Many wives leave all household purchases, and among
them all the marketing, to their husbands. It is because
we do not think this a wise arrangement that we would so
earnestly enjoin on all mothers to give their daughters a
perfect knowledge of the duties they must understand, if
they expect to become the true mistresses of their own
homes — the real helpmeets " for their husbands. There
are some articles, doubtless, that a man can buy for the
family with better judgment than his wife will exercise;
but this is seldom the case, and ought not to be.
As he is not expected to superintend the use of the
materials to be sent home, how is it possible that he can
judge as correctly as the mistress of his house as to what
and how much is needed, or what articles are best suited
for each meal.f* To be sure, his wife may prepare a list
of what she needs ; but is she safe in trusting to his taking
such a list for his guide in his purchases.^ Is there not
danger that some conversation with a friend, in going to
the market, may put these instructions entirely out of his
mind.? These are but a small part of the many reasons
why the housekeeper should, as far as possible, keep
all that belongs to her special department in her own
hands.
In the evening it is a good plan to take a few moments
MARKETING.
43
of quiet, before retiring, to arrange the work for the
coming day, and decide what must be done in the way of
marketing the next morning.
As far as practicable, buy all imperishable stores by the
wholesale. If tea, coffee, sugar, flour, spices and sea-
soning, salt beef, pork and hams, coal and wood, soap
and starch, are bought in wholesale quantities, and
paid for as soon as delivered, much money will be
saved in the course of a year. If nothing more, one
saves the retail commission by wholesale purchases,
beside many small items, which in the course of a
few months would amount to a larger sum than
one could know until she had tried the experiment.
The extra price charged, where small parcels are bought
at retail, for the wrapping paper used, small as it may
seem on first thought, will prove no trifling addition to
the sum total at the end of a year. There need be no
trouble in managing to buy by wholesale everything that
will keep well, if one is blessed with suitable storage
rooms ; or, if thus favored, in securing many kinds of
vegetables and fruit by this same practice. Of course, in
this advice, it must be understood that to be truly eco-
nomical everything must be paid for as soon as the articles
are delivered and carefully examined, to be certain that
the order has been correctly filled. This should never be
neglected, for any error can be more readily righted if
noticed at once, and before payment. By paying in this
way, one has the benefit of the lowest market, and many
other advantages which we have not space to enumerate.
All marketing, especially of vegetables and perishable
articles, should be done early in the morning, because the
earlier this work is done the surer are the prospects of
securing what is needed in the best and freshest condition.
We should not advise roaming from store to store, or
44
THE HOME COOK BOOE.
Page 18
Presented as published in 1896. 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
Many wives leave all household purchases, and among them all the marketing, to their husbands. It is because we do not think this a wise arrangement that we would so earnestly enjoin on all mothers to give their daughters a perfect knowledge of the duties they must understand, if they expect to become the true mistresses of their own homes — the real helpmeets " for their husbands. There are some articles, doubtless, that a man can buy for the family with better judgment than his wife will exercise; but this is seldom the case, and ought not to be. As he is not expected to superintend the use of the materials to be sent home, how is it possible that he can judge as correctly as the mistress of his house as to what and how much is needed, or what articles are best suited for each meal. To be sure, his wife may prepare a list of what she needs; but is she safe in trusting to his taking such a list for his guide in his purchases? Is there not danger that some conversation with a friend, in going to the market, may put these instructions entirely out of his mind.? These are but a small part of the many reasons why the housekeeper should, as far as possible, keep all that belongs to her special department in her own hands.
In the evening it is a good plan to take a few moments
MARKETING.
of quiet, before retiring, to arrange the work for the coming day, and decide what must be done in the way of marketing the next morning.
As far as practicable, buy all imperishable stores by the wholesale. If tea, coffee, sugar, flour, spices and seasoning, salt beef, pork and hams, coal and wood, soap and starch, are bought in wholesale quantities, and paid for as soon as delivered, much money will be saved in the course of a year. If nothing more, one saves the retail commission by wholesale purchases, beside many small items, which in the course of a few months would amount to a larger sum than one could know until she had tried the experiment. The extra price charged, where small parcels are bought at retail, for the wrapping paper used, small as it may seem on first thought, will prove no trifling addition to the sum total at the end of a year. There need be no trouble in managing to buy by wholesale everything that will keep well, if one is blessed with suitable storage rooms ; or, if thus favored, in securing many kinds of vegetables and fruit by this same practice. Of course, in this advice, it must be understood that to be truly economical everything must be paid for as soon as the articles are delivered and carefully examined, to be certain that the order has been correctly filled. This should never be neglected, for any error can be more readily righted if noticed at once, and before payment. By paying in this way, one has the benefit of the lowest market, and many other advantages which we have not space to enumerate.
All marketing, especially of vegetables and perishable articles, should be done early in the morning, because the earlier this work is done the surer are the prospects of securing what is needed in the best and freshest condition.
We should not advise roaming from store to store, or