4/6/32
Dear parents,
I wrote you a letter a week ago to-day and I get an answer to-day. There are several at home that can write -- surely somebody can take a few minutes off to write.
For your own interest and enlightenment I am going to itemize my average current expenses per month.
I keep the car in the garage and they wash it each week. There is no other place to keep it and I am afraid to keep it in front of the hospital as this is the worst neighborhood in New Orleans. It is known as "Irish Channel." The garage bill is $5.00 per month. My gas bill averages $5.00 per month. I finally got the lady that owned the garage to sell me gas at a 2 cent discount as I told her we had a filling station at home. So I get my own gas at a reduced price. The oil and greasing I do myself. I buy this wholesale.
Each month we change sections and have to buy on the average of 2 to 3 books and they average in price from $6 to $12.50 I usually buy one and borrow the others. At the beginning of the year I bought a set of books for $30.00 and have been paying $3.00 per month for 10 months.
My laundry bill amounts to $2.00 per month. I make out now for 2 weeks before sending my laundry to the wash. I have also managed to cut my pressing down and this averages about $1.50
I was losing so much weight that I decided to drink a pint of milk each night. I contracted with the station cafe across
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the street to sell me a pint of milk each night for 5 cents per pint. This ordinarily sells for 10 cents. This averages $1.50 per month. By the way I am beginning to get back to normal in weight again. I become so disgusted with the food here sometimes that I am forced to eat outside. This averages about $2.00 per month.
My haircuts average $1.00 per month.
There are miscellenous [sic] expenses about school such as an offering for som [sic] sick members of the class, certain paper, etc average about $1.00
This totals an average of about $30.00 for my immediate expenses each month. There are also other expenses that usually come in. This month we have to pay $4.50 for the senior banquet and pay for the invitations which will amount to about $2.00.
I also have to pay a dental bill of $15.00 which I am not at present able to pay in full as my other expenses are more pressing. This would give you an idea how I am spending the money. And try as I will it just seems impossible to cut it down. From what I understand from other fellows I believe I am getting by much better than they are besides not paying $45.00 month for board and room.
As you probably know I have not taken out insurance on the car because I could never see my way clear. I guess that will just have to go for a while.
Your loving son,
Michael DeBakey