Cheaper by the Dozen (Cheaper by the Dozen, #1)

by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr.

LIKE MOST OF DAD’S and Mother’s ideas, the Family Council was basically sound and, although it verged sometimes on the hysterical, brought results. Family purchasing committees, duly elected, bought the food, clothes, furniture, and athletic equipment. A utilities committee levied one-cent fines on wasters of water and electricity. A projects committee saw that work was completed as scheduled. Allowances were decided by the Council, which also meted out rewards and punishment. Despite Dad’s forebodings, there were no ponies or roadsters. One purchasing committee found a large department store which gave us wholesale rates on everything from underwear to baseball gloves. Another bought canned goods directly from a manufacturer, in truckload lots. It was the Council, too, which worked out the system of submitting bids for unusual jobs to be done.