Many housewives contend that it is cheaper to buy baker's bread than to make white bread at home. On the contrary, I make two loaves of bread for four and a half cents each for materials when flour is at a normal figure. These loaves are as heavy as those costing ten cents apiece at the baker's. This leaves a margin of eleven cents over the cost of baker's bread for the fuel and labor of baking. As I always bake a pan of apples, a loaf of gingerbread, or some other food demanding the same temperature along with the bread, the fuel cost is negligible. However, if baked alone about two cents' worth of gas would be used to each loaf. If baked in a coal range the cost cannot be computed, as the fire is always lighted.

In a family of six, where there are four children, an average of about nine loaves of bread a week will be eaten if the bread is home-made. This will cost at the utmost forty-five cents. If baker's bread is provided, more will be required, but even if it were not, the cost of the bread would be ninety cents, or forty-five cents more than when the bread is home-made.