让你成为“勤俭节约”标兵的6招

 　　Instructions

　　1.Track your spending for at least 2 weeks. You won't really know how to live a thriftier¹ lifestyle until you know where your money is currently going. Write down every time you spend money and take a look at it at the end of the month. You will see obvious ways to reduce the small daily expenses that many of us accrue².

　　至少记账2周。只有知道钱都花在哪了你才知道如何节俭。每次花钱的时候都记录下来，月底看一遍。减少每日所产生开支的方法会显而易见。

　　2.Scour³ the Internet when you have to make purchases. Because of the easy access to information, you can compare prices from more stores in less time. Check your local stores as well as online providers to find the best price.

　　买东西前上网查一下。因为这是最简单、最省时的获得信息和比较价格的方式。上网查看下本地商店和网店的价格，寻求一个最便宜的价格。

　　3.Turn off the lights and other electronics in your home when you are not using them. Open a window and let in the natural light instead. Leaving electronics on can use a tremendous amount of extra energy, costing you money. Also, unplug chargers when you are not using them. Your cell phone charger is still using a residual⁴ amount of electricity when it is plugged into the wall.

　　在家不用电的时候要关掉电灯和其它的一些电器。打开窗户用自然光代替灯光。开着电器不管会耗费大量能源，增加你的开支。另外，充电器不用的时候也拔掉。手机充电器如果不拔，还会用些余电。

　　4.Cut back on your cable. You probably don't really need 500 channels. Reduce your cable package or eliminate it altogether and save a large chunk⁵ of money every year. If you decide you really can't live without it, call your cable company and see if there are any promotions⁶ or discounts available to you.

　　减少有线电视的频道。你不一定能看完500个频道。减少有线电视或取消有线电视每年可以节省一大块费用。如果你觉得有线电视对你来说不可缺少，打电话咨询下有线电视公司，问问他们是否有促销活动或优惠供你选择。

　　5.Use coupons⁷ when you do your regular grocery shopping. Many websites offer free printable coupons you can take with you to the grocery store. Check sites like BettyCrocker.com for coupons of a variety of name brand products. Combining manufacturer's coupons with store discounts can lead to major grocery savings⁸.

　　平时去杂货店的时候用优惠券。很多网站都提供免费的可打印出来的优惠券，你可以带着这些优惠券去杂货店。上网看看，如BettyCrocker.com有各种不同牌子商品的优惠券。有供货商的优惠券再加上商店的折扣，会为你省下一大笔去杂货店消费的费用。

　　6.Eat at home most nights. When you do go out, look for available deals and discounts. If you are a frequent restaurant diner, consider purchasing an Entertainment Book for local restaurants. These collections of coupons typically cost around $30, but provide 2-for-1 deals at local restaurants and places of interest.

　　每晚在家吃饭。如果你一定要去外面吃，也要寻找一家能打折的地方。如果你经常在饭店吃饭，考虑买本当地餐厅的娱乐杂志。杂志上的优惠券一般是30$，但会在当地饭店或名胜地点提供买2送1的优惠服务。

1 thriftier   

节俭的( thrifty的比较级 )； 节约的； 茁壮的； 茂盛的

参考例句：

2 accrue   

v.(利息等)增大，增多

参考例句：

• Ability to think will accrue to you from good habits of study.思考能力将因良好的学习习惯而自然增强。
• Money deposited in banks will accrue to us with interest.钱存在银行，利息自生。

3 scour   

v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷

参考例句：

• Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
• We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。

4 residual   

adj.复播复映追加时间；存留下来的，剩余的

参考例句：

• There are still a few residual problems with the computer program.电脑程序还有一些残留问题。
• The resulting residual chromatism is known as secondary spectrum.所得到的剩余色差叫做二次光谱。

5 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

6 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

7 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。