Assessing How Much of Your Own Work You Can Do to Help Save Money for Your Marriage (and Afterwards)

How much of your own work will you do? Not too many of the prospective brides who decide to peruse this article will have their work at home done by servants. But there are special services commonly used by people who are far from wealthy, which can add considerably to, or save on the budget. Among these are cleaning services. If the couple has cleaning woman come in once a week, and send their laundry out, it may cost them several hundred dollars more a year, than it would if they did these all themselves. Food is another item which can involve considerable saving or expense. If the couple eats many meals out, or even if they buy much at a delicatessen store, it may cost them very much more than it would to prepare meals at home most of the time. Yet if the purchase of such services makes t possible for the wife to hold down a full-time job, they may prove economical.

Is either of you handy with tools of any kind? Can you make or repair furniture, clothing or the car? Larry knew that Ginny's father was a cabinetmaker. But he did not know until after their marriage that he had taught his daughter to use tools. Like many young couples, they had only a limited amount of money for furniture. Ginny went through the second-hand shop and came back with what seemed to be junk; at least, much of it was battered and broken. But she knew her business, and within a few days, they found themselves with a passable living room suite and a really nice dining-room set. Ginny then proceeded to make a double-decker bed for the guest room, which could be used later on for the children, and several attractive bookcases.

Larry had some skills, too. In the army he had learned about gasoline engines, and was able to make a decrepit car furnish cheap transportation. Yes, this young couple could live far better, and present a nicer home, than any of the other couples in their group because they had skills worth money. How about you? It will be fun to inventory what you can do, and see how it can be used. But don't stop with what you now have. How about both of you taking some short night courses and learning some of these abilities which can save you so much in repairs, and even enable you to make many good and useful things for your household? At this point, don't let sex roles confuse you. It may be the husband who makes the drapes and the wife who can repair the furnace or the car of course.