The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-08
MAKING UP A BUDGET
By RUTH LEIGH

more than S100," shouts a young ste- nographer friend, waving her en- velope Now for ripping vacation" Good for you, girl, with your three weeks money for two weeks va- cation. ,(You forget, you know, that what you have is two weeks salary and one weeks pay for the six days services you have just completely
 But how are you going to spend itf Is 1t to be a grand blowout" scat- tered about carelessly in your en- deavor to have good holiday, or is it to be planned and spent intelli- gently?
 Don't worry; there's not so much of it that I can squander it." assures the young stenographer You don't know summer resort rates this sea- son."
 Yes, I do. That's why I urge so strongly your making up a summer vacation budget. You'll start your vaca tion knowing just how much money you nave to spend, about how much everything is going to cost you, and you won't have that depressing feeling when you return to work of being dead broke" after the holiday.
 A vacation budget is not the for midable array of statistics that most, of us think. You can make it just as simple and as personal as you choos> Here are the questions the budget ssA supposed to answer:
 How much vacation money have [ to start with?
 What expenses will l have on my vacation?
 How shall I divide my available money for the purpose so as to cover all the expenses and leave over enough to return to the city and cover my lunches, carfare and ex- penses for the first week after I am back at work until I am paid again7
 That's all there Is to budget. Sim. pie, isn't it?
 Suppose you are earning $50 & week. You will. before you leave, be handed two weeks vacation money as well as your salary for the past week. That means you have s90 in your envelope when you leave the office ready to start on your holiday,
 Your job is to plan the spending of your $90 for your vacation, so that you have good, free time, and yet not too costly one. Some girls save a little alf, during the year to put to-, ward their vacation fund, so that thev have in their pockets a much bigger sum available. That's good plan-4 If you will put aside, say, a dollar a week, or two dollars all during the year toward your vacation. But as most of us have hard enough time getting through on our salaries, we aren't all so fortunate nor so far-I sighted.
 Let's plan the spending of our sso vacation money, assuming that that is all we have.
 You want to go away to a moun- tain, seashore or lake resort, surely, Don't choose an expensive summer resort hotel, girls, even if it Is your idea to meet people," You'll have much more fun at camp, and, inci- dentally. you'll need fewer clothes than a dress up" place. q don't necessarily refer to girls camp: there are combination camps for young folk. where life is more en- joyable and where you live in more relaxed. outdoor fashion,
 If you can help it, you should not spend more than about s25 week for board and lodging-at most $50 a week. You can get good camp or small boarding place for that Very well then two xxaekS $50 for vacation board.
 It Is not wise to go so far for your vacation, girls, that your fare will be exorbitant You should not spend more than half the amount of one weeks board for travelling costs. Let US assume you go to some nearby seashore resorts, where your fares round trip. will not be more tha1 about SIP (if that).
 Now, then, when you get to almost any summer resort or camp, there arc always incidental expenses-cost of shipping your trunk or suit cases. bus or hack fares, tips, candy, auto rides. special blowouts. Moreover, you can't always depend on Mr.-Gal- lant Young Man to hire boats or ca. noes-sometimes you want to be ins dependent enough to get your own. So that we will figure the cost of in~ cidental expenses (and this is gen% erous allowance) at $15. When you are away on a vacation have as good time as you can, and if you thinA an automobile trip or special party will add to tho fun-go to 1t.
 There you have your budget:
 Vacation board ..............S50
 Railroad fare .............. 12
 Good time expenses ......... IS
 Miscellaneous .............. 3
 IOtdl .'.''..sss.. SoU
 As you had $9o to start with-and