<Emph Rend= Bold >COUNTING the COST.</Emph>

<emph rend="bold">COUNTING THE COST.</emph>

The expense of the menus given will vary somewhat with the locality and the existing market prices. The following analysis of several similar bills of fare used in widely different localities will serve to show something of the average cost. The first of these were taken at random from the daily menus, during the month of January, of a Michigan family of seventeen persons, grown persons and hearty, growing children, none younger than six years. In the estimates made of the cost of material, wherever fractions occurred, the next higher whole number was taken. No butter was used, a small pitcher of cream for each individual supplying its place. The milk used for cooking was not counted, since in this case most of the cream had been removed, and its cost reckoned at the entire cost of the milk itself, or twenty cents a quart, allowing four quarts of milk at five cents a quart for one quart of cream.

BILLS OF FARE.

BREAKFAST

Fresh Apples

Toasted Whole-Wheat Wafers

Rolled Wheat with Cream

Grape Toast

Whole-Wheat Puffs

Toasted Wafers

Baked Sweet Apples

Stewed Prunes

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> Apples (fresh and baked), one half peck, 10c.; one lb. rolled wheat, 5c.; one and a half lbs. zwieback for toast, 15c.; one pint of canned grape pulp for toast, 12c.; puffs (for which besides milk, three eggs at 25c. per doz., and one and one half lbs. whole-wheat flour at 5c. per lb. were used), 14c.; two and one half lbs. of California prunes, 37c.; two qts. cream, an amount quite sufficient for moistening the toast and supplying a small cream cup for each individual, 40c.; two lbs. of toasted whole-wheat wafers, 20c.--making the entire cost of breakfast $1.53, or exactly nine cents for each person.

DINNER

Lima Bean Soup

Baked Potato with Cream Sauce

Scalloped Vegetable Oysters

Graham Grits

Whole-Wheat Bread

Whole-Wheat Wafers, Toasted

Canned Cherries

Citron Apples with Whipped Cream

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> One and one fourth lbs. Lima beans, 9c.; one half peck of potatoes, 12c.; one lb. Graham grits, 5c.; 1 loaf whole-wheat bread, 10c.; 2 1/4 lbs. whole-wheat wafers, 23c.; canned cherries, 25c.; apples and citron, 10c.; 3 bunches vegetable oysters, 15c.; cream (1 cup for the soup, one for the cream sauce, and one for whipped cream, besides three and one fourth pints for individual use), 50c.; flour and sugar for cooking, 10c. Total, $1.69--a little less than ten cents each.

BREAKFAST NO. 2

Bananas

Oatmeal

Gravy Toast

Graham Gems

Toasted Wafers

Apple Sauce

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> 1 1/2 doz., bananas, 45c.; 1 1/2 lbs. oatmeal, 8c.; zwieback for toast, 15c.; cream for gravy, 5c.; material for gems (Graham flour, milk, and a small portion of cream), 8c.; apple sauce, 10c.; wafers, 20c.; cream for individual use, 30c.; sugar, 5c. Total, $1.46, or a trifle more than 8 cents apiece.

DINNER NO. 2

Tomato and Macaroni Soup

Boiled Potato with Gravy

Mashed Peas

Pearl Barley with Raisins

Whole-Wheat Bread

Toasted Wafers

Canned Berries

Apple Tapioca with Cream

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> For the soup was required two cans of tomatoes at 10c. each, 2 oz. macaroni at 15c. per lb., and one cup of cream,--27c.; 1/2 peck of potatoes, 12c.; 1 1/2 lbs. peas, 6c.; 1 lb. pearl barley, 5c.; 1/3 lb. raisins, 5c.; 1/2 lb. tapioca, 3c.; apples, 3c.; whole-wheat bread, 10c.; wafers, 20c.; cream, 50c.; canned fruit, 25c.; flour and sugar, 4c. Total $1.70--ten cents apiece for each member of the household.

The following bills of fare were used by an Iowa family of six persons. The prices given were those current in that locality in the month of March.

BREAKFAST

Apples

Rolled Oats

Tomato Toast

Toasted Wafers

Graham Gems

Patent Flour Bread

Dried Apple Sauce

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> One sixth peck of apples, 3 1/3c.; one third lb. rolled oats, 1 2/3c.; three fourths lb. whole-wheat wafers, 7 1/2c.; one half can tomatoes, 5c.; bread for table and for toast, 10c.; material for gems, 3 1/2c.; dried apples, 6c.; sugar, 2c.; cream and milk, 15c. Average cost for each person, 9 1/2 cents.

DINNER

Canned Corn Soup with Croutons

Scalloped Tomato

Parsnip with Egg Sauce

Graham Mush

Buns

Whole-Wheat Bread

Cup Custard

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> One can of corn, 10c.; tomatoes (using the half can left over from breakfast), 5c.; bread for the table, for the scalloped tomatoes, and for croutons for the soup, 10c.; parsnips, 5c.; buns, 5c.; four eggs, 6 1/2c.; milk and cream, 15c.; sugar, 2c.; Graham flour, 1c. Average cost, 10 cents apiece.

The material for the bills of fare given on the next page was reckoned at prices current in a city in northern West Virginia, in the autumn, and was for a family of six persons.

BREAKFAST

Bananas

Browned Rice

Graham Crisps

Whole-Wheat Puffs

Dried Peach Sauce

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> One half doz. bananas, 10c.; one half lb. rice, 5c.; puffs, 5c.; crisps, 2 1/2c.; one lb, dried peaches, 8c.; 2qts. milk, 10c.; sugar 1 1/2c. Total, 42 cents, or 7 cents for each individual.

DINNER

Tomato Soup with Croutons

Baked Potatoes

Mashed Peas

Rolled Wheat

Whole-Wheat Bread

Orange Rice

Cream

Hot Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> One half peck tomatoes, 7 1/2c.; one fourth peck potatoes, 5c.; one half lb. rolled wheat, 2 1/2c.; one fourth loaf of bread to make croutons, 2 1/2c.; whole-wheat bread, 5c.; one half doz. oranges, 12 1/2c.; one half lb. rice, 5c.; two qts. milk, 10c. Total, 60 cents, or exactly 10 cents apiece.

The following four days' bills of fare,--the first two served by a Michigan lady to her family of four persons, the second used by an Illinois family of eight,--although made up of much less variety, serve to show how one may live substantially even at a very small cost.

BREAKFAST NO.1

Apples

Graham Mush with Dates

Toasted Wafers

Bread

Dried Apples Stewed with Cherries

Milk

Cream

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> Apples, 4c.; Graham mush and dates, 3c.; toasted wafers, 3c.; bread, 2 c.; sauce, 3c.; milk and cream, 5c. Total, 20 cents, or 5 cents apiece.

DINNER NO. 1

Baked Potatoes with Gravy

Mashed Peas

Oatmeal Blancmange

Whole-Wheat Bread

Stewed Fruit

Milk

Cream

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> Mashed peas, 3c.; baked potato and gravy, 3c.; whole-wheat bread, 2c.; milk and cream, 5c.; oatmeal blancmange, 2c.; sauce, 5c. Total, 20 cents, or 5 cents apiece.

BREAKFAST NO. 2

Apples

Graham Grits

Graham Gems

Zwieback

Dried Sweet Apple Sauce

Cream

Milk

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> Apples, 4c.; Graham grits, 2c.; Graham gems, 5c.; zwieback, 2c.; cream and milk, 5c.; sauce, 2c. Total, 20 cents, or 5 cents per person.

DINNER NO. 2

Pea and Tomato Soup

Scalloped Potatoes

Graham Rolls

Rice Custard

Milk

Cream

<p<emph rend="italic">Cost:</emph> Soup, 4c.; potatoes, 1c.; rolls, 4c.; milk and cream, 5c.; rice custard, 6c. Total, 20 cents, or 5 cents each.

&lt;Emph Rend= Bold &gt;COUNTING the COST.&lt;/Emph&gt;

<Emph Rend= Bold >COUNTING the COST.</Emph>