“Unfortunately I had Rachel at home on the Friday as Mother went away on the Thursday. I could not do on the money; I had as you will see to borrow 5s. as well as putting the whole of my money in the house. The last week I managed better, but had to miss my club. I should have sent the list down to you each week but Mother forgot to ask me to do so.”
The reference to Rachel is that she lost her situation just as his wife left home. He had her food to get as well as the other children’s during his fortnight. She is an excellent worker, and got another place as soon as her mother came back.
Mr. H. 21 0 Rachel 4 0 Bread sold 0 9 ------ 25 9
Rent 6 6 Gas 2 0 Coal 0 8½ Soap, soda, etc. 0 7¼ Blacklead, hearthstone 0 1½ Matches 0 1½ Stockings 0 4¾ Cottons 0 3 Knickers (two boys) 1 4 Flour and yeast 5 5 Meat 2 6 Margarine 1 6 Sugar 0 7 Tea 0 6 Cocoa, coffee 0 6 Potatoes 1 0 Vegetables 0 7 Cow’s milk 0 7 Oatmeal 0 5 Salt 0 1½ ------ 25 9
Mr. H., whole wage 25 0 Borrowed 5 0 ----- 30 0
Rent 6 6 Gas 2 3 Coal 0 8½ Soap 0 5 Blacklead, etc. -- Matches 0 1½ Washing 1 6 Slate club 1 2 National insurance 0 4 Hospital 0 1 Tobacco 1 3¾ Ink, pen, nibs 0 2¾ Stationery 0 1 Stamps 0 4 Bread 5 0 Meat 3 0 Margarine 3 6 Sugar 0 8 Tea 0 6 Cocoa, coffee -- Potatoes 1 0 Vegetables 0 6 Cow’s milk 0 5½ Rice 0 2 Salt, pepper 0 2 ------ 30 0
Rent 6 6 Gas 1 6 Coal -- Soap, soda -- Blacklead, etc. -- Matches -- Washing 1 0 Boots (Tommy) 2 0 Club -- National insurance 0 4 Hospital 0 1 Tobacco 1 1½ Boot polish 0 1½ Stamps 0 3½ Tram fares 0 3 Bread 4 2 Meat 2 0 Margarine 3 0 Sugar 0 8 Tea 0 6 Cocoa, coffee -- Potatoes 1 0 Vegetables -- Cow’s milk 0 5½ Oatmeal, rice -- ------ 25 0
The items “ink, pen, nibs, stationery, and stamps” directly mother went away are rather touching. The enormous consumption of margarine—3s. 6d. as against 1s. 6d.—is an instance of the way in which the father is kept in ignorance of the privations which are undergone by his family. Directly he was left in charge, this father allowed margarine all round on the same scale as he had always used it himself, with the result of more than doubling the amount spent on it. The item in his first week of 2s. 3d. for gas when there was no baking to be done, as against his wife’s 2s. when there was, shows that the ½ cwt. of coal did not suffice him, and that he cooked by gas. The savings he made in his second week are most entertaining. No soap or cleaning material of any kind, no coal, no matches; and yet the grate did not look bad nor the floor either when the visitor saw them at the end of his strenuous time. The amount spent on tobacco, his one luxury, is interesting, as it is the sole instance in which this item is accounted for in the budgets. He was obliged to put every penny of his wage into the general fund during those two weeks. The penny for the hospital is a very common payment in Lambeth—one which always comes out of the man’s private purse. Incidentally, we are able to construct his own private budget of 4s. pocket-money out of this budget of his. It must run something like this: