The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-15
Thrift Habit
1Helbs EUe1y
Young Pair
BY MARTHE LEE

I1ere are lew ruleS WHICH every
young couple, just starting out in
married life, might do well to fol-
low. They do not lead necessarily
straight to happiness, because
happiness depends upon many
things, but they do make the path
a little easier and surer.
One of these is thrift. That
means living within their means.
There is nothing more despicable
than miser, and nothing quite as
foolish as a spendthrift.
A young couple needs to exercise
caution In the spending Of money
for many reasons. In the first
place, thrift Is habit acquired by
practice, and an excellent habit to
have. 1t is not, by any means a
contagious disease.
Since it is a habit, 1t must be
cultivated, and the earlier the bet
ter. 1t is much more easy and
pleasant to acquire the habit OF
spending money than it is to &C
quire the habit of saving it.
Had Credit drawback
Living has become so complicated,
and so expensive, on the accepted
scale, that 1t is very hard to re-
strain the desire to get rid Of 1t
almost before it has been earned.
But there is nothing that can
disrupt the happiness Of a home
quicker than worry over bills. Bad
credit is much worse than no
credit at oil. The bill collectors
have a beastly habit of coming to
the door at the most embarrassing
moments. There is nothing more
wearing to the nerves and good
disposition than to have to be pla-
eating them constantly.
A man who runs himself into
debt unoonsciously puts himself in
the position where his wife is bound
to loose some Of her regard for him.
A woman can forgive man for
almost anything, but when he places
her in a position where she must
be embarrassed, he is treading on
very thin ice.
A wife who runs her husband
into debt unnecessarily is second
only to a faithlesS wife. A husband,
who is pulling himself from under
an avalanche of bills, profltably
might be listened to by other young
husbands.
Dear Miss Lee-I married the dearest
girl on earth several years ago. She was
used to quite a bit more than I. and
naturally I wanted to make her as happy
and contented as I could.
She was very extravagant. and al
though 1 did not approve OF it, I can
not say that I exactly held her in tow.
You see. had the idea she would lose
some Of her admiration for me If 1 were
unable to give her the things her own
parents could.
Well It worked out the wrong way. I
kept becoming more and more involved
financially. until I was so worried 1 al
most was crazy. tried to explain to
her that things were different now, that
I did not have the money to provide for
her as her father could, who had been
in the business world for eighteen or
twenty years before my time. But 1t was
no use.
Showdown Proved Best
Naturally. the collectors hung on the
door step most of the time. I lost what
ever credit rating I had. and things
looked awfully dark. So one night I just
laid the cards on the table, for her to
take or leave.
If she stayed It meant practicing the
strictest and most frugal economy. II
she could not do this. 1t meant she must
go. She stayed. We had 8 pretty hard
time Of It for a long time. and now are
beginning to see our way out. but it has
been a marvellous lesson to us both.
She has become more interested in
saving than in spending for the first
time in her life. and I suddenly have
come TO the realization that no matter
what the knock may be at first. the