Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-27
Cost of Living for
A Family of Four

In an article in The Sunday Star
headed Budget Suggested for sl,o1o
Income" prepared by the local thrift
committee, Mrs. w E. Chamberlin.
chairman, the following statement vas
made:
Husband, wife and two children can
live decently on $50 month and nave
a little money TO spare for movies ana
other recreations-
Food, s4oO; shelter. s225: fuel and
light, Sos; ice. sl8. child allowance.
$40. barber. SIS: cartare, $50, insurance
as: new furniture and kitchen equip
mcnt. $40: postage, 81; stationery. $50.
shaving equipment. So; shoe polish, 81
clothes. $lo. savings. $50: gifts. $40.
advancement recreation, medical at
tention, periodicals. movies. base oa!l'
dentist, optician, radio and oooks)'
$!O2"
WIN the committee kindly tell me
where q house can be found to de
Gently" shelter family of four for
slS.7S a month? have travelled many
miles in this country. but nave never
seen one. The house must nave lWo
bedrooms. living room. kitchen ana
bath, Can such house be heated and
nchted on SOS a year? Three tons OF
coal costs s45, leaving $40 a year for
lighting. Perhaps the house might De
lighted for 81 sc % per month because
the family would be so cold IN WINTER
that they would have 10 go 10 pea IN
order To keep warm. Nothing Is IeI1
for gas or oil for cooking.
The allowance for food amounts 10
al 90 per day. The ages of the children
not being given, we may suppose a
number OF cases. Probably the cheapest
to feed would be nursing twins. II
nursed by the mother, she would re-
ouire at least 81 day spent on ner
food leaving 0 cents for the father. II
one was nursing baby and the other
two or three years older, the problem
would be still more complicated Inc
mother would still have 10 be well led.
costing about as much. and the father
and older child would have 3 cents left
Perhaps the infant stage is past and
the children can eat the same food as
their parents Milk, cream OF tomato
soup and beans are the most nutritious
foods for the money spent, / eelieve.
but added 20 these must be green vese-
tables and fresh fruits, Each child must
have quart OF milk daily, the Spe-
cialistS tell us THIS simple die; could
not possibly be furnished four persons
for 81 90 n day.
Barber" $S-~The father would
need haircut once MONTH"; times
IS cents is S4c0 The mother
could not be in style With bcbbed hair
and the parents would have 10 be the
BARRIERS for the children,
Insurance. SIS have seen many
insurance policies. but never one on
which the holder paid as little as SIS a
year, suppose the father alone Is 10
be insured or possibly the whole family.
paving % cents week
Postage Which BUYS each
members - stamps Or II the children
are infants. Il leaves IS cents for each Of
the parents. II they pay their bills by
check 1t would take mere than that
for the purpose of mailing. leaving none
for an emergency letter 10 relative |
or friend
Stationery $50" What could such
family do with $50 worth Of station |
ery3 They would have no stamps for |
letters Perhaps they might use the |
surplus Ia write articles for magazines |
ON How Family of -Four Cannot Live |
on 500 a Month"
Clothes. Si0n" or SsS for each menu
Der or the family, II the children are |
infant twins they probably have clothes !
enough, which were provided before |
they came, unless the parents expected |
only one. aS is usually the case, Hut /
II they are III their childhood shoes |
alone would cost S. pair, and con't |
believe any child can set by with less |
IMAM three pairs Year II he takes Sut. /
ncient exercise. Nine dollars tny shoes |
leaves SIG for coats, hats. dresses. stock !,
nisS ana underwear, The coats and |
mats could be made from the parents |
old ana faded ones Hat where are
the parents Ia get their necessary APP |
pafrlF From runmasc sales in The only |
solution that can see.
Advancement. $loa," OF $sa 80 each |
for recreation, medical attention peri
odlca's, movies. base hall dentist, op~
ueian. radio and hooks surely no
member ~ the family could have one
OF the fashionable surgical operations,
tens!lN IN appendix removed The
mother might have high elood pressure
necaaae that calls for u tl,rtainent III
eating, suppose they would have "a
choose hatween n doctor. dentist N OPP
tleian II anything Went wsang with
their bodies No member on So 80
eenld afford all of these IN any one
year Gould anything p,sssihly I've legt |
Tor periodicals, movies OF base hane |
ttsalhlS the neither might 50 tn base
ball on free Fridays for ladies
IT the family saved $50 n year WOULD
not II he crime against their ha,ileA
and souls, which have alreadv been 81
Would any one accept any
ptesenls from family Ut four existing
an 900 mantha
In my day / have menaged a family
az faut and nav | eanae into contact
! am vitality Interested IN having these
questions answered
gl.laAngrn HAWKS.