The Business of the Household (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Business of the Household

The economic conditions confronting the American people today have made opportune a detailed study of the business of the household and of household finance, such as is presented in this book.

The "efficiency" idea has revolutionized many an industry and changed thousands of processes and methods in factories, offices and stores; but it remained for "the high cost of living" to introduce efficiency into the business of the home.

In searching for leakages in the family purse, two important facts recently have been recognized. First, it has been found that the work of the home is a most complex industry, involving factors dealt with, in the factory, the office and the store, and in nearly every branch of business. Second, it has been found that this intricate business, representing an annual expenditure of from six hundred to many thousands of dollars per family, has been conducted without thought of business principles or methods, and that "efficiency" is just as necessary in the home as it is in the commercial world. The idea that housework is degrading or menial has been abandoned, and we are now awake to the fact that the successful home-maker must make a business study of the principles and practices involved in housekeeping.

The necessity that confronts every family to-day, demands either an increased income, a greater purchasing power for that income, or a decreased expenditure. These facts bring us face to face with many fundamental principles that either have been unknown or ignored if known.

In colleges and other higher institutions where home economics is taught there is need of a comprehensive text dealing with the household budget and other financial and business matters, and this book it is hoped may serve that need.

The public schools have done much in enlightening our girls upon the mysteries of cooking, and an attempt has been made to introduce other household arts i…