如何过好勤俭节约的生活

In times of economic downturn, many people start to look for ways to reduce their household budget and save extra cash. Living a thrifty lifestyle does not have to mean doing without. Making small changes will allow you to save money and still enjoy your favorite treats and activities. Being frugal can help you save for retirement, pay off your credit cards faster or even just save money for a dream vacation. To live in a thrifty way, you need to pay attention to your day-to-day expenses.
在经济萎缩时期，许多人开始寻找减少家庭预算和节省额外开支的方法。节俭的生活方式并不一定意味着什么都不做。做一点小小的改变既能帮你省钱，又能享受你喜欢的事和活动。节俭可以帮你为退休存钱，更快偿还信用卡，或者，甚至存钱以备一个梦想的假期。想要节俭地生活，就要注意每天的花费开支。

1 Track your spending for at least 2 weeks. You won't really know how to live a thriftier 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 accrue.
1 至少每两周跟踪记录你的消费情况。直到你知道当前钱花在哪里了你才会真正懂得如何节俭地生活。每次花的钱都记下来，到了月底看一看。你就会知道大部分人积累下来减少小的日常开支的明显方法。

2 Scour 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.
2 当你想买东西的时候到网上搜索一下。由于轻松获得信息，你可以在更短的时间内比较更多店的价格。到当地商店和网上供应商看看，找到最便宜的价格。

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 residual amount of electricity when it is plugged into the wall.
3 当你不用电灯和其他电子产品的时候，关掉它们。打开窗户用自然光代替。让电子产品开着需要大量的额外能源，浪费钱。同样，当你不用充电器时拔掉其插头。插上插头的话，手机充电器也需要消耗一些残余的电。

(恒星英语学习网原创编译,转载请注明出处!)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 chunk of money every year. If you decide you really can't live without it, call your cable company and see if there are any promotions or discounts available to you.
4 削减有线电视服务。你可能并不真的需要500个频道。减少或完全取消有线电视服务，这样每年可以节省一大笔钱。如果你真的不能没有它，打电话去有线电视公司询问一下有没有一些适合你的促销活动或打折。

5 Use coupons 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 for coupons of a variety of name brand products (see link in Resources). Combining manufacturer's coupons with store discounts can lead to major grocery savings.
5 定期购买生活必需品时使用优惠券。许多网站都提供免费打印优惠券，你可以拿到杂货店使用。检查像这些网站，拿各类名牌商品的优惠券（请参阅参考资料中的链接）。将厂商的优惠券和商店打折结合起来，可以节省更多钱。

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 (see link in Resources). These collections of coupons typically cost around $30, but provide 2-for-1 deals at local restaurants and places of interest.
6 晚饭经常在家吃。如果你真的要出去，寻找一些便宜和打折的地方。如果你是经常在餐馆吃饭的人，考虑买本有关当地餐馆的《娱乐书》（请参阅参考资料中的链接）。收集这些优惠券一般花约30美元，但是可以在当地餐馆和旅游胜地提供2换1的交易。

(恒星英语学习网原创编译,转载请注明出处!)