The Washington times., 1919-08-26

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siVe?" I asked a house
wife.
"Oh, I don't know" she replied.
Everything is expensive-in fact,
I've just about given up the idea
OF trying to reduce the cost Of liv-
ingi"
Is that your conclusion, too, Mrs.
Housewife? 1t is discouraging, and
yet It is quite possible to do some
thing toward helping the situation.
Discouragement never got anyone
anywhere. And yet before we can
seek a remedy, we have to keep
some fairly accurate accounts that
will bear comparison.
Many OF our housewives cannot
say just how much Of the food
money is expended-say, for in
stance, for eggs, or butter, or meat
But until we know the cost for a
week or a month, We are not in
a position to 90 about reducing the
cost OF living scientifically.
At the present writing, a dozen
young couples find that IL is quite
possible for a man and his wife
to get sufficient good. nourishing
food for from ten to twelve dollars
per week for both, according to the
locality, IL some Of the buying at
least is done in club.
One Of the most expensive ways
TO purchase supplies Is in small
quantities. These young folks
found that buying a few slices of
breakfast bacon, just enough for
one meal, made bacon prohibitive
in price for them; yet when they
purchased a foUr-pound strip and
divided il, il was quite within their
means and over thirty per cent
cheaper.
Most of our men folk demand
meat at least once a day, and vet
it is the big item Of expense in
most households. II you can get
twelve women to club together and
purchase a boning knife, a butchers
cleaver and a saw, a large quantity
OF meat may be purchased whole
sale and divided. A half of a lamb
for instance, will give a shoulder
and leg roast, some chops and stew
meat. All may pay the same price
per pound and accept the various
cuts in turn, or eacn may pay pro-
portiOnately according to the days
market price.
Last year a neighbor with two
young children told me Of what to
my mind was a decided accomplish
ment in the way Of reducing the
cost Of living. 1t seems she wanted
70 purchase a warm school coat for
her eldest girl. There seemed to
be no available money, and so she
decided to clip and trim her food
bills and to put the savings into a
box. In this way she could see
her definite accumulation.
By using top milk instead Of
cream on the morning cereal, she
was able to save over 50 in four
weeks. She dubbed with others
and bought eggs by the case di-
rect from the farm, instead Of by
the dozen at the grocer's. While the
saving here was not very large,
nevertheless there was a/saving,
and they were eating fresher, bet
ter eggs than they had had there
tofore.
Prunes, oranges and some other
fruits were purchased by the box.
When oranges were bringing seven
to ten cents apiece in her town,
a case Of $50 direct from the grove,
including eXpressage, averaged a
trifie over three cents apiece.
1t Is indeed sad that there are
any among us who are compelled
TO live from hand to mouth, but
there are hundreds of housewives
in every community who are
thoughtlessly purchasing their food
supplies in small quantities just
because they have never stopped to
hgure out how expensive this
method really is.
First Of all, then, keep an accu-
rate account OF your purchases for
a week or a month. Go over them
mercilessly and study them; and
then. with an avowed determination .
to reduce IL only so cents or 81
in the month, plan your menu with
this end In view. whatever you are