华尔街的赚钱经(MP3+中英字幕) 第36期:改善经济状况 从这些做起(1)

 　　Improving your finances improves your happiness, in general, so I thought it would be important to share stuff that's worked for me.

　　一般而言，经济状况的改善会促进幸福感的提升。因此，我认为有必要将我个人认为很受用的方法与大家分享。

　　I'm in the best financial shape in my life, despite quitting my job and my wife recently quitting hers too. A lot of that is thanks to you guys, the readers, but it's also thanks to frugality¹, to eliminating debt, to saving as much as I can.

　　尽管最近我妻子和我都辞职了，我却认为我们现在的经济状况是有史以来最好的。这大多是你们一一我亲爱的读者们的功劳，同时还多亏了我一直以来奉行的“方针”——厉行节约、杜绝负债、能省则省。

　　Here's what works for me.

　　以下是我认为很有用的技巧：

　　Use cash

　　使用现金

　　Instead of charging things to credit cards or debit² cards, use cash for non-bill spending such as eating out, gas, groceries. Spending cash makes the spending more real, and there's an added advantage of knowing when you're out of cash, instead of spending more than you have.

　　在可以使用现金的场合，例如餐厅、加油站、以及超市，一定要使用现金而不是刷信用卡或借记卡。使用现金能让你更加真切地感受自己的消费行为，此外，这也便于你更好地掌握自己的经济状况，避免入不敷出的情形出现。

　　Small weekly savings³ transfers

　　每周转存点钱

　　I got this idea from my friend Trent at The Simple Dollar, who automatically deducts⁴ $20 a week from his checking to savings. I decided⁵ that I could live with $40/week without really feeling it--it's a relatively⁶ small transfer that I barely notice, and I save about $2, 000 a year on top of my larger bi-weekly savings transfers.

　　我有一个在 Simple Dollar工作的朋友，他叫特伦特。他每周都从开支中留出20美元并存到一个固定的账户。受他的启发，我决定每周拿出40美元存起来——40美元其实不算多，它完全不影响我的日常生活质量。一年下来，我竟然存下了2000美元——这都是每周转存40美元的功劳。

1 frugality   

n.节约，节俭

参考例句：

• We must build up our country with industry and frugality.我们必须勤俭建国。
• By frugality she managed to get along on her small salary.凭着节俭，她设法以自己微薄的薪水生活。

2 debit   

n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项

参考例句：

• To whom shall I debit this sum?此款应记入谁的账户的借方？
• We undercharge Mr.Smith and have to send him a debit note for the extra amount.我们少收了史密斯先生的钱，只得给他寄去一张借条所要欠款。

3 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。

4 deducts   

v.扣除，减去( deduct的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• At the time negotiation, the local bank deducts the loan and the interest. 议付时，当地银行扣除先前的贷款和利息。 来自辞典例句
• After commissariat is sold, cooperation deducts cost, return money to every farmer. 在粮食销售之后，合作社扣除成本，把钱退还给每个农户。 来自互联网

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。