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_.
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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 up. 100
Car-fares, church, etc..................... 100
Wages and sundries......................... 200
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Total..................................... $2000