The constant exercise of thought and much judicious
planning is required in order to keep in mind and
wisely carry out all the necessary details of an occu-
pation so broad in its scope and so varied in its require-
ments as housekeeping. This comprises the very best
care of the house and its furnishings, the purchase and
preparation of the food, and the carrying out of such
hygienic and sanitary measures as shall best preserve
the health of the household. All lines of scientific
education are helpful in conducting this vocation upon
which so much of health, comfort, and happiness de-
pends, but some knowledge of chemistry, physiology,
and hygiene is particularly essential.
Economy is one of the cardinal principles of success
in good housekeeping, and consists in making advan-
tageous use of time, strength, money, and material ; it
pertains to the littles, — the minutes, the pennies, the
scraps, — even more than to the large amounts. We
are apt to recognize the importance of careful consid-
eration in regard to large outlays, but we let the frag-
ments of time, money, and material slip through our
fingers without thought of their value. And this is a
matter of such common occurrence, and one which it
requires such every-day vigilance to prevent, that it is
[153]
154 EVEBY-DAT WORK.
well worth our while to study some of the ways in
which we may avoid waste in housekeeping.
Economy is largely a relative term ; it is a matter
which must correspond with surrounding circumstances
and conditions. Sometimes money or material is really
of less value than time or health ; and what might in
one case show the best and most prudent management,
would in another instance be the poorest kind of
economy. ' ' Real waste of anything is loss without
any equivalent gain.-'
Economizing Time.— All possess an equal
amount of capital as regards time. There are only
twenty-four hours of sixty minutes each in any one's
day ; yet there are those who accomplish far more
than others in a day, because they squander less time,
or make more advantageous use of it.
In order to learn how to economize one's time, it is
necessary first to take an inventory of the use usually
made of it. Keeping as careful an account of the ex-
penditure of time as one does of money will readily serve
to show the points at which retrenchmenl. may be made.
"Sorting over " the work to be done and planning
ahead for its achievement is a great help toward econ-
omy of time. To take a few minutes the evening pre-
vious or early in the morning to think over the day's
work, and formulate some practical plan for its accom-
plishment, will prevent much of the careless loitering
on the one hand, and the aimless bustle and flurry on
the other, by which time is so often wasted.
In some households time is wasted in superfluous
work ; in others, it is worse than thrown away in idle
gossip ; and sometimes an entire day is devoted to little.
ECONOMIZING TIME. 155
unimportant things which ought to have been sand-
wiched in between the larger duties of life. Both time
and strength are dissipated through want of method.
Twice the amount of energy is expended by the
unsystematic worker than would be needed for the
same work by one who has mastered the art of so
managing that the different duties of the day overlap
and fit into each other.
Page 97
Presented as published in 1897. 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
The constant exercise of thought and much judicious planning is required in order to keep in mind and wisely carry out all the necessary details of an occupation so broad in its scope and so varied in its requirements as housekeeping. This comprises the very best care of the house and its furnishings, the purchase and preparation of the food, and the carrying out of such hygienic and sanitary measures as shall best preserve the health of the household. All lines of scientific education are helpful in conducting this vocation upon which so much of health, comfort, and happiness depends, but some knowledge of chemistry, physiology, and hygiene is particularly essential.
Economy is one of the cardinal principles of success in good housekeeping, and consists in making advantageous use of time, strength, money, and material ; it pertains to the littles, — the minutes, the pennies, the scraps, — even more than to the large amounts. We are apt to recognize the importance of careful consideration in regard to large outlays, but we let the fragments of time, money, and material slip through our fingers without thought of their value. And this is a matter of such common occurrence, and one which it requires such every-day vigilance to prevent, that it is
[153]
well worth our while to study some of the ways in which we may avoid waste in housekeeping.
Economy is largely a relative term ; it is a matter which must correspond with surrounding circumstances and conditions. Sometimes money or material is really of less value than time or health ; and what might in one case show the best and most prudent management, would in another instance be the poorest kind of economy. ' ' Real waste of anything is loss without any equivalent gain.-'
Economizing Time.— All possess an equal amount of capital as regards time. There are only twenty-four hours of sixty minutes each in any one's day ; yet there are those who accomplish far more than others in a day, because they squander less time, or make more advantageous use of it.
In order to learn how to economize one's time, it is necessary first to take an inventory of the use usually made of it. Keeping as careful an account of the expenditure of time as one does of money will readily serve to show the points at which retrenchment. may be made.
"Sorting over " the work to be done and planning ahead for its achievement is a great help toward economy of time. To take a few minutes the evening previous or early in the morning to think over the day's work, and formulate some practical plan for its accomplishment, will prevent much of the careless loitering on the one hand, and the aimless bustle and flurry on the other, by which time is so often wasted.
In some households time is wasted in superfluous work ; in others, it is worse than thrown away in idle gossip ; and sometimes an entire day is devoted to little.
ECONOMIZING TIME. 155
unimportant things which ought to have been sandwiched in between the larger duties of life. Both time and strength are dissipated through want of method. Twice the amount of energy is expended by the unsystematic worker than would be needed for the same work by one who has mastered the art of so managing that the different duties of the day overlap and fit into each other.