地道美语听力练习:勤俭持家的秘诀?

Donny: Have you ever heard of something called a “meal plan”?

Helene: Sure, I make one each week before I go grocery shopping. It saves time and money.

Donny: My mother suggested I make one now that I’m staying home with the kids and Sydney is going back to work.

Helene: See this? This is my meal plan. I map out the dinners I’ll be making each day. It helps me a lot.

Donny: How? It seems like a lot of work.

Helene: Well, for one thing, I only have to go grocery shopping once a week. I buy a week’s worth of groceries in one fell swoop.

Donny: I guess that’s helpful, but it still seems like too much work.

Helene: Here’s what I do. I look at each week’s store circular to see what’s seasonal and on sale. I pull out my recipes that include those items and I see if I have any coupons I can use.

Donny: I still don’t see how I can save much money.

Helene: I also use the sale items for more than one meal and make enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. It works like a charm.

Donny: I think I’ll stick to my original plan.

Helene: Which is?

Donny: To plead ignorance and ask my mother over to our house to give me cooking lessons. By the time I cook well enough on my own, the children will be nearly full-grown