ABSTRACT
The Negro is generally believed to be an inefficient consumer. Most Negroes have little education. Their incomes are not only low but also insecure, which, of course, tends to make budgeting and planning very discouraging. Every observer knows that there is some conspicuous consumption and reckless spending even among poor Negroes. For low income people generally spend a larger part of their budgets on these basic necessities than do more well-to-do families; and for this reason, the percentage of the total Negro income used for buying food and housing is higher than is the corresponding percentage of the white income. Housing is much more than just shelter. It provides the setting for the whole life of the family. Nothing is as obvious about the Negroes' level of living as the fact that most of them suffer from poor housing conditions. It is a matter of such common knowledge that it does not need much emphasis.
