Page 68 - PowerE-L05-B

Lesson 17

Spending and Saving

I want to be frugal but I just can’t help
spending. To make matters worse, I spend

money on stuff I don’t really need. For

instance, I have a box chockfull of books
and CD’s I bought but never found the time

to check out. However, whenever I pass
a bookstore or a records shop, I’m drawn

inside to buy one or two. Though I know I
wouldn’t have enough left on my wallet to last me until the next pay day. I’m

compelled to splurge. It wouldn’t have been this egregious if I had enough

money. So at times, I struggle to make ends meet; I stretch my budget so tight,
and I pull my belt a notch tighter until I look like number 8. I’m always broke.
I don’t spend all my dough at once, but it’s like a trickle effect, a small hole

emptying a huge drum of water overnight. I have to go on a budget diet soon!

Comprehension

1. What is the writer’s problem?
2. What does “I pull my belt a notch tighter until I look like number 8” mean?
3. Find the word that implies ‘money’ in the paragraph.

Questions

1. Are you frugal or extravagant?
2. How do you spend your money?
3. Do you save your money on monthly basis? If so, do you think the
amount of saving is proper considering your income?
4. What are you saving your money for?

Vocabulary & Expressions
frugal : careful to only buy what is necessary
egregious : an egregious error, failure, problem, etc. is extremely bad and noticeable
notch : a V-shaped cut in a surface or edge
dough : money
trickle : a thin slow flow of liquid
extravagant : spending a lot of money on things that are not necessary

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