our income, counting the little
margin allowed for the savings bank.
What shall we do? Cut down the
savings account? NO. never. but we
set about to cut on little here and
there until the total comes within
our income. Do we live up to our
estimate in all cases2 No. but as
we see that we exceed our allowance
In one department. we cut down In
another and always come through
the twelve months with little to
snare over our total estimate. This
plan requires surprisingly little time
and there is the satisfaction OF know
ing that you are to have something
TO show for st all in the future"
1t Is a wise rule to set aside Ger
tain per cent of your income regu-
larry, considering that this per cent
is insurance against the future. Look
upon 1t as a debt which must be
paid. AS your income increases
your savings will increase.