Every housekeeper should keep a strict account of all her expenditure; should see that each bill be receipted when paid; and file all receipts, and keep them for a year at least—we should rather say two or three. All housekeeping bills should be paid every week, for it is easier to pay small sums than large ones; and besides, then the correctness of the bills can be ascertained. The mistress should look each one over herself, as thus she will detect, and can check, any inaccuracy on the part of the tradesmen, or extravagance on the part of her servants. Should she be her own housekeeper, she should deal regularly with respectable tradesmen, for they will rarely risk losing a good customer by selling bad articles. Bargain hunting is always perilous, even to good judges; “cheap and nasty” is perhaps a vulgar proverb, but it is a true one. Cheap tea, coffee, sugar, &c., are all adulterated; cheap vegetables and fruit are generally stale; cheap meat is that which has been sent ready killed to the market, and, therefore, is by no means as fresh as might be wished; and cheap poultry and fish are to be regarded with very great suspicion; all, therefore, injure the health. Those who have store-closets, will find their advantage in purchasing some things wholesale. Candles should be bought in the latter part of summer, when they are usually cheaper, and a store laid in, for they improve by keeping. So does soap. Coals, too, should be ordered in July or August, and if there is cellarage, a stock for the winter laid in. Many articles of grocery may often be purchased in quantities at considerable saving. The same remark applies to bacon, butter, and cheese; but, unless there are good dry store-rooms, these latter cannot be kept. It is useless to make pickles or preserves unless the house is dry—in damp localities these things mildew and spoil; nor are we sure that in small families it is economical to buy them at all, they can be bought so reasonably now. All stores should be kept by the mistress, and given out as required. All good housekeepers will provide themselves with weights and scales, and thus be prepared to check the _quantities_ of goods sent them by their tradespeople, who are as liable to make errors in weighing as in casting their bills. We cannot too particularly impress this upon the attention of our readers, as an essential means to protect themselves against errors in weight, whether arising from accident or design. Many heads of families are exceedingly particular about the _price_ of their purchases, who are utterly regardless whether or not they have the _weight_ they paid for. Tradesmen are aware of this trust imposed in them, and too often take advantage of it. CHAPTER IV.