BBC Take Away English (Cutting t

与其下馆子或叫外卖，不少人更愿意自己下厨，他们认为做饭这件事既有乐趣，又能节省开支。怎样才能吃好又花钱不多？去超市买东西的时候，应如何巧用各种促销活动？本集《随身英语》介绍几个控制日常饮食开销的省钱妙招。

cutting costs on cooking

article

Are you planning to eat out tonight or are you going to stay in to save the pennies? A meal out at a good restaurant or even a pizza parlour can set you back a small fortune, so cooking for yourself makes financial sense. But with the rise in food prices, it's important to be a savvy shopper to keep your food bill in check.

These days our supermarket shelves are packed with a tempting array of food items: from the daily staples, like bread and milk, to the exotic, like mangoes and saffron. There's also the option of buying ready meals – convenient food that comes at a price. However, if you're feeling the pinch, there are things you can do to make the money you spend on food go further.

According to the BBC Food website, it's all about changing your habits. It claims that cooking filling and tasty meals on a budget is easy. It suggests a number of 'tricks' such as using cheaper cuts of meat, "bulk out small amounts of meat with less expensive proteins" and "transform small amounts of leftovers into a filling meal".

A favourite pastime of mine to help when money is tight is to stock up on items that are on special offer – such as BOGOF deals (Buy one, get one free). However, this is more of a problem when it comes to perishable items like fresh fruit and vegetables. In the UK, about 39% of household food waste is fruit and veg. So it's a good idea not to stock up on too much of these things. Store them carefully and make the most of them in all your recipes.

Food waste is a big problem generally so shopping carefully can also reduce the amount we throw away. And in Edinburgh in Scotland, it's possible to reduce waste and not break the bank by visiting a recycled food shop, which has been set up to prevent surplus food from shops ending up in the bin. The Food Sharing Hub allows people to pay as much as they want for the rescued food, which is past its 'best before date'.

Of course, the biggest thing you can do to help your cash flow is to cut back on takeaway coffees and lunches. Making your own is usually healthier for you and your finances!

vocabulary

save the pennies 省点钱
parlour n. 客厅，会客室；美容院，冷食店，殡仪馆；parlor的变体
set you back 花掉（不少钱）
a small fortune 一大笔钱
make financial sense 从钱的方面讲是合理的，合算
savvy 有头脑的
in check 在控制中
a tempting array of 一系列诱人的...

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exotic
adj. 异国的；外来的；异乎寻常的，奇异的；吸引人的
n. 舶来品，外来物

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staple 主食
keep in check 限制（开销）
come at a price 价格不菲的
feel the pinch 感到手头拮据
make the money go further 让钱花得更值
on a budget 预算很紧，节省费用
bulk out 使…量足
tight 手头紧
stock up 大量储备、囤积
BOGOF 买一送一
perishable 易腐烂的
break the bank 花太多钱
best before date 保质期，最佳赏味期
cash flow 现金流转
cut back on 削减…（花费）
finances 财力，资金

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surplus
adj. 过剩的;多余的
n. 盈余;顺差;剩余额;公积金

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make sentences

1. I had to travel by train at peak time and the ticket cost me a small fortune.

2. Money is tight so we've decided not to go on holiday this year.

3. Due to problems with our cash flow, we are unable to pay the staff until next week.

4. I've lost my job and because we're now feeling the pinch, I've decided to sell the car.

5. We haven't cooked enough for all our guests so I'll bulk it out with extra potatoes!

question

Why might food and vegetables make up 39% of food waste in the UK?

answer

Fruit and vegetables don't stay fresh for long – they are perishable goods.