Typical Budgets[24]
| Percentage for | |||||
| Family Income | Food | Rent and Car Fares to and from Work | Operating Expenses; Fuel, Wages, etc. | Clothes | Higher Life, Savings, Charity, etc. |
| $3098, three adults, two children | 27.5 | 21.1 | 16.8 | 10 | 24.6 |
| $2500 (Mass.), three adults, no children | 25 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| $2500 (Mass.), two adults, one child, much company | 32 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 22 |
| $1980 (St. Louis), four adults, two children | 36.3 | 24.2 | 20.9 | 18.60 | |
| $950 (Mass.), two adults, three children | 20 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 30 |
| $600 (Boston), two adults, two children | 23 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 26.1 Travel, sickness, and sundries: 15.9 |
| $535 (N.Y.), two adults, three children | 55.2 | 22.4 | 5.3 | 9.4 | 7.7 |
| $312 (“mean” Englishman) two adults, three children | 55.2 | 15.5 | 8.9 | 13.1 | 7.3 |
| $300, Dr. Engel’s estimates | 62 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 5.0 |
Typical Budgets[25]
| Average Income $650 | Average Income $748 | Average Income $846 | |
| Rent | $154 | $161 | $168 |
| Carfare | 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?