The Household Budget

Author

• Inez Pepin, Xavier University of Louisiana

Date of Award

7-29-1931

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Keywords

Keywords: Household Budget, Home Economics, Family Income, Cost of Living, Household Expenditures, Domestic Economy, Financial Planning, Great Depression, Household Management, Consumer Economics Disciplines:

Abstract

This thesis, submitted to Xavier University in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Home Economics in 1931, examines the household budget as a system for managing family income during a period of national economic crisis. Pepin opens by surveying contemporary economic theories offered to explain the ongoing depression, including overproduction, unequal distribution, and capitalization theories, before turning to the household as a unit affected by broader economic conditions.

The thesis defines the budget as one stage within a larger financial organization process encompassing planning, record-keeping, and periodic review, and argues that no fixed formula for apportioning income can apply uniformly across families, given variation in family size, composition, health, and environment. Drawing substantially on published household budget models, particularly those of C. W. Taber, the thesis presents sample budget allocations across income levels and family sizes, addressing necessities including food, rent, clothing, and operating expenses alongside savings and higher-life expenditures. Individual budget categories are then examined in turn, including fuel and heating systems, nutritional principles guiding food expenditure, and methods for tracking clothing costs through household inventories. The thesis concludes with a discussion of budget categories oriented toward long-term family wellbeing, including domestic service, life insurance, retirement savings, children's education, and recreation, arguing that a well-managed budget serves not only immediate material needs but the family's broader financial security and quality of life.

Note: No original abstract was included; this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors.

Recommended Citation

Pepin, Inez, "The Household Budget" (1931). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 101.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/101