Unit 5

1. How to Plan Your Budget? Budget Budget Unit 5

2. Activities 1 Which Place Can You Afford to Live in? 2 How Much Can I Afford to Have My Home Furnished? 3 What Should I Do? 4 What Can I Do to Become Financially Independent?

3. Task 1 Which Place Can You Afford to Live in? Scenario You’re going to spend the next four years at an American university. Now you have arrived in the city where the university is located. In order to get settled, you have to make a lot of decisions on housing, food, transportation and telecommunication, textbooks, clothing, grooming, insurance, etc. You have collected some information about housing on the Internet and from the classifieds (分类广告) in the local newspaper. You will have to choose a place to live in from the following three alternatives.

4. 为了规避风险，房东一般都会要求房客交纳押金，而押金的多少有时可以通过协商来确定。对房客的性别、爱好、年龄、生活习惯提出一些要求。为了规避风险，房东一般都会要求房客交纳押金，而押金的多少有时可以通过协商来确定。对房客的性别、爱好、年龄、生活习惯提出一些要求。 1. A furnished room in a quiet suburban house; directly on a bus line (BrE. bus route), a four-dollar return trip of 50 minutes to the university; walk-in closet, shared kitchenette, stir frying and deep frying not allowed; heat and electricity; cable TV; separate bathroom and laundry (washing machine and dryer); Internet access included; big yard, separate entrance; female preferred; no pets. $129 a week with a two-week deposit.

5. 英语国家的市中心的出租屋一般都有交通便利的优势。但是，由于郊区化的影响，中产阶级纷纷搬离市区，使得许多城市中心区成了穷人的聚集地和犯罪高发地。所以，安全问题成为房客们关心的首要问题。英语国家的市中心的出租屋一般都有交通便利的优势。但是，由于郊区化的影响，中产阶级纷纷搬离市区，使得许多城市中心区成了穷人的聚集地和犯罪高发地。所以，安全问题成为房客们关心的首要问题。 2. Convenient downtown location; half-an-hour bus ride to the university; wall-to-wall carpet; tile bath, spacious room with closets; cable ready; free heat, hot water and electricity. Furnished, $698 a month; unfurnished, $568 a month; one-month deposit.

6. 英语国家以煮和（用烤箱）烤为其主要的烹饪方式，其厨房也因此多为开放式的。中国人做饭以炒炸和煎为主，常常会释放出大量的油烟。为了保证其房屋的干净，英语国家的一些房主会对房客的烹饪方式提出要求。英语国家以煮和（用烤箱）烤为其主要的烹饪方式，其厨房也因此多为开放式的。中国人做饭以炒炸和煎为主，常常会释放出大量的油烟。为了保证其房屋的干净，英语国家的一些房主会对房客的烹饪方式提出要求。 3. Lake View Apartments: newly decorated; kitchenette (stir-frying and deep-frying not allowed) and washing machine and dryer included; close to banks, supermarkets, restaurants and entertainment; on site management and maintenance; community room with VCR/DVD player; high speed Internet; five-minutes’ walk to the university. Furnished $898 a month; unfurnished, $768 a month with a one-month deposit.

7. Work in Groups Work with three classmates and discuss with them the following questions. You must reach a decision at the end of the discussion. (1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative? (2) Which one is more cost- efficient? Why? (3) Which one is more time efficient? Why? (4) What is your final decision? Why do you think this is the best choice?

8. 2）Work in Class Each group selects a student to tell the class what you have decided upon. Try your best to convince the class that your choice is better than the other two by taking into consideration some of the following factors.

10. 通常分为两种：配家具和不配家具。前者要贵许多，后者虽然相对便宜，但是入住时的一次性投入也十分可观，房客要购桌子、椅子、衣柜、厨房用品等。通常分为两种：配家具和不配家具。前者要贵许多，后者虽然相对便宜，但是入住时的一次性投入也十分可观，房客要购桌子、椅子、衣柜、厨房用品等。 Task 2 How Much Can I Afford to Have My Home Furnished? Scenario You and your roommate Tim have moved into a two- bedroom Lake View apartment. It is unfurnished because you two want to save some money. So now you have to buy a few things necessary to start apartment-life with. The following is a possible dialog between you and Tim in a department store when you shop for kitchen utensils and cutleries.

11. For Example You: Tim, there’re more than enough spoons and forks. Do you something to cook Chinese meals? Tim: Definitely. But don’t you remember we’re not allowed to or deep-fry anything. You: (Sigh) Yes, I do. You know we don’t know how to cook Western food. What’s more, I’d be dying for Chinese food if I eat hamburgers or hotdogs every day. Tim: Me, too. Yes, we can steam and stew if we can’t fry. What do you think? You: You’re right. We still need something special to steam and stew the food, like a big pot.

12. Tim: Right, one big pot. We’ve got knives of different sizes here. Actually, I’m not very good at using them with Chinese cooking. You: You mean we need to buy a Chinese kitchen knife? That’s a must. Tim: A wok and some chopsticks, too. You: OK. Let’s see how much these things will cost us. Tim: I guess $50 to $70 will do. Will we go bankrupt if these are added too? .... (Think more about the things you need to buy if you do want to make Chinese food and go on with this dialog.)

13. Work in Pairs Ask one of your classmates to play the role of your roommate and make up dialogs for the following situations. • You and your roommate, Tim, work out what furniture you need to buy/rent and how much you’re able to spend.

14. Useful Words and Expressions Related to Bedroom and Study

15. (2) You and your roommate, Maggie, set a budget for your first week’s groceries. Then work out a shopping list with her. Useful Words and Expressions Related to Food and Cooking

17. (3) You and your roommate, Maggie, set a budget for the toiletries, household products and grooming: shampoo, conditioner, hair spray or gel, bath soap, detergent (dishwashing and laundry), hand soap, cosmetics, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. Useful Words and Expressions Related to Hygienic and Sanitary Products

18. 2) Work in Groups You and three other students form a group. One student plays the role of your roommate Tim, the other two play the roles of the Browns, the landlord and landlady. You are talking about the following issues. (1) Where to find/rent the furniture? (Furniture store, garage/yard/porch/household sale, flea market and compare the prices) (2) Where to go for Chinese grocery shopping? (Asian grocery store, international food section of a supermarket, Chinatown if there’s one nearby and compare the varieties and prices) (3) Where to get household products? (Supermarket, cosmetics store, body shop) (4) How to get to these places? (By bus, train, tram, trolley-bus, taxi, on foot or bike and compare the expenses)

19. Task 3 What Should I Do? Work in pairs and create dialogs for the situations given below. For Example: You have run over your budget and are late paying your rent. What’s worse, your girlfriend is going to have her birthday in three days and you want to buy a special gift for her. You ask Tim for advice. Tim: The landlady dropped in half an hour ago and wanted to talk with you. You: She did? I know she’s come for the month’s rent. I’ve run over my budget this month again. Tim: I’m sorry to hear that.

20. You: I simply don’t know why I have unexpected expenses every month. You know what, my girlfriend is going to turn twenty-one in three days. She’s told me that her parents are going to hold a party for her. Tim: Oh, that’s something very important. You mean you… You: Right, I have to buy something special for her. But I’m really unable to spare much on that.

21. Tim: That’s too bad. What about asking the landlady for more time to pay? You: I’m not quite sure if that will work. You know she’s been very… Tim: Well, just have a try. How about making a promise to your girlfriend that you’ll give her the gift early next month. You: Give me a break, Tim. She will be mad at me if I say that. Tim: Sorry, I’m at my wit’s end now and I can’t think of anything else!

22. Do It Yourself • You pluck up the courage to talk to your landlady, Mrs. Brown. You ask her if you could postpone paying your rent for a few days. She rejects your request at first because she has to pay the mortgage of her house in a timely manner. Tell her what you want to do for your girlfriend’s birthday and promise that you’ll make the payment in a week and this will never happen again. The landlady is convinced in the end and wishes your girlfriend a happy birthday.

23. 2. You and your roommate, Maggie, share food expenses. You’re now making the food budget for the next month. Maggie sounds reluctant to pay as much as she normally does as she’ll be away on a one-week business trip. You two make the calculation and make adjustments to the total budget and the amount to be shared.

24. 在英语国家的大学里一般都配有心理咨询员和班主任相似。学生遇到任何问题都可以向他们求助。与心理咨询老师学生在遇到困难时能够向可信保证学生的隐私权，建立信任以保证所交流的问题和内容高度将保密，从而任的人倾诉。在英语国家的大学里一般都配有心理咨询员和班主任相似。学生遇到任何问题都可以向他们求助。与心理咨询老师学生在遇到困难时能够向可信保证学生的隐私权，建立信任以保证所交流的问题和内容高度将保密，从而任的人倾诉。 3. You’ve been in the United States for three months. Each month you’re unable to make ends meet. You’re concerned about it and go to look for advice from your university counselor. The counselor refers to the form you filled in at the beginning of the class in the section Warming-up and offers some advice.

25. Task 4 What Can I Do to Become Financially Independent? Work in groups of four or five students. One student in each group will chair the discussion of the following topics. • Have you ever had a part-time job? If yes, how did you like it? If not, why not? • How do you feel if you’re still financially supported by your parents?

26. 在英语国家，大学生打工是十分普遍的现象。许多公司和机构实行弹性工作制，为本国学生全职工作提供了机会。当然，为了保护本国的劳动力市场，各国政府的移民机关对海外留学生的打工制定了专门的政策。千万要注意，违反这些政策和规定的后果会很严重的！在英语国家，大学生打工是十分普遍的现象。许多公司和机构实行弹性工作制，为本国学生全职工作提供了机会。当然，为了保护本国的劳动力市场，各国政府的移民机关对海外留学生的打工制定了专门的政策。千万要注意，违反这些政策和规定的后果会很严重的！ • What would be more meaningful to you in taking a part-time job, the money or experience you gain from it? Why?

27. Enjoy Yourself Stay Budget-wise Keep your financial house in order by tracking where your money is going, here is how you can build your family budget. First, keep on money journal for a month, this means to write down exactly what you spend on a daily basis, from your morning coffee to your cable bills, get in touch where you are spending your money. You may be surprised how much you spent, make sure you know exactly where your money is going.

28. Next, figure out where you should be allocating your money in an ideal world. Check out this pie chart: housing utilities and insurance should be 40% of your spending, living expenses and its food and clothing and medicine, 25%, transportation 15%, and that's everything, gas and your monthly bill, savings 5%, debt 5%, education and child care should be 6%, recreation 4%.

29. And of course your situation will vary, this is just a guideline on what your budget should look like, so how do you go about tracking your expenses and allocating that money? One idea here is to go online, track your income and outgo at websites like CNN money can help, for software like quicken.com. can help you organize yourself when it comes to your savings and your spending. Currently quicken.com has a free online version where you can track all of your money on one page where you can see your retirement and checking accounts all at one time. What's more the program will calculate where your money is being spent and how your progressing towards goals and even get alerts as your balance is low.