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Saving Money

简体
Saving Money
省钱

Date: Sep 17 2010

Themes: Work

Grammar: Zero Conditional

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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When you get a new paycheck each month, it can be tempting to go right out and blow through it all. But when the end of the month comes and the bills start arriving, you’ll wish you’d done a better job of saving. And as much fun as it is to spend money, saving can feel pretty good too, especially if you’re saving up for something specific, like a vacation. Some people try to put a little money aside each month so they can earn interest on it and have more money in the bank whenever they need it in the future. Find out if Beren and Jeff are penny pinchers or penny wasters.

每个月发薪的那一天,总是蠢蠢欲动地想要冲向各大商场,狠狠地挥霍一把;然而月末的时候,各种帐单如雪片纷至,你可能就要后悔了,你一定会希望自己当初可以更节约一点。花钱当然是很一件很快乐的事,但是节约其实更能带给你愉悦的体验,尤其是为了某些特殊的目的而存钱。比如,为一个美好的假期而存钱。有些人每个月都会攒一点钱,一来能挣些利息,二来将来急用的时候,银行账户里能有更多的钱备用。那么现在,让我们来了解一下贝伦(Beren)和杰夫(Jeff)这两位究竟是吝啬鬼还是花钱大手大脚的人吧。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jeff

Jeff

Beren

Beren

Jeff:  Hey Beren, are you good at saving…saving money, or do you blow through your paychecks generally.

Beren:  I guess it depends, like if I have to, you know, save money for something special, I’m pretty good at, you know, putting it away, making sure I take a little out of each paycheck. But generally, I’m not a big…I don’t think about the future in terms of money, which is kind of bad. I’m kind of living in the moment. So like, “Ah, I want this new instrument or some records”...I don’t know, I blow through a lot of money.

Jeff:  Yeah I think I’m in the same boat. I try to live pretty conservative. Under $5.00 a day is my goal. But I can’t say I make that all the time.

Beren:  That is super…under $5.00, that’s impressive. I mean do you have a nest egg you’re working on or are you just saving for…

Jeff:  Not really.

Beren:  You just like to save money, or you’re just hoarding?

Jeff:  Trying to pay the bills, and maybe go out to eat every now and again. I think that’s what gets me.

Beren:  Yeah, totally. I mean if I have cash in my pocket, I’ll usually spend it.

 

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Discussion

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Beren likes to live in the moment. That means she doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about the future. So she isn’t very good at saving. If she does save, it is usually so she can buy something specific, like a new instrument.

Jeff lives very conservatively. He doesn’t spend a lot of money, but he doesn’t save a lot either. He just wants to be able to pay all his bills and have enough money left over to go out to eat.

Do you like to spend money, or do you prefer to live in the moment? Is there anything special you are saving for now?

 

Comments

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elkyhcy

elkyhcy

Hong Kong

 I'm going the distance to dealing with what distracted me much by drags me couldn't be concentrated on my current work :P

01:28 AM Sep 20 2010 |

noter

noter

Turkey

I am not a penny pincher. I am 30 years old. I have only a car and a house in Turkey. I like travel and spends money=))

08:51 PM Sep 19 2010 |

hraza

hraza

Pakistan

When you increase your expenses you can not low down next month.when to get your paycheck then first you have you manage your expenses that you this amount I will use for food.this amount I will use for shopping etc.

03:27 PM Sep 19 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

I can't save money by myself, so I give some money to my mom every month to let her save it for me. Now I already saved thousands of RMBs which is not much, but I feel good. But that doesn't mean I am a penny pincher. Because I got a good-paid job.

I am not saving money to buy a house of a car like other Chinese are. I just don't want to let my mom worry about me. And I believe I can make a fortune in future.

01:12 PM Sep 19 2010 |

howard lee

China

I am not sure i am a penny pincher or a penny waster, i always buy something that i really want to buy in spite of how expensive it is,cause i want to buy it ,i like it,but i never buy something which is not useful for me no matter how beautiful it is.

I am a  graduate student in ustc,and i am offer 900RMB each month,but when the end of the month is coming,my purchese is alway empty.I think i should try my best to be a penny pincher,i should put some money aside so that i can buy many more things i like and enjoy my life in the future!

12:39 PM Sep 19 2010 |

lolekesh

lolekesh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

when I was a child I have learnt to save money from my parents and I believe that in future I will be rich man.

11:15 AM Sep 19 2010 |

An-china

An-china

Germany

i always save money too. but i save money just for travelling.—

i wanna go to expo in shanghai next month, so i save money for it. and after that, i wanna have a camera of canon, i wanna travel to another place. so i must save mony~ha

09:25 AM Sep 19 2010 |

nini jon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i often saving my money so that i buy a laptop this year.

08:50 AM Sep 19 2010 |

fionces

Malaysia

i do not like to spend money. but i will spend money when i wanted the things eagerly. i do save money because i need the money to accomplish my study. saving money needs discipline towards how much you gonna save and how much you can spend in a month.

 

08:47 AM Sep 19 2010 |

lenny80a

Germany

As far as I'm concerned I live in the moment. I haven't a nest egg which I'm working on. Iam any kind of penny pencher or penny waster. I put money wway each month for my vacation. I feel like as easy saving up money because of delight felling, we'll go in vacantion. Although I pay for retirement and died insurance, that's enough. Thank you "English, baby" for the interesting, useful topic!

08:13 AM Sep 19 2010 |

magbol

magbol

Saudi Arabia

Icannot keep their money

05:23 AM Sep 19 2010 |

*JAMES*

*JAMES*

China

i am not penny pincher,because i have no money,i am a student now.

03:01 AM Sep 19 2010 |

Hairfly

Hairfly

Brazil

I don't spend money because I need save money because I want buy one apartment.

11:24 PM Sep 18 2010 |

sobhy1974

Egypt

in my country, it's very important to save money for the future otherwise the one will be lost, because the money is everything in the third world without it you will not being cared when you become old man.

 so i'm very much penny pincher not penny waster, on the other hand i'm trying to live the moment buy every thing my kids ask me to buy, enjoy my life in moderate approach.

07:31 PM Sep 18 2010 |

anida21

Venezuela

Cry

05:57 PM Sep 18 2010 |

tr0yquint0

tr0yquint0

Philippines

I prefer to save money for the future needs. There are lot of expenses need to pay like electricity bills, rents, foods and other miscellaneous like medicines or hospitalization when you get sick. Those are unexpected expenses that you don't know coming. So I really need to save money. 

04:17 PM Sep 18 2010 |

jiahui.lei

jiahui.lei

China

i would like to save money,if i had some money left:)

02:39 PM Sep 18 2010 |

conjugate

conjugate

Malaysia

i think i'm in the same boat with Beren. i do save to buy a super quality camera.

01:52 PM Sep 18 2010 |

firstandsecond

China

I like to save money.  Everyday I like to live pretty conservative .Maybe 20 yuan is enough for me .

12:04 PM Sep 18 2010 |

bedero

bedero

France

So,I prefer To live in the moment but if i will need something in the future like a house or car this time i should to save money for pay it but usually our parents tell us to be always ready and saving money because we don't know what can happen tomorrow.

11:23 AM Sep 18 2010 |

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