The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-07-05
Lawyers Wife
Banishes Debt
From Herr Home
How Clever Woman Adjusted
Irregular and Over
spent Income.
~ ELEANOR cLAPP.


We had been running behind for
some time, and that sort of thing can
not 60 on forever. YOU know. So one
night my husband and l called a fam
lily council to consider just what was
to be done. One reason the outgo
was more than our income was be-
cause Stewart never knew what his
Income was going to be. He was
lawyer in business for himself and
sometimes he earned good deal Of
money by his profession and at other
times very little. So when business
was brisk we lived generously and
when it was dull we economical all
we could and worried about the bills
Getting Down to Facts.
We both found this state of things
very unsatisfactory. but Stewart
thought was doing my best and he
was 40 busy most of the time study
ing for his profession and trying to
extend his practice that he left all
household bills to me. stood it as
long as + could, but finally l revolted.
There must be some solution and il
there was made up my mind to find
~. HHu tIIc llISl NIiiuS "dS. III NuS
language of the street, ito know where
I was at"
Stewart" said I. "how much do
YOU make in A. year,"
why. ] don't know exactly" said
he. ut varies considerably"
But can't you come to some sort
Of an average by taking the average of
several years."
Stewart said that he thought that
this might be done, and the next day
after consulting his books at the Of
flee he brought me home some figures.
found in looking them over that dur
ing the present year ne had made
more than he did the year previous.
but MS our bills were about az trouble
some l saw that we must have spent
more. though neither of us had real
lied 1t. I was anxious to try a plan
that | had thought out.
Living Within Income.
you say" T told him. that you
fully expect to make more this year
than last. but you can't be absolutely
sure OF this, so, with your permission
! should like to cut down our expendi-
lures to the lowest figure your income
has been in any one year during the
last four years since YOU became firm
~ established. This will mean self
denial but will. I think, enable us to
pay as we go, for when you get big
check We can apportionatc it so that
1t will last a certain number of months
instead OF INDUCING in little extrava
gances as we have been in the habit OF
doing. This will help us to get rid OF
bills and the worry of making ends
meet with nothing to do it with. And
perhaps can do something to help the
income along a little"
Keeping Out Of Debt.
"It's all right for you to cconomize
If YOU can do it," he said. but I won't
consent to your working for money!
we won't quarrel about that"
said, "but We are going to live without
debt or worry even If have to scrut
floors"
The first thing did was to dismiss
the maid and 1t was surprising what
difference that made in our grocer's
and butchers bills. suppose we hat
been wasting good deal IN the
kitchen.
I put the house on weekly SEIZED
ule. II r bought anything particu.
larry nice for dinner always made III
the increased price by buying some.
thing very inexpensive later. I made
over my old dresses instead OF buying
new ones and Stewart seeing me 80
economical was ashamed to spend Sc
much on himself
watched the bills closely and Otter
found unexpected chances to econo
mize without interfering greatly will
our comforts. and at the end of ST,
months We had quite decent balanc.
in the bank instead of a lot of UNPAID
bills. Stewart was delighted and die
especially well in his profession tina
year. He said it was because he wa!
not worried about money and coult
put his whole mind on his work.
have continued this practice eve,
since. and though our income grow.
larger every year we always spend {