The Washington herald., 1915-02-03
HOUSE,
WIVES
DAILY
ECONOMY
CALENDAR
WHEN HARD TIMES COME.

Sometime in the history of almost every
household there comes a time when the
family income is cut down to the pinch
ing point. The head of the house is per
haps for the time being out of employ
ment. There is sickness in the family
and heavy expenses result. \ source of
steady income, through some reverse in
business or through bad investment. Is
cut off. Fortunate is the family that does
not become for the time being demoral-
lied when these misfortunes befall it
Where there is the hand of a sensible
womanly housewife at the helm much
of the trouble that comes in such seasons
can be averted.
The first question is: What shall we
cut down on? And in the wisdom with
which the housewife decides this qucs-
ton depends the solution OF the whole
problem. Hit or miss scimping never did
any one any good, any more than i'm
pulsive,/ hit or miss spending of money.
You should decide quite definitely how
much of a tuck has to be taken in your
expense account and then you should
figure out on paper just where that tuck
can be best taken.
Almost every family has some char
acteristic extravaganza. This is all right
in fair weather when the income is nor
NAL, and a very dull world it would be
if every family spent in exactly the right
proportion. But in times of stress these
characteristic eXtravagances should be
sought out and for the time being sup
pressed.
The way to find your pet extravaganza
is not always easy.
Think what your friends say to you.
You always set a splendid table," you
may have heard very frequently. Or per-
haps you are used to having your friends
fol fhaf uelI a
woman who has twice your income. Per-
haps your friends have commented on
the advantages in education that you
were giving your children. If you can
not recall any OF these remarks, and can
not ferret out your characteristic eX-
trava gance yourself ask your friends for
help. 1t is always easier for outsiders to
locate anything of this sort than for
yourself or the members of your own
family.
Well. If you decide that you are paying
too much rent. or that you are too Law
ish on your table, or that you spend too
much on your clothes the only thing to
do Is to shut of that extravaganza as
heroically as a man goes to the opera
tion table when he knows that faulty
| appendix Is the source of his discomfort
But the trouble is that most Of us are
| proud when il comes to cutting expenses.
/ We prefer not to make any drastic cuts
| in expenditure for fear of what people
will say. We prefer TO do our sctmping
! in private. We perhaps save few dollars
| a month by not eating butter when we
/ have no guests, although perhaps every
member in the fa"3ily would be better
of for butter. Or 4 scimp on coal and
( thereby catch colo, We heroically save
on car fare, and walk miles in, bad
weather to save few nickels. We do
/ anything to save money that will not be
, discovered by our neighbors. When as a
matter OF fact II we bravely moved into
! smaller house we could save all that
was necessary. II We got along for a
season without a maid we could make
/ up the deficit. If We sent the daughter
to public school instead of to private
| school for one term and cut down on the
/ sons music lessons we might make both
| ends meet.