While going through drawers, I came across a ledger my mother had kept the household budget in for years. The first entry dates back to 1956. She meticulously recorded every household expense from groceries, to doctor visits, to repairs.

Some are amusing to read. My brother got stitches removed for $2 and some odd cents in one particular week’s entry. Another notes that my mother bought material to make my sister two pairs of pajamas for $1.26.