see the need for new clothing every season. Most adults could wear the same items year-in-and-year-out. By the same token, clothing is one expression of what and who we are. We may be able to adapt, remodel or repair garments so that we can extend their wearlife. Do you spend your clothing dollars well? Do you spend most of your money on garments that are worn frequently? Do you blow the budget on a dress or shoes or suit you will wear only a few times?
Can you sew? Should you? Do you really save money when you sew? What advantages are there for sewing when the woman works outside the home? Can you sew at home and earn extra money?
Do you know how to select fabrics which are flattering to you and compatible with the pattern you have selected? What are the real differences in fabrics? Which things do you consider most important when sewing or buying a garment? Money? Color? Style? Care requirements? Why are these important? How do you make the “trade-off” decision when you cannot have everything you want?
Do you really need more sewing or construction lessons, or do you just need to practice? How can you get help while you are practicing at home?
What do you really understand about the new fibers and fabrics on the market? Do you know how to launder or clean them? Does no-phosphate detergent in Indiana hard water really make a difference? Why? What special precautions should you take in laundering clothing which was worn during pesticide application? How common is the problem?
Food purchasing occurs at one of the most frequent rates found in any home. Buying food that meets the nutritional needs of the various household members at a cost they can afford is a major problem particularly for the households that have limited resources. Food which can be easily prepared may be a concern of young homemakers, or working women who have heavy demands on their time. What are some techniques that meet cost and time demands of people?
Increasingly, families eat out. Breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner, are eaten out by families with greater frequency. Restaurants and food service organizations that are more efficiently run should provide a better alternative for consumers. The price should be right and the quality good. If consumers are to benefit from the alternative of eating out it is important that quality and price meet acceptable standards.
Supportive Programs
A variety of educational programs can be used to help individuals and families maintain economic stability.
Displays, mass media (newspaper articles, radio, and television), package lessons and leader training, as well as special meetings and programs, can be adapted to local community needs.
Obtaining and Managing Resources
Special lessons or leader training efforts can focus on investments, IRA’s, banking services, bankruptcy, the time and value of household work, single head of household, finances and money management, estate planning, earning while working at home (turning your skills into dollars), and special topics including budgeting and buying skills.
Home Buying and Care
Educational programs focus on financing a home, maintenance and care of the home, housing when you are older, energy conservation in the home, remodeling a home, multi-purpose space and furnishings for the home, do-it-yourself decorating, and selecting and buying furnishings and appliances.
Clothing Selection, Care and Use
Programs focus on wardrobe planning and coordination, updating your wardrobe, buying clothing for children, buying jeans and T-shirts, changing shopping patterns, altering clothing, sewing children and adult clothing, tailoring, time-saving sewing techniques, energy-saving laundry techniques, choosing laundry products, and coping with common laundry problems.
Improving Food Service Provider Skills
Special lessons for homemaker, 4-H and other volunteer food provider groups, as well as programs for local business people, are programming options in this area.

References
Courtless, Ivan C. “Clothing and Textiles: Supplies, Prices, and Outlook for 1982." Family Economics Review, USDA. Spring, 1982.

Perspectives on Working Women: A Datebook. Bulletin 2080. 1980.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printinq Office 1981.

Yankelovich, Daniel. New Rules: Searching for Self-fulfillment in a World Turned Upside Down. New York: Random House. 1981.
Cooperative Extension Service • Purdue University • West Lafayette, Indiana

Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, State of Indiana, Purdue University and U. S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. H. G. Diesslin, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its programs and facilities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age or handicap.