接16课对话：

• Vocabulary:
  • buck (noun): dollar
    
    - Could you lend me a buck or two until tomorrow?
  • be strapped for cash (idiom): have no money available
    
    - He has really been strapped for cash because he lost his job two weeks ago.
  • pinch pennies (idiom): be careful with money
    
    - That young couple had to pinch pennies so they can live.
  • in the hole (idiom): in debt
    
    - My brother has charged so some many purchases to his credit cards that he's in the hole.
  • make ends meet (idiom): make enough money to live
    
    - When I was a student, I had to work three part-time jobs to make ends meet.
  • land (verb): find
    
    - I need to land a good job where I can earn a lot of money.
  • be loaded (adjective): having a lot of money
    
    - Don't let him borrow money off you because, in reality, he's loaded. His rich parents give him $2,500 in spending money a month!
  • budget (noun): a financial plan of expenses and income
    
    - You should create a budget of your expenses.
  • keep track of (idiom): keep a record of
    
    - Any business should keep track of its earnings.
  • run out (phrasal verb): use up or exhaust
    
    - If you don't keep a budget, you might run out of money before your next paycheck.
  • utilities (noun): services provided by gas, power, and water companies
    
    - The rent for this apartment includes the cost of utilities.
  • pay through the nose (idiom): pay an excessive amount of money
    
    - Car insurance is so expensive that you have to pay through the nose to get any type of coverage these days.
  • knack (noun): a special way or ability of doing something
    
    - My mother has a real knack for saving money on her low salary.
  • blow (verb): spend thoughtlessly or wastefully; throw away
    
    - People sometimes blow money on things that have no lasting value.
  • commute (verb): travel back and forth between work and home
    
    - I commute by bus everyday.
  • curb (verb): lessen or reduce
    
    - Unless you curb your spending, you're going to run out of money before the week is over.
  
  
  Part I
  
  Ron: Uh, could I borrow a few bucks until payday? I'm a little strapped for cash.
  
  Nancy: Uh, yeah, I guess, but I'm pinching pennies myself, and you still owe me $20 from last week. And mom and your friend Ron said you borrowed money from them this past week. [Oh, yeah.] How ARE things going anyway?
  
  Ron: Well, not very well. To be honest, I'm really in the hole, and I can't seem to make ends meet these days.
  
  Nancy: What do you mean? I thought you landed a great job recently, so you must be loaded.
  
  Ron: Well, I do have a job, but I've used my credit cards to pay off a lot of things recently, but now, I can't seem to pay the money off.
  
  Nancy: Uh, do you have a budget? I mean, how do you keep track of your income and expenses?
  
  Ron: Well, when my money runs out, I come to you. Of course. [Great!] No, but I guess I should have some financial plan.
  
  Nancy: Well, let me see if I can help you. How much money do you spend on your apartment?
  
  Ron: Uh, I pay $890 on rent for the studio apartment downtown . . . not including utilities and cable TV. But the place has an awesome view of the city.
  
  Nancy: Uh, $890! Why are you paying through the nose for such a small place when you could find a cheaper one somewhere outside of the downtown area?
  
  Ron: Yeah, I guess.
  
  Nancy: Okay. How much money do you spend on food a month?
  
  Ron: Hmmm. I'm not really sure. I think I spend around $600. [$600?!] Well, I go out to eat at least four times a week, so those expenses add up. I just don't enjoy eating alone, and I don't have a knack for cooking like you do.
  
  Nancy: Well, I can understand that, but perhaps you ought to buy some microwaveable meals you could prepare at home.
  
  Ron: Well, I guess I could.
  
  

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Good work!