At the New York office of Everyone's magazine, freelance writer Ben Dobson reports for a job interview with the editor, Mr. Bascomb. After stressing the importance of old-fashioned virtues such as thrift, Bascomb requests a thorough accounting of Ben's finances, and is pleased to learn that Ben and his wife live modestly in a tenement. Impressed by the younger man's thrift, Bascomb hires him. Ben goes home and breaks the good news to his wife Martha, who replies that this would be the perfect time to start a family. Ben begins his new job, and is disappointed to be assigned the task of rewriting other people's articles. Martha soon becomes pregnant, and gives birth to a boy, Pete. Several years pass, and Ben, who is still stuck on the rewrite desk, invites his boss home to dinner, but Martha's small extravagances on his behalf displease the penny-pinching Bascomb. Martha eventually tires of the inconvenience of trying to bring up a child in a small apartment, and persuades Ben to buy a house in the suburb of Williams Landing. Martha loves their new home, but Ben complains constantly about the expense, and admits he has not yet told Bascomb about the house. One night, Ben announces that their bank account is depleted and proposes they sell the house, but Martha flatly refuses. The following day, Bascomb finally gives Ben his first writing assignment, requesting an article--to be titled "The Slums of Tomorrow"--about post-war housing developments, which he considers traps for "self-indulgent weaklings." Bascomb offers to drive Ben home and, unable to tell the truth about his house, Ben accepts a ride to his former apartment building. To Ben's horror, Bascomb insists on coming in, and Ben tries to pretend that the French-speaking little girl now living in the apartment is his child. On his commute home, Ben thinks about the assignment and sees an opportunity to impress his boss and alienate his neighbors by writing about Williams Landing. Hoping to gather dirt on the other residents, Ben agrees to go door to door collecting for the community chest. Ben discovers that his neighbors also are struggling to keep up with their expenses, and uses their anecdotes as material for his article. Bascomb is delighted with the pages Ben turns in, but when Martha reads a draft of his article, she throws him out. After two days, however, Martha begs Ben to come home and tearfully agrees to his demand that they sell the house. The realtor brings in some prospective buyers, but their critical attitude offends Ben, who begins to see the value of his home and takes it off the market. Ben then submits his article with a new ending praising his neighbors for their pioneer spirit. After telling the surprised Bascomb that he wants a raise and better assignments, Ben meets Martha for lunch, and she tells him she is pregnant. Martha gives birth to twins, and they all live happily in the suburbs.