The Washington times., 1918-12-26

professional man VINO had
been prominent and success
full. but can't possibly tell
Z you with reasonable accuracy how
( much he earns per year. He doesn't
]; keep any record of his earnings
and, of course, no account of his
! expenditures. He charges good
= fees, is busy constantly. and his in
come must be large. Yet he doesn't
: know what it is.
But that's no Indictment against
professional men. For / had it on
the authority OF a bank official
: that the most unmethodicRl of all
! depositors are the expert account
s ants
& Apparently these gentlemen are
! 90 busy Strengthening out other
! peoples financial entanglements
sthat they have no time to keep
their own affairs in orderi For the
story goes that the average &C
scountant doesn't know the state OF
his bank balance until the bank in
sforms him he's overdrawn.
And the same is true OF the ma
jority OF business women. There
are many able business women
swomen who watch their employers
ling up matters, anticipating needs
shelping to plan ahead. But-when
1t comes to their personal affairs
syou find a hopeless muddle.
How many business women keep
IA record of their income and ex-
tpenses7 How many women plan
iahead the proportion they can
ispend on food. clothing, luxuries.
1.-THE amounts they ought to pave
,during the year? The percentage is
very small,
But what's the use of writing
down the receipt of my salary each
. tweek-it's always just the same."
protested one woman who had been
drawn into a discussion OF the
subject.
Even II the salary Is the same
each week, expenses are not. It
is not merely the written page
sshowing receipts and disbursements
tthat is valuable The chief value
sof personal record keeping lies in
,the methodical habits it helps to
form.
Such personal account-keepins
Influences the habit OF planning
ahead instead OF haphazard expen-
sditures; it encourages saving and
the practice OF intelligent thrift
! For here is where the unmethodi-
cal woman penalized herself un-
duly. Swept away by patriotic fer
'vor, many women have begun
Sweeping economies. The purpose
sis worthy. but the method is some
times-well, unintelligent. ! know
a girl who proudly boasts OF living
son 1o-cent lunches to help pay for
Sher Liberty bond That is her eX-
-planation. But she has recently
acquired some expensive looking
bnrs! That is not Intelligent thrift.
for in the long run she will suffer.
II she were not more methodical.
II she kept records OF her eXpendi-
stures. ifsher little accounting book
showed that her years budget pro-
,,vided only a comparatively slender
margin for clothing. perhaps she
would have seen the folly OF
"splurging" on furs and paying for
her patriotic investment out of her
treasury OF health.
Don't look upon records" or
systems" as cold business facts.
useless in personal matters. They're
not. System Is an engine OF con-
venience; it's a reminder OF things
to be done: a developer of those
habits Of intelligent planning that
help much TO grease the wheels OF
.dsily life.
Don't be scornful or neglectful OF
system in your personal affairs.
but begin the new year by start
ling TO keep better personal records.
You'll find what a wonderful ally
you have in them.