Evening star., 1937-04-29

- Nl4Oo D1A-1 am Il
travelling man with a wife
and two children My salary
- is $4,000 year with an ex-
pense allowance, which brings our
income above $4,000, which seems to
be ample for a small family to live
on and save something, especially as
I am seldom at home Nevertheless,
last year our expenses ran $3.50 more
than our income. My pay check goes
direct to my wife and she has the
handling of all the money. Three or
four times each year I have tried to
get her to adopt budget and stick
to it, but her response is always the
same-a rebellious cry that we cam
not possibly live on any less than We
living spells nothing but ruin, and so
am thinking of giving her an
allowance of 5000 a month to run
the house on, keeping $50 each
month for myself to pay OF our
decisive owe about s600-and to
buy my own clothes. Is my sugges-
ton unreasonable?
A HARASSED HUSBAND.
Answer: Perfectly reasonable and
it will get you out Of the red, domes-
tically, as we'll as financially, If you
have the courage to stick to 1t. A
family Of four can live in comfort
and even luxury on 5000 month.
To spend more than you make, to
live beyond your means and go in
debt for things that you cannot af-
ford is bound to end in misery for
all concerned. You are only being
kind to your wife when you curb her
extravaganza. For there is bound to
be a pay day, and when she finds
herself engulfed In utter ruin she will
wonder why you did not have sense
enough and firmness enough of char
acter to save her from her folly.
THERE are lot Of women, like
your wife, who have no sense
about handling money. When they
say they've got to have new dress
or they've got to give a party or the
children have got to go to dancing
school, they seem to think that settles
the matter and they go on and do 1t
regardless of whether or not they can
afford it.
They run up bills that they know
they have no way of paying and do
not apparently appreciate that that
is as much stealing from the mer-
chant as If they had purloined the
goods from the counter. What they
want they must have. no matter If 1t
works their husbands to death to try
to get it for them, no matter how
much it jeopardizes their future and
their children's.
No problem that man can face
is more difficult to solve than that Of
dealing with spendthrift wife, be-
cause she always makes his life
hell on earth with her tears and re-
proaches and tantrums, but a worse
hell awaits him If he does not stop
her extravaganza and let's her bank
rupt him.
I think a man Is foolish and weak
If he lets his wife spend all that he
makes and who, after earning good
salary for years, has nothing to show
for it but piles of bills and who has
nothing to look forward to in old age
but the poor house or dependence on
his children.
Don't be one of these unfortunates
Your wife has shown that she does
not know how to handle money. Col
lect your salary yourself. Stop her
charge accounts everywhere and force
her to live on the allowance that you
are able to give her. She will thank
you for 1t later on and 30 will your
children. You are doing your family
no kindness by helping them along
the road to ruin.
X n X
nEAR MISS DIX-What questions
should be settled between an en-
gagged couple before they get married?
x. z. z.