Typical Budgets1

Average Income $650

Average Income $748

Average Income $846

Rent...........................................................

$154

$161

$168

Car fare......................................................

11

10

16

Fuel and light......

38

37

41

Furniture........

6

8

7

Insurance.....................................................

13

18

18

Food..........

279

314

341

Meals eaten away from home

11

22

17

Clothing........

83

99

114

Health.........

14

14

22

Taxes, dues and contributions........................

8

9

11

Recreation and amusement...........................

3

6

7

Education.......................................................

5

5

7

Miscellaneous................................................

25

32

41

Total........

$650

$735

$811

Exercises

1. What definite aims should the wise homemaker have in mind in dividing the income?

2. What ideals should affect the amount spent for food?

3. What should determine selection of the house whether owned or rented?

4. What is meant by the operating expenses of a house?

5. What ideals should determine the amount spent for clothing?

6. In what ways should the "higher life" of the family or individual be considered in the division of the income?

7. Plan to keep account of every penny of spending money for one year. Look over and criticize at the end of the year.

8. Plan a budget for a family of five in your community having $1000. Suppose they have $2000, how would you change your budget?

9. Work out with your parents a budget or schedule of probable household expenditures for your home for the next month; the next year.

1 From Chapin's "Standards of Living." By permission Russell Sage Foundation.