【往期回顾】
【本期内容】
When is a sale a bargain?
什么时候购买折扣商品才划算？
Do your parents love getting a good bargain on something they needed to buy? A bargain can be defined as a purchase made at a price advantageous to the buyer. This usually means a low price, of course. In essence, a bargain is a “good deal."
你的父母喜欢在他们需要买的东西上买得划算吗？买得划算可以定义为以对买方有利的价格进行的购买。当然，这通常意味着价格低廉。从本质上讲，买得划算就是一笔“好交易”
Does a bargain mean you bought something on sale? Are all sales bargains? The answer to both questions is “not necessarily." Something doesn't have to be on sale to be a bargain. And, as you'll learn, not all sale items are bargains.
买得划算是否意味着你买了打折的东西？打折的都是划算的吗？这两个问题的答案都是“不一定”。有些东西不一定要打折才是划算的。而且，正如你就要了解到的，并不是所有的打折商品都是划算的。
The companies that manufacture products and the retail stores that sell them want to make money. People that need or want these products want to spend as little money as possible. With these competing interests, it's easy to see why getting a good bargain isn't always easy.
生产产品的公司和销售产品的零售店都想赚钱。需要或想要这些产品的人希望尽可能少花钱。有了这些相互竞争的利益，很容易理解为什么获得一笔好交易并不总是那么容易。
If your parents take care of most of the shopping in your family, you may have never given much thought to how to be a savvy - that's a fancy word for “smart" - shopper. Learning how to manage your money wisely, though, is an important lesson for all kids to learn.
如果你的父母负责你家里的大部分购物，你可能从来没有想过如何成为一个精明的购物者——这是“聪明”购物者的委婉表达。不过，学习如何明智地管理你的钱是所有孩子都要学习的重要一课。
Once you start to work to earn money, you'll realize that work is exactly what it sounds like…hard work! You'll want to keep as much of your money as you can, while also satisfying all your needs and as many of your wants as possible. The best way to do that is to learn how to be a smart shopper.
一旦你开始工作赚钱，你就会意识到工作正是听起来的样子……努力工作！你会想尽可能多地留存你的钱，同时又能满足你的所有需求和尽可能多的愿望。做到这一点的最好方法是学习如何成为一个聪明的购物者。
Here are a few simple ways you can be a savvy shopper. Use these ideas to help your parents whenever you go shopping with them:
这里有几个简单的方法，你可以成为一个精明的购物者。每当你和父母一起购物时，就可以用这些想法来帮助他们：
1. Price (价格)
If you want to save money, then an item's price should obviously be a big factor. If there are no other factors to consider or if all other factors are equal, then going with the cheapest item usually makes sense. While price is usually an important factor, there are often other things to consider.
如果你想省钱，那么一件商品的价格显然应该是一个重要因素。如果没有其他因素需要考虑，或者所有其他因素都差不多，那么选择最便宜的商品通常是有道理的。虽然价格通常是一个重要因素，但往往还有其他因素需要考虑。
2. Quantity (数量)
How much of a product do you need? Smaller quantities are usually cheaper, but you can save money by buying larger quantities, since manufacturers often offer better deals on larger quantities (buying “in bulk"). Just realistically evaluate how much of a product you need. If you waste or don't use part of your purchases, you won't end up saving any money by buying larger quantities.
你需要多少产品？小批量通常更便宜，但是你可以通过购买大批量产品来省钱，因为制造商通常会对大批量产品（“大量”购买）提供更好的交易价格。只需现实地评估你需要多少产品。如果你浪费或不使用部分购买的产品，那么购买大批量产品最终不会节省任何钱。
3. Quality (质量)
In addition to quantity, you should always consider quality. To the extent that quality is a matter of opinion, it might help to think of quality in terms of preference instead. For example, generic products are often just as good as brand-name products, and they're usually much cheaper. However, if you've had a bad experience with a product or really prefer the taste of a particular food product, then it's probably best to go with what you prefer, even if it's a bit more expensive.
除了数量，你还应该考虑质量。在某种程度上，质量是一个个人看法问题，相反，从偏好的角度来考虑质量可能会有所帮助。例如，一般产品通常和名牌产品一样好，而且通常便宜得多。然而，如果你对某个产品有过不好的体验，或者真的更喜欢某个特定食品的味道，那么最好选择你喜欢的，即使它有点贵。
4. Discounts (折扣)
When shopping for an item, keep an eye out for discounts, such as coupons, in-store specials, sales and rebates. Don't assume that sale items are good bargains, though. Do your research and make sure that items “on sale" can't be purchased cheaper at other stores or online.
在购买商品时，要留意折扣，如优惠券、店内特价商品、折扣产品和返税产品。不过，不要以为折扣商品就是划算的。你要先做调查，确保在其他商店或网上购买的“打折”商品不会更便宜。
【Source】www.wonderopolis.org
【Translated by】Spark Liao (廖怀宝)
【Illustration】From Bing
