5. It is only with proper preparation that the housewife may expect her marketing trips to be successful. If she starts to market with merely two or three items in mind and then tries to think of what she needs as she orders, not only does she waste the grocer's time, but her marketing trip will be a failure. After she arrives home, she will find that there are other things she should have purchased, and the grocer will be forced to make an extra delivery to bring them to her. This is more than she has a right to expect, for the grocer should not be obliged to pay for her lack of planning.
6. To purchase economically, it is advisable, when possible, to buy at a cash grocery and to pay cash for what is bought. When this is done, one is not helping to pay the grocer for accounts he is unable to collect. It is a fortunate grocer who is able to collect 80 per cent. of his bills from his patrons when he conducts his business on the credit plan. However, if it is desired to deal with a credit grocer, all bills should be paid at least once a month. No customer has a right to expect the grocer to wait longer than 30 days for his money.
In many of the cities and large towns, some credit grocers have adopted what is called the "cash-and-carry plan." All customers, whether they buy for cash or on credit, must pay the same price for groceries, but those who wish their goods delivered must pay additional for delivery and those who buy on credit must pay a certain percentage additional on each purchase for bookkeeping. It will readily be seen that such a plan gives the cash customers, especially if they carry their purchases, a decided advantage over credit customers. Also, the grocer is better able to sell his wares at a lower price than the credit grocer who makes free deliveries and no charge for bookkeeping.
KEEPING HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNTS
7. NECESSITY FOR KEEPING ACCOUNTS.--Practically every family is limited to a definite sum of money that may be spent for food. The first consideration, then, while it may not be the most important one, is that of making each dollar buy all that it possibly can in order that the income may meet all the demands upon it. Various conditions arise that affect the proportion of the income to be used for this purpose. For instance, two women whose husbands have equal incomes would, under the same conditions, have an equal amount of money to spend for food, but as a rule there is something to cause this amount to become unequal. One woman may have two children in her family while the other has none, a condition that means, of course, that the woman with the children will have less money to spend for food and with that money she must feed more persons. Her family must be, if possible, as well nourished as the other one. In order to accomplish this task, it will be necessary to supply all the required food material in a form that will cost less than the food purchased by the woman who has a smaller family to feed and clothe.
An excellent way in which to keep expenses down and consequently to live within one's income is to keep a simple record of household expenses. Such a record will enable every housewife to determine just what each item of household necessities costs and whether or not the proportion of cost to income is correct. To keep a record of expenditures will not prove much of a task if it is done systematically, for a few minutes a day will be sufficient time in which to keep accounts up to date. However, if account keeping is attempted, it should not be neglected even for a day, for it will soon assume the proportions of a large task and will have a tendency to discourage the housewife with this part of her work.
8. EQUIPMENT FOR HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT KEEPING.--For convenience in keeping household accounts, a small desk like the one shown in Fig. 1 should, if possible, be secured and placed in an unoccupied or convenient corner of the kitchen. Here can be kept cook books, recipes, suitable books or cards for account keeping, the marketing pad, a file for bills from the grocer and the butcher, labels for cans and jars, etc. Here may also be placed an extension telephone, which, by being so convenient, will save the housewife many steps. A white desk with a chair to match is the most attractive kind to select for kitchen use, but a dark one may be used if preferred. The desk illustrated was a simple wooden one that was enameled white after it was bought, but it is possible to buy white desks for this purpose. A small, plain table will, of course, answer very well if no desk is available and it is desired not to buy one.
9. METHODS OF HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT KEEPING.--If the housewife runs a credit account with the grocer, she will learn that different grocers have different ways of recording her purchases.