THE WELL-ORDERED HOUSEHOLD 



21 



them which they shall do without pay. 



The habit of earning is a good one to 

 instill within children whether they be of 

 rich or poor parents. It teaches them in- 

 dependence and self-reliance. A danger 

 to be avoided is the habit of giving to 

 children money whenever they desire it, 

 without their knowing its value. They 

 must learn some hard lessons when they 

 are obliged to depend upon themselves, 

 and those lessons might better be taught 

 earlier in life. The plan which some have 

 might be considered a good one of allow- 

 ing a child a certain amount which he 

 may spend as he thinks best, but for which 

 he shall account to his jjarents, when he 

 may be instructed as to his mistakes and 

 taught wisdom for the future. Those 

 children who have had some money to 

 spend, under proper guidance, have seemed 

 oftenest. to show the most wisdom as they 

 grew older and had the full control of 

 money. 



It seems a most desirable thing for a 

 woman to have an allowance for house- 

 hold expenses. In many instances she 

 plans to the great advantage of the one 

 who furnishes the money, and she learns 

 to be careful in order to make the allow- 

 ance last through the month. If she has 

 no idea of the amount of money from 

 which she draws and it is forthcoming 

 upon her request, she is liable to embarrass 

 the one who carries the purse, when if she 

 knew the exact financial condition she 

 would be more careful and perhaps a 

 great help in the financial affairs of the 

 family. As a rule the woman of the 

 house has a more direct and fixed plan 

 than has the man, who perhaps plans less 

 and spends as long as he has money in 

 his pocket. 



The household living expenses may be 

 by monthly bills or by cash. To allow 

 these bills to run longer than one month 

 is, as a rule, an unwise thing. It, of 

 course, embarrasses the one who has sold 

 the goods, and leaves the purchaser in 

 doubt as to his real financial condition. 

 A monthly bill has the advantage of a 



statement, showing Just what has been 

 spent for household expenses, while pur- 

 chasing by cash may have the advantage 

 in securing better service and better prices 

 from the storekeeper, and possibly in 

 diminishing the number of expenditures 

 which may be made in a family. It seems 

 easier to get articles charged, believing in 

 ability to pay in the future, than to pay 

 cash at the time they are purchased, but 

 the bills are inevitable and sometimes 

 hard to care for when they come. Careful 

 planning in regard to household expenses 

 is extremely desirable. 



Provision must always be made for cer- 

 tain fixed expenses — as taxes, water, gas 

 and insurance. One, however, may form 

 an idea of the time for paying these items 

 and make due provision for them before 

 determining how much there is to live 

 upon besides. 



Provision is also necessary for extraor- 

 dinary expenses — such as traveling, sick- 

 ness, accidents, plumbing and repairs. It 

 is a great mistake to plan one's expen- 

 ditures, believing that a year will see none 

 of these unusual expenses, and a fund laid 

 aside for the accidental oftentimes proves 

 a real blessing. Sickness is apt to find 

 one who has not large means totally un- 

 prepared, and yet if the family is of any 

 size every 3^ear is pretty sure to find 

 trouble of this kind. 



If one maintains a home there goes with 

 it a desire to constantly improve it. Xew 

 furniture, articles of bric-a-brac, painting 

 and decorating are desired, and the more 

 one does, the more opportunity there seems 

 to be to spend money in this way. If one 

 uses good taste in these lines it all adds 

 much to the comfort and beauty of the 

 home, but many are forming the habit of 

 buying fewer articles of furniture and 

 bric-a-brac and spending the money to be 

 spared for this purpose in an occasional 

 addition to home decoration which may 

 be truly artistic and inspirational. It 

 were better to buy one good picture every 

 year which will have a salutary influence 

 upon the members of the household than 



