Supplementing Family Income

Supplementing Family Income

The problem of insufficient income is so great in our country that many families fall within the poverty line. It is essential in the grave context of unemployment, under employment, and population explosion that every one must work hard with high vision, so that our standard of living will be high.

Supplementing or enhancing family income is very much possible if one takes up certain activities during the leisure time. Subsidiary occupations are activities which augment the main income, and thereby help to utilise their leisure. Leisure time available to certain group of people can be fully made use of by such creative activities. Especially in rural areas people are not employed during the off season. To them subsidiary occupation is a boon.

Kitchen gardening, poultry keeping, dairy farming, goat rearing, basket .making, book binding, cartoon making, various craft works, embroidery, garment making, drawing and painting, doll making, spinning and weaving are a few of the subsidiary occupations one can take to enhance the family income.

Apart from this, the family's real income can be improved by the wise management of the family, so that thrift is followed in spending money. A homemaker needs to be a wise manager in planning the expenditure, investing in savings for the future etc. to meet the varying needs of the members.

The family members can contribute their share of 'labour' to the family so that they avoid engaging outside help for their family jobs - as household work, tuition, marketing, baby care, care of sick, sewing etc. The members can produce their own pickles, jam or other preserved foods as well as prepared foods instead of spending extra money to buy the same from retail sellers or hotels.

Such early concepts in economy, practicing self-help and wise use of leisure etc. pay dividends in enhancing the familys' money income as well as real income.

Wealth from Waste

When man utilises resources for his everyday activities producing and consuming food and various other commodities he generate. Waste is simply some useful substances that we do not know to use. Waste can also be described as a resource out of place. It should be realised that waste is a treasure which could be recycled to form wealth. It is technically possible to recover atleast two third of the resource, that people waste in everyday life.

Recycling of waste reduces the cost of disposal and provides extra profit by reducing wastage of resources.

Methods and Benefits of Reusing Household Waste

Food wastes are, the animal, fruits or vegetable residues resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and eating of foods. Due to food shortage it is necessary to prevent food wastages and make use of the wastages in cooking. In vegetable cookery certain amount of wastage occurs by peeling the skin portion of certain vegetables. The skin of ridge gourd, beetroot, seeds of bitter gourd, snake gourd can be used for preparing chutneys. Ladies finger toppings can be added to blackgram while grinding it for idli or dosai. Left over rice could be used to prepare rice vathals.

Finding Creative use for Waste Materials

An old china teapot that has lost the lid can be used effectively as flower vase. Similarly old wash basins can become indoor plant holder. Used tooth brushes are excellent for cleaning combs, and handles of cups. An old cooker gasket can be wound with a rope and can be used as hot pads on the dining table. It can be wound with colorful wool thread, plastic wire and used for decorating the walls at home.

Small scraps are used for repairing and decorating old garments for making rugs, bags and soft toys and in many places for enchanting patch work in table cloth, wall hangings, etc. Old cloths can also be used for stitching colourful bags, cushion covers and window curtains. The wastes like empty bottles and tins can be made into beautiful flower vases and containers.