HINTS FOR ECONOMY IN THE HOUSE.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1924, Page 2

HINTS FOR ECONOMY IN THE HOUSE.

FOREWORD. It is unnecessary at this time to labour the point that economy should he practised in the home, foi one can scarcely open a newspaper without seeing the subject enlarged upon.

He that as it may. the fact is that the true road to economy lies in deciding the direction in which waste most easily takes place. In the average bouse it lias been proved that the most effective wav of practising economy is to make changes for the better in the matters of cook-

ing and beating. , In other words, the way to economy is in the use of gas in conjunction with cookers, water healers and fires.

Cooking and heating are part and parcel of a household; -they are the essential—as opposed to the luxuries or semi-luxuries of housekeeping. Look at it ill this way. In practically every home throughout the land the housewife is tackling the rise in prices by reducing the quantity here and substituting there. She goes to shop outside her district for certain tilings to save money. Btic

stops buying many tilings. And so, bv dint of much worry and scheming, a reduction is made in the actual household bills. And it looks a lot—especially when it has been accomplished at such expenditure ol thought and time. But what about the expenses which are not so plain to see—the cost of heating rooms, of heating water, of cooking? That’s the point. The cost of coal docs not stand out. so prominently to the housewife, because coal does not go down on the weekly list with the sugar and the tea. The coal bill ocmes in at irregular intervals and is paid with a feeling of resignation, but with no investigation into the actual cost of heating and cooking per head per week.

And so in many cases much attention is given, all unwittingly, ro economising on food whilst the coal bill goes on increasing. Total Economy is the real economy, and it can only be practised by looking to the cooking and heating arrangements and finding a way to accomplish the desired object. iTo be continued).