In many newspapers over the years, ideas of how to live well without spending too much money were published, one such column was The American Frugal Housewife by Mrs. Lydia Child, Harper & Row Publishers, NY, 1972. Mrs. Child wrote in the 1830 to 1850’s and was a very popular column. The definition of frugal is not cheap, it means not to waste. Frugal means reusing fabrics for other things needed in the household and knowing which chemicals around the house can be used for more than one thing. This aspect of frugal means you need to understand which cleaning materials can do more than one job. If you think about your cleaning products in your home – can one solution do most of the work or do you have many? one for each specific use? i.e. a solution for windows, a solution for floors, a solution for bathroom? do you have any idea what the main component is except for the lemon or orange freshener like me? One of many ideas about furnishing a house is do not spend all your money at once. Nothing is cheap that we do not want. Buy merely enough to get along at first. It is only by experience that you can tell what will be the wants of your family. If you spend all your money at first, you will find you have purchased many things you do not want, and have no means left to get many things you do want. As riches increase, it is easy and pleasant to increase in hospitality and splendor; but it is always painful and inconvenient to decrease.

True economy is a careful treasurer in the service of benevolence; and where they are united respectability, prosperity and peace will follow.

In the 1800’s most people lived outside the big cities and grew vegetables, thus many of the pages deal with household chores, cooking and canning for the winter.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, it is easier to buy into a company making profits than may make a profit. For one those making a profit will tend to have higher multiples for the price of stock and if they are profitable they can pay a dividend to the shareholders. The lesson to learn from the Frugal Housewife is take your time, buy what you can afford without using margin, and add to your holdings in the future. Prices of stocks will move up and down or fluctuate, which ones go up and down we do not know until they already have moved. We do know profitable companies will tend to go up in the long run and with a dividend payment, when the shares go down, you are still receiving a return on your investments.

There are more questions than answers, till next time – to raising questions.