检查购物车　Check the Cart

Beware of little, expenses；a small leak will sink a great ship.

～Benjamin Franklin

As a single mom working several jobs, I accounted for every penny. My son's needs came first, then the rent and groceries, then the rest of the bills.Every month, I intended to save for that proverbial rainy day, but it just didn't happen.As frugal as I tried to be, the expense column topped out the income on my monthly budget.

Then one day, I discovered a game I could play to find those extra pennies. I called it my Cart Check game.

Every time I shopped at the big box stores and then rolled my cart toward the check-out line, I looked through my items. Was there something I could do without?That filigreed T-shirt that I was certain would look great with a denim skirt?It was only$4-a real bargain-but couldn't I do without it?I took it back to the misses section and congratulated myself on saving$4.

The same strategy worked for groceries. Although I followed my list and used coupons, invariably a hunger pang would strike and I would end up with something extra.So I played the Cart Check game.Rolling toward the check-out, I looked through the cart.That package of cookies might be my son's favorites, but did he really need the extra sugar?Put it back and save$2.98.

As my son grew, we played the game together. Go up and down the aisles and select what we need.Then roll to the check-out and do the Cart Check.My shampoo bottle wasn't completely empty yet.I could wait another week, dilute it further with water, and maybe find a coupon when it was completely gone.A savings of$3.95.

My son looked through the cart，“Here, Mom. We don't need, this toothpaste.”

“Yes, we do. Every night we brush our teeth.But how about these toy cars?What if we buy only one instead of two?”

“Well, okay.”

I rewarded Chad by giving him the 88 cents we had saved.

Our Cart Check game helped us save each time we shopped and kept us from impulse spending. Gradually, we made it through those hard times, and I raised Chad to consider the importance of saving.We're both still careful about shopping, and we still use the Cart Check game whenever he visits me and we shop together.

Now that the economy is in a critical state and every penny counts, I'm making a resolution to re-install Cart Check into my weekly shopping. It's too easy to add an extra lipstick or a new towel to my shopping list, not realizing how much those impulsive choices add to my monthly bills.But this time, I plan to introduce a twist in the game.

After my Cart Check, I'll add up the amount I've saved and put that money in a special account. By the end of the year, I should have a nice sum that I can use for Christmas gifts.Or maybe I'll give it to another single mom who's struggling with expenses.

The Cart Check game will then not only help me and leave a legacy for my son, but also help another mother balance her budget and make it to the end of the month.

～Rebecca Jay

小心开销，因为千里之堤，溃于蚁穴。

——本杰明·富兰克林

作为身兼数职的单亲妈妈，我要对花出去的每一分钱负责。儿子的需求肯定是第一位的，然后得考虑房租和食品杂货，接着是其他账单。每个月我总想未雨绸缪，存下一点钱，但总是存不住。我努力勤俭持家，但每个月总是入不敷出。

有一天，我发现可以通过玩一个游戏为自己省点小钱。我称之为“检查购物车”游戏。

每次我去大型商店购物，把购物车推向付款的队伍时，都要逐一查看购买的商品。可不可以少买几样？我确定要买的精工T恤配上斜纹粗棉布短裙是不是好看？T恤只要四美元，确实很值，但是我真的需要吗？于是，我把T恤又放回了女装区，恭喜自己又节约了四美元。

买食品杂货时，我也采用相同的策略。尽管我照着清单买，也会使用优惠券，但总会因为一时嘴馋而买一些多余的食品。所以，我又玩起了“检查购物车”的游戏。我把购物车推向收银台时，又检查起购买的东西。那一包曲奇可能是儿子的最爱，但他真的需要买这包糖吗？我把糖放回货架，又省下了2.98美元。

儿子长大后，我们一起玩这个游戏。我们穿梭于各个商品区，挑选要买的东西。然后，我们一边把车子推向收银台，一边玩“检查购物车”游戏。我的洗发液还剩一点，可以等到下周再买，这几天可以拿水稀释一下继续用。说不定等都用完的时候，就有优惠券了。这下就省了3.95美元。

儿子仔细地看着购物车，说道：“妈妈，这个，我们不需要这支牙刷。”

“不，我们需要。每天晚上都要刷牙呢。不过，这些玩具车呢？我们不买两个，买一个行吗？”

“嗯，好吧。”

我把节省下来的88美分奖励给了儿子乍得。

“检查购物车”游戏每次都帮我们在购物时节省开支，避免冲动消费。我们渐渐地度过了最困难的时期。我也帮助乍得树立了节约的意识。现在，每次儿子来看我，或者一起去购物，我们仍然出手谨慎，玩“检查购物车”游戏。

既然如今经济不景气，每一分钱都极其宝贵，于是我立下决心，每周购物时要重新玩起“检查购物车”游戏。往购物清单上加上一支唇膏或者新毛巾轻而易举，但这些冲动的做法会给我的月度账单增添更多负担。这一次，我打算改变一下“游戏规则”。

在检查完购物车后，我要把节省下来的金额加在一起，然后把这些钱单独放入一个特别账户。到今年年末，我肯定会存下一笔数目可观的钱，可以用来买圣诞礼物。或者，我可以把这笔钱捐给另外一个经济困难的单亲妈妈。

“检查购物车”游戏不仅帮助了我，也给儿子留下了宝贵的财富，还帮助另一个母亲平衡了整个月的收支。

——丽贝卡·杰伊