The methods of practicing economy（实行节俭） are very simple. Spend less than you earn. That is the first rule. A portion should always be set apart for the future. The person who spends more than he earns, is a fool.

The next rule is to pay ready money, and never, on any account（无论如何） , to run into debt.

The person who runs into debt is apt to（倾向于） get cheated; and if he runs into debt to any extent, he will himself be apt to get dishonest. "Who pays what he owes, enriches himself."

The next is, never to anticipate uncertain profits by expending them before they are secured. The profits may never come, and in that case you will have taken upon yourself a load of debt which you may never get rid of.

Another method of economy is, to keep a regular account of all that you earn, and of all that you expend. An orderly man will know beforehand what he requires, and will be provided with the necessary means for obtaining it. Thus his domestic budget will be balanced; and his expenditure kept within his income.

It is difficult to fix the precise limits of economy. Bacon says that if a man would live well within his income, he ought not to expend more than one half, and save the rest. This is perhaps too exacting; and Bacon himself did not follow his own advice. What proportion of one’s income should be expended on rent? That depends upon circumstances.

Wherever there is a large family, the more money that is put to one side and saved, the better. Economy is necessary to the moderately（适度地） rich, as well as to the comparatively poor man. Without economy, a man cannot be generous. He cannot take part in the charitable（慷慨的，仁慈的） work of the world.

If he spends all that he earns, he can help nobody. He cannot properly educate his children, nor put them in the way of starting fairly in the business of life.  Thousands of witnesses daily testify, that men even of the most moderate intelligence, can practice the virtue with success.

Men of all classes are, as yet, too little influenced by these considerations. They are apt to live beyond their incomes. To save money for avaricious（贪婪的） purposes is altogether different from saving it for economical purposes. The saving may be accomplished in the same manner-by wasting nothing, and saving everything. But here the comparison ends. The miser’s only pleasure is in saving. The prudent economist spends what he can afford for comfort and enjoyment, and saves a surplus for some future time. The avaricious person makes gold his idol, whereas the thrifty（节约的） person regards it as a useful instrument, and as a means of promoting his own happiness and the happiness of those who are dependent upon him. The miser（守财奴，吝啬鬼） is never satisfied. He amasses（积聚，积累） wealth that he can never consume, but leaves it to be squandered by others, probably by spendthrifts（挥霍无度的人） ; whereas the economist aims at securing a fair share of the world’s wealth and comfort, without any thought of amassing a fortune.

There is a dignity in the very effort to save with a worthy purpose, even though the attempt should not be crowned with eventual success. It produces a well regulated mind; it gives prudence（审慎） a triumph over extravagance3; it gives virtue the mastery over vice; it puts the passions under control; it drives away care; it secures comfort. Saved money, however little, will serve to dry up many a tear；will ward off many sorrows and heart burnings, which otherwise might prey upon us. Possessed of a little store of capital, a man walks with a lighter step-his heart beats more cheerily.

When interruption of work or adversity happens, he can meet them; he can recline on（依赖，信赖） his capital, which will either break his fall, or prevent it altogether. By prudential（谨慎的） economy, we can realize the dignity of man; life will be a blessing.

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1 expend     

vt.花费，消费，消耗

参考例句：

Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。

They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。

2 expending     

v.花费( expend的现在分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

The heart pumps by expending and contracting of muscle. 心脏通过收缩肌肉抽取和放出（血液）。 来自互联网

Criminal action is an action of expending cost and then producing profit. 刑事诉讼是一种需要支付成本、能够产生收益的活动。 来自互联网

3 expenditure     

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。

The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

4 exacting     

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。

The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

5 vice     

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。

They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 expended     

v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

She expended all her efforts on the care of home and children. 她把所有精力都花在料理家务和照顾孩子上。

The enemy had expended all their ammunition. 敌人已耗尽所有的弹药。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 virtue     

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。

You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

8 avaricious     

adj.贪婪的，贪心的

参考例句：

I call on your own memory as witness:remember we have avaricious hearts.假使你想要保证和证明，你可以回忆一下我们贪婪的心。

He is so avaricious that we call him a blood sucker.他如此贪婪，我们都叫他吸血鬼。

9 accomplished     

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。

Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

10 miser     

n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly)

参考例句：

The miser doesn't like to part with his money.守财奴舍不得花他的钱。

The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。

11 prudent     

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，