The Washington times., 1916-07-14
Housewife Should Record
All Money Spent, So As
to Know Where 1t Goes
and Have Safe Guide in
Future Buying &C o d
Figures Also Serve as Eff
fective Curb on Extrava-
gance::
By ISOBEL BRANDS.

THINE and again hear housewives
ask. Does It really pay to keer
accounts? = You must spend 81
much time entering every penny.
and It's SO much trouble when your &C.
counts don't balance. What good Is Il
1t can't increase your income"
The business man husband Is the one
best qualified to answer. Would he at
tempt to run hih business without keep
ing accurate record OF its expenditures?
OF course not. He could only guess as
to how he spent his money, and II II
should happen that lis expenses for one
month outstripped his income. he would
not know where to begin to cut expens-
e. Moreover. he would have no. safe
guide to further buying, and his expe-
rience In buying over number OF years
would be Of no value to him.
There are several unquestionabic val.
ues to keeping accounts. =. In the nrst
place IT. develops habits Of careful buy
iny. Unconsciolsly you compare your
expenditures every time you make All
entry. You watch market prices moro
carefully. and you compare values Of
fered by different merchants.
Keeps One In Allowance. 49,
Secondly. you are more likely to keep
within your budget" or allowance"
II you keep accurate record OF your es-
penditures. have before me now let
ter from a nousekeeper who Is discour-
aged because she has spent the entire
months allowance more than a week
before the next months is due and
doesn't know how to take care OF the
needs Of the family for the baian,s of
the month. She has no record Of where
all the money went. hut Is sure shc
ha.n't been ext:iy tgaus! .
Now. q household account book. espe-
c1blly II its columns are marked by the
homemaker with tho sums allotted to
food. clothing. shelter. light, heat, laun-
~: etc; Is worth the time spent on II.
you q constant check on expenditures.
10 that you are not suddenly confront
Cd with the dismaying fact that you
have overstepped your allowance.
BY any means. There Is a small hook
with columns ruled 30 that there 10
space to enter each day the amount
spent for groceries. vegetables. light.
Laundry. etc. and It costs but Is cents.
cent note book and rule 1t yourself with
columns across, and enter expenses
each day on the lines running down the
base.
Card System Good.
Some prefer the card system" where
By a separate card is used for each
heading like food, rent. and other items.
What IL q proper sum to be spent on
each division depends on the size Of in
come. standards Of living. size Of fam
lily. etc. But guide to such expenses
10 furnished by this approved division.
Assuming that the family consists of
two adults and two children. and the
income Is 5000 year Approximately
80 per week., the division should be as
follows:
Rent. 20 per cent. or SIS per month.
Food, Is per cent. or SCI per month.
Clothing. 20 per cent, or JIG per month.
Operating expenses Qight, heat. serv-
ice. etc., Is per cent. or $2 per month.
Advancement amusement, books edu-
cation. charity. 10 per cent. or 3 per
month.
Savings. 10 per cent. or IS per month.
OF course. where the income Is smaller,
tho percentage to be allotted to food,
for example. must be higher. and ex-
penses on other items must be cut.
Similarly. where the income 10 larger, q
smaller percentage will be necessary for
some items and larger percentage can
DO saved.
But the first aid and the great incen-
tive to businesslike management and
better saving is-the family account
book.
Copyright 1915. Press Publishing Co..