POST-BELLUM FAMILY BUDGETS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—" North Countryman's" letter has set me making a com- parison of my own carefully watched expenditure. We reduced our domestic helpers during the war from three to one; also we had on an average three fewer members of the family at home. Thus there have been during the second period of com- parison not so many people by five to provide for. As I changed my house during the war, comparisons in rent, rates and taxes are not of any use. Further, the outlay for doctor and dentist in the pre-war period included an operation, bringing that two years' total up to £197, against £51 only for 1919-1920, so I omit such items also. Allowing for the consequent adjustments, my totals are as follows:— Two years Two years
1913-1914. 1919-1920.
Food and household sundries ... 458 -. 792
50 -. 67 Fuel 40 -. 89 Travelling expenses and motor hire ... 129 -. 293 Amusements, books, presents, petties 136 -. 127 Dress (the two of us) ... 162 -. 174 Correspondence, telephone ... 50 .- 78
1,025 -. 1,570 The increase is just oven 50 per cent. We dress reasonably. We do not stint ourselves for food, though we eat porridge mainly for breakfast, and have a two-course dinner—our table is less loaded, and our health better : there is doubtless a con- nexion between the one and the other. Our " Charity list " since the war has not risen nobly like " North Countryman's "; it has, in fact, dropped from £928, the total of the two pre-war years, to £788; but, then, our income is not more than half
what it used to be.—I am, Sir, &c., SOUTH COUNTRYMAN.
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