gineer and
janitor relieve the man of the house of care, so that it may not be so
extravagant as it sounds to give one third the $3000 income for rent,
since it stops that leaky sieve, that bottomless bag of "operating
expenses." The income may be pretty definitely estimated in this case,
especially if meals are taken in the cafe. If the family dine as it
happens, the cost mounts up. Here are a few estimates for verification and
criticism:

Rent of an apartment............$ 600.00 to $ 700.00
Meals........................... 1200.00 " 1000.00
Clothing........................ 400.00 " 600.00
Incidentals, amusements, etc.... 200.00 " 300.00
Savings, _nil_.
--------- --------
Total income................... $2400.00 to $2600.00

If the wife can manage the "kitchenette" and part of the clothing, about
$600 may be saved, but in that case it represents her earnings, and should
be at her disposal. If it should be possible for safe shelter to be had
for $400, then with the wife's help $700 should be the sum in the "region
of choice." I hold that, unless the income can be managed so as to secure
_choice_, all the daily toil is embittered. Even if some is spent
foolishly, it is safer than the burden "just not enough."

The more common cost of decent living in our Eastern cities is:

Rent...............................$1000 to $1500
Meals.............................. 1200 " 1400
Clothing........................... 500 " 700
Incidentals........................ 300 " 600
Savings, _nil_.
----- -----
Total..............................$3000 to $4000

This goes far toward justifying the saying that a young man cannot afford
to marry on less than $3000 a year.

With these figures in mind, what can our $2000 family with two children
do? The rent that they can pay will not cover service or heat. There must
be a maid to fill the lamps, see to the furnace, help with the cooking,
and the wife must stay by the house pretty closely and probably decline
most invitations. For the five persons, ten dollars a week for raw-food
materials and five for its preparation is the lowest limit likely to be
cheerfully submitted to.

Rent, heat, light, etc..................... $400
Food....................................... 800
Clothing hardly less than.................. 400
Children's education, even with free
schools, and their illnesses will use