The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-28
MORE ADVICE
ABOUT THRIFT
Mrs. Pearl Farnsworth, Second Prize
Winner~in Essay Contest Tells
How She Manages on
Limited Income

The story of how one woman man.
ages on limited income TO keep UP a
home for family of seven. Is told IN
an interesting and painstaking way by
Mrs Pearl Farnsworth. 621 Exchange
street winner of the second prize in
the essay contest conducted under
direction OF the Y. M. C. A. thrift
woke.
Here Is Mrs. Farnsworth's story:
in these days of high cost of living.
much has been said regarding thrift;
IN fact. 1t is the common topic OF the
day.
In connection with this. I wonder
/ If my experiences along that line
might benefit someone.
! AT the beginning of Jan. 1919, /
decided to make a household budget
and see Just what came in, and what
was paid out. Accordingly. I pro
cured ledger for the purpose, and
divided il into spaces by lines, each
division to represent in dollars and
cents Just what was&paid out for a
certain article on a certain day. In one
column was placed, fuel, in another.
rent, another meat, bread etc, until
every item was down with the price
paid for it. In another column, /
wrote what was taken in each day.
and in still another / put down the
amount saved. AT the end of the
month l added up each column sepa-
rateiy, and could tell at a glance by
looking at my ledger, Just what my
actual expenses were for one day or
for the entire month; also my saving.
BY looking at my book, / could easily
tell at a glance just what / had spent
Tor amusements, fuel, or any other
item.
Save Daily Amount.
Il decided at the outset TO save ten
cents per day, and accordingly l got
q small bank TO hold my dimes, and
every day l put aside one dime Tor
future needs; IN connection with this
| have another small bank in which
we all drop pennies, nickies or dimes,
which We might happen to get in max
ing change, or watching Tor special
safes and sometimes getting an article
Tor perhaps seven cents which would
probably cost ten cents al another
time, thereby saving VI three cents
to add to our account in the small
bank, which by the way, registers
every cent put into il, and as the
children like to put in the money TO
see II register. II means many pennies
put in where in other days they were
spent TOR candy.
once a week take the money TO
the bank and deposit whatever amount
we have been able TO scrape together.
1t usually amounts TO from Sl.00 20
S2.25 per week.
NOW / do not stop here as we know
that a penny saved is a penny earned,
and that necessity is the mother OF
invention. but / try 10 save in other
ways as well. keep a pen OF
chickens to eat the table scraps, which
otherwise would 6e wasted and they
furnished all the eggs for the family,
and / sold eggs 10 the amount OF five
dollars and thirteen cents ts5.i5t, and
three dollars and thirty-three cents
worth OF chickens, besides what we
ate. thereby cutting down the meat
bill
I'VE raised all OF our vegetables
and / canned my own fruit, thus help
ing to keep up the table.
II bind and sell all old magazines
and newspapers. and rags, and sold
enough of these to amount to S166.
II burn all old shoes past repairing.
tin cans and such rubbish and this
helps out on the fuel.