The housewife should always, where it is possible, do her marketing _herself_, and pay ready-money for everything she purchases. This is the _only_ way in which she can be sure of getting the best goods at the lowest price. We repeat, that this is the only way compatible with strict economy; because, if a servant be entrusted with the buying, she will, if she is not a good judge of the quality of articles, bring home those she can get for the _least money_ (and these are seldom the _cheapest_), and even if she is a good judge, it is ten to one against her taking the trouble to make a careful selection. When the ready-money system is found inconvenient, and an account is run with a tradesman, the mistress of the house ought to have a pass-book, in which she should write down all the orders herself, leaving the tradesman to fill in only the prices. Where this is not done, and the mistress neglects to compare the pass-book with the goods ordered every time they are brought in, it sometimes happens, either by mistake, or the dishonesty of the tradesman or his shopman, or the servant, that goods are entered which were never ordered, and that those which were ordered are overcharged; and if these errors are not detected at the time, they are sure to be difficult of adjustment afterwards. Let the housewife, therefore, by all means avoid running accounts, and pay ready-money. By so doing she will escape a great deal of trouble and anxiety, besides saving the extra price which the tradesman charges upon all goods sold on credit, and to which he is justly entitled, both as interest for his money and to cover the losses to which the system sometimes subjects him.