Checking the Orders. — All goods when they are
received should be carefully checked. Vouchers
or weight bills should accompany all orders sent
from the shops, and these should be used for check-
ing the various items, and then kept to compare
with the accounts when they are sent in. With
regard to milk and bread, which are usually taken
daily from a man at the door, it is a good plan to
keep a small book or slate at hand on which the
amount taken can be marked down. If anything
is wrong as to weight or kind it should be spoken
about at once, and not allowed to remain over until
it is no longer fresh in the memory of either trades-
people or housekeeper. It is the duty of every
mistress to see that the merchandise she receives
is good ; there is no virtue in allowing short weight
and inferior quality, nor in permitting oneself to
be imposed upon in any way. One only gets the
best attention by expecting and demanding it.
Payment of Provisions. — This book does not claim
to deal with the management of the income nor
to state how much money should be allotted to
household expenses, but a chapter on marketing
would scarcely be complete without saying a few
words on the payment of provisions. Although
there is much to be said in favour of paying cash
for everything, and many economists recommend
it strongly, the system has its drawbacks as well.
There is no doubt that the cash method is a trouble-
some one, it means more entering up each day and
there is more detail work, as a small note-book
would require to be kept and all payments entered
as they are made. Time, too, is often lost in waiting
for change or in hunting for the required amount
of money. For the woman who has little time to
spend on such items a system of weekly bills and
tradesmen’s books will prove a decided saving
both of time and trouble, and will keep the matter
in a more concise form. Of course the dangers of
the method are that one is more inclined to be
lavish with the ordering when there is a standing
account, and the bill is sometimes allowed to run
on, and these risks have to be guarded against.
For small households the system of weekly pay-
ments should, if possible, be adopted, and especially
so if the income is a limited one. Running up long
bills is not economical, and if one wishes to be well
served house books must be paid regularly. Of
course there are special circumstances where it is
not convenient to pay weekly, and where even the
tradespeople prefer a monthly payment, but the
books should in any case be made up and checked
weekly. If accounts are only rendered once a month
it is much more difficult to keep a check on the
items, and mistakes are apt to pass unnoticed.
WHAT TO BUY
In deciding this question there are several points
which must be considered, and among others the
following may be mentioned :
1. The Needs and Number of the Family. — This
will decide to a large extent the quantity required,
and especially so as regards the daily provisions such
as meat, fish, bread, milk, vegetables, &c., which are
needed fresh from day to day. The likes and dislikes
of thevarious members of thefamilymust be borne in
mind asfar as possible, and thiscanoftenbedone with-
out any extra trouble, by exercising a little thought.
Page 38
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Checking the Orders. — All goods when they are received should be carefully checked. Vouchers or weight bills should accompany all orders sent from the shops, and these should be used for checking the various items, and then kept to compare with the accounts when they are sent in. With regard to milk and bread, which are usually taken daily from a man at the door, it is a good plan to keep a small book or slate at hand on which the amount taken can be marked down. If anything is wrong as to weight or kind it should be spoken about at once, and not allowed to remain over until it is no longer fresh in the memory of either tradespeople or housekeeper. It is the duty of every mistress to see that the merchandise she receives is good ; there is no virtue in allowing short weight and inferior quality, nor in permitting oneself to be imposed upon in any way. One only gets the best attention by expecting and demanding it.
Payment of Provisions. — This book does not claim to deal with the management of the income nor to state how much money should be allotted to household expenses, but a chapter on marketing would scarcely be complete without saying a few words on the payment of provisions. Although there is much to be said in favour of paying cash for everything, and many economists recommend it strongly, the system has its drawbacks as well. There is no doubt that the cash method is a troublesome one, it means more entering up each day and there is more detail work, as a small note-book would require to be kept and all payments entered as they are made. Time, too, is often lost in waiting for change or in hunting for the required amount of money. For the woman who has little time to spend on such items a system of weekly bills and tradesmen’s books will prove a decided saving both of time and trouble, and will keep the matter in a more concise form. Of course the dangers of the method are that one is more inclined to be lavish with the ordering when there is a standing account, and the bill is sometimes allowed to run on, and these risks have to be guarded against. For small households the system of weekly payments should, if possible, be adopted, and especially so if the income is a limited one. Running up long bills is not economical, and if one wishes to be well served house books must be paid regularly. Of course there are special circumstances where it is not convenient to pay weekly, and where even the tradespeople prefer a monthly payment, but the books should in any case be made up and checked weekly. If accounts are only rendered once a month it is much more difficult to keep a check on the items, and mistakes are apt to pass unnoticed.
WHAT TO BUY
In deciding this question there are several points which must be considered, and among others the following may be mentioned :
1. The Needs and Number of the Family. — This will decide to a large extent the quantity required, and especially so as regards the daily provisions such as meat, fish, bread, milk, vegetables, &c., which are needed fresh from day to day. The likes and dislikes of thevarious members of thefamilymust be borne in mind asfar as possible, and thiscanoftenbedone without any extra trouble, by exercising a little thought.