Daily English 1231 Feeding a Large Family on a Small Budget

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:29
Explanation begins at: 3:47
Normal Speed begins at: 17:50

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,231 – Feeding a Large Family on a Small Budget.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,231. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California (sorry).

This episode is a dialogue between Paresh and Sandy about having enough food for a big family when you don’t have a lot of money. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Paresh: Are you shopping for an army?

Sandy: Oh hi, Paresh. No, my three nephews have come to live with me. I’m not sure how I’m going to feed them on a tight budget.

Paresh: My mother was a master at making a little go a long way. There are seven kids in my family.

Sandy: What did she do?

Paresh: She only bought fruits and vegetables that were in season and generic or store brands.

Sandy: I’m trying to do that and also buying only staples.

Paresh: My mother also bought in bulk and stocked up when things were on sale.

Sandy: I’ll need to start doing that.

Paresh: She was also able spend less by using some time-tested recipes. She planned meals for an entire week and each ingredient did double duty. Nothing went to waste.

Sandy: That sounds like a good plan.

Paresh: My mom also never turned her nose up at day-old bread or marked-down food. She was amazing and she made it work.

Sandy: I need to take a cue from your mother. I love those boys but they’re going to eat me out of house and home!

[end of dialogue]

Paresh begins our dialogue by asking Sandy, “Are you shopping for an army?” “To shop” means to go and buy things. An “army,” of course, is a large group of people, usually, who are fighting for a country as part of their military. So, the question “Are you shopping for an army?” is of course a joke. We can imagine that Sandy and Paresh are at the grocery store – a place where you buy food – and Sandy has a lot of food in her shopping cart, in that little thing that you push around a store that you put your food in while you are shopping.

Sandy says, “Oh hi, Paresh. No, my three nephews have come to live with me.” Sandy says that she has three nephews – sons of either her sister or her brother – who are now living at her house. We’re not sure why. Sandy says, “I’m not sure how I’m going to feed them” – how I am going to give them enough food – “on a tight budget.” Your “budget” (budget) is the amount of money you have to spend on something. A “tight (tight) budget” is the same as a “small budget,” which is not very much money, a very limited amount of money.

Paresh says, “My mother was a master at making a little go a long way.” “To be a master” (master) at something means to be very good at something. Paresh says his mother “was a master at making a little go a long way.” “To make a little go a long way” means to be able to use a very small amount of money to do a lot of things, to be very efficient about the way you spend your money. Paresh says, “There are seven kids in my family.” Paresh thinks he has a big family, but we all know he doesn’t really. I mean, I come from a family of 11 children so, Paresh – yeah, not so big.

Sandy says, “What did she do?” meaning what did your mother do in order to feed all of you or give you all enough food. Paresh responds, “She only bought fruit and vegetables that were in season and generic or store brands.” When we say fruits or vegetables are “in season,” we mean that they are growing at this particular time of year, usually in the area where you live. For example, in the Midwestern United States, where I grew up, corn was in season in August and September. That’s when the corn was ready to eat, that was being grown in the area around where I lived.

Well, there wasn’t any corn where I grew up next to me. I mean, I grew up in the city, but in the general area of Minnesota there was a lot of corn, especially in August and September. The corn was “in season.” Fruit and vegetables that are in season are usually cheaper, or less expensive to buy. That’s one way that Paresh’s mother was able to feed her family. Paresh’s mother also only bought “generic” (generic) or “store brands” (brands). A “generic” or “store brand” is usually a product that is made to taste like or look like a more famous kind of product but is a lot cheaper.

For example, you can buy Coca-Cola, a type of soda, at most American grocery stores, but you can also buy soda (or “soda pop,” as it is called in some places) that tastes similar to Coca-Cola but has a different name on it. This is often a “generic” or a “store brand” that is produced at a cheaper price and that isn’t as expensive as a similar product made by a more famous company. It’s not exactly like the more famous brand. You can’t buy pop or soda pop that tastes like Coca-Cola exactly, but it’s similar and it’s usually cheaper. That’s a “generic” or “store brand.”

Sandy says she is trying to do something similar. She’s also trying to buy only “staples.” A “staple” (staple) refers here to a basic ingredient that can be used in many different ways to make different kinds of food. A “staple,” at least in the United States, would probably include things like milk, eggs, salt, perhaps sugar, certain kinds of meat – these are ingredients or things you can make food out of that can be used in many different ways or that are considered things that everyone needs or wants to eat.

In some countries, rice is a staple. You will eat rice at almost every meal. In other countries, potatoes are a staple. They are things you eat all the time. Paresh continues, “My mother also bought in bulk and stocked up when things were on sale.” “To buy in bulk” (bulk) means to buy a lot of something, to buy a large quantity of something. So, instead of buying, say, two cans of corn, you would buy 10 cans of corn. You would buy in bulk because often it’s cheaper to buy a lot of something.

There are stores here in the U.S. where you can only buy in bulk. You have to buy a lot of things of whatever it is you’re buying. Paresh’s mother also “stocked up when things were on sale” – that is, when they were being sold at a lower price by the store. “To stock (stock) up on” something is a phrasal verb meaning to buy a large amount of something to use in the future. Sandy says, “I’ll need to start doing that.”

Paresh continues, “She was also able to spend less by using some time-tested recipes.” Something that is “time-tested” is something that has been used many times in the past, often in the past, by different people and has been found to be successful or has worked very well. A “recipe” (recipe) is written instructions about how to cook something. Paresh says his mother “planned meals for an entire week and each ingredient did double duty.”

An “ingredient” (ingredient) is something that you combine with something else to make a certain kind of food. So, if you’re going to make bread, you’re going to need flour as one of your ingredients. You’re probably going to use eggs and water and a few other things. Those are all “ingredients” you use to make the bread. Paresh’s mother made each ingredient that she bought from the store “do double duty” (duty). The expression “to do double duty” means to use something in two different ways.

“Nothing went to waste,” Paresh says, meaning everything his mother bought, she used somehow in her cooking. Sandy says, “That sounds like” – or that appears to me to be – “a good plan,” a good idea. Paresh says that his mother “never turned her nose up at day-old bread or marked-down food.” “To turn your nose (nose) up” at something means to refuse to do something because you think you’re too good for that thing, or you are better than something that you are being asked to do.

You may turn your nose up at working as a janitor – cleaning toilets – because you think you are better than that. Paresh says his mother “never turned her nose up at day-old bread.” “Day-old bread” would be bread that was made yesterday and therefore isn’t fresh. If you go to a bakery – a place that makes bread – “day-old bread” will be cheaper even though it isn’t as good.

“Day-old bread” is an example of food that would be “marked down.” “To mark down” the price of something is to reduce the price of something, to make something cheaper to buy. Sandy says, “I need to take a cue (cue) from your mother.” “To take a cue” from someone means to follow someone else’s example, to do what someone else has done. Cindy says, “I love those boys but they’re going to eat me out of house and home!”

This is an old expression. “To eat someone out of house and home” means to eat a lot of food, so much so that the parents don’t have enough food to give everyone enough to eat. It’s a phrase used to describe children who have big appetites, who like to eat a lot of food. Why do we say both “house” and “home” in the expression, you may be wondering. I don’t know. It’s just an old expression. Sometimes there isn’t a logic to why expressions are the way they are. That’s just what we say – “to eat someone out of house and home.”

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Paresh: Are you shopping for an army?

Sandy: Oh hi, Paresh. No, my three nephews have come to live with me. I’m not sure how I’m going to feed them on a tight budget.

Paresh: My mother was a master at making a little go a long way. There are seven kids in my family.

Sandy: What did she do?

Paresh: She only bought fruits and vegetables that were in season and generic or store brands.

Sandy: I’m trying to do that and also buying only staples.

Paresh: My mother also bought in bulk and stocked up when things were on sale.

Sandy: I’ll need to start doing that.

Paresh: She was also able spend less by using some time-tested recipes. She planned meals for an entire week and each ingredient did double duty. Nothing went to waste.

Sandy: That sounds like a good plan.

Paresh: My mom also never turned her nose up at day-old bread or marked-down food. She was amazing and she made it work.

Sandy: I need to take a cue from your mother. I love those boys but they’re going to eat me out of house and home!

[end of dialogue]

A time-tested way to improve your English is to listen to the wonderful scripts written by our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse. Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

tight budget – a limited amount of money that barely covers one’s expenses, with little or no money remaining at the end of the time period

* If Roan accepts that low-paying job, the family is going to have to learn to live on a tight budget.

to make a little go a long way – to buy, use, or do something with very little money or other resources, using things as efficiently and completely as possible

* We only have a gallon of paint left for the rest of the room. We’ll have to make a little go a long way.

in season – growing at a particular time of year in the local area

* In June, the prices of strawberries and lettuce fall because those items are in season and can be bought locally.

generic – store brand; white label; without a brand name; packaged without much advertising

* These generic medicines are chemically identical to the brand-name medicines, but they are much less expensive.

store brand – without a brand name; with a grocery store name, packaged without much advertising

* Do you think these store brand paper towels are as strong and absorbent as the better-known brands?

staple – a basic, common good or ingredient that can be used in many different ways

* When Meghan moved into an apartment, her parents help her buy staples like flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, milk, and eggs.

in bulk – in very large quantities

* A small package of nuts costs $5, but we can buy them in bulk at a lower price per pound.

to stock up – to buy a large quantity of something and store it for future use

* It’s a good idea to stock up on canned soup, bottled water, and batteries during the storm season when we’re likely to lose power.

time-tested – used many times in the past, often by many different people, and proven to work well

* In this book, you’ll find our time-tested strategies for meeting women.

recipe – written instructions about how to cook or bake something

* Your spaghetti sauce is delicious! Could you please give me the recipe?

ingredient – one of many foods that is combined with others to prepare another food

* The main ingredients in the sauce are tomatoes, onion, garlic, and red wine.

to do double duty – to serve two purposes; to be used in two different ways, making something more effective or useful

* This vinegar does double duty as a cleaning agent, and also as a salad dressing.

to go to waste – to be thrown away without being fully used; to be wasted; to not be used fully

* We’re full, but we can’t let the rest of this food go to waste. Let’s put it in the refrigerator and eat it again tomorrow night.

to turn (one’s) nose up at – to refuse to have, use, or do something because one thinks it is not good enough and that one is superior to it

* If you were really hungry, you wouldn’t turn your nose up at these vegetables.

day-old – baked the previous day and no longer fresh, often sold at a discount (for less money)

* At this bakery, fresh bagels cost $1.75, but you can buy day-old bagels for just $1.

marked down – sold at a reduced, lower-than-usual price

* All of the store’s Christmas decorations will be marked down after the holiday.

to take a cue – to follow someone’s else’s example; to copy someone else’s behavior; to learn from what another person is doing

* We should take a cue from the neighbors and plant low-maintenance bushes in the front yard.

to eat (someone) out of house and home – to eat a lot of food so that it becomes a struggle for the parent or host to buy so much food, a phrase often used when describing a big appetite

* Your sons are growing so quickly! They’re going to eat you out of house and home in a few years.

Comprehension Questions

1. What did Paresh’s mother do when she bought in bulk?
a) She bought things at large discount stores.
b) She bought things only if they were on sale.
c) She bought large quantities of the things they needed.

2. What does Paresh mean when he says that his mother “never turned her nose up at day-old bread”?
a) She made all their bread at home by herself.
b) She never let her family eat all the bread in a single day.
c) She bought bread that was cheaper because it was made on the previous day.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

staple

The word “staple,” in this podcast, means a basic, common good or ingredient that can be used in many different ways: “Everyone in this family loves ice cream. It’s almost a staple in our home.” When talking about office supplies, a “staple” is a small piece of metal that is poked through papers with a tool to hold them together: “Please make 20 copies of these papers and staple them together.” The tool that is used to poke the staple through the pages is called a “stapler”: “This stapler can handle only a few pages at a time.” Finally, in medicine, a “staple” is a piece of metal that holds together skin around a cut: “The doctor used staples and stitches to close the incision.”

day-old

In this podcast, the phrase “day-old” means baked the previous day, no longer fresh, and often sold at a discount: “These day-old cookies aren’t a delicious as the fresh cookies, but I still love them.” A “day bed” is a piece of furniture with a wide and deep seat that looks like a couch or sofa during the day but is used as a bed at night: “The day bed would look nice in the family room with a few pretty pillows for decoration.” Finally, the phrase “to daydream” means to unintentionally spend a short period of time thinking about something else, usually a pleasant thing, and not aware of what is happening around one: “On a warm spring day, a lot of the office workers are found staring out the window, daydreaming.”

Culture Note

Common Types of Store Savings

“Bargain hunters” (people who want to buy something at a low price) have many ways to save money at stores. Their strategies include “shopping the perimeter of the store” (shopping in the outer aisles, which mostly have fruits, vegetables, and meat, and avoiding more expensive process foods in the middle of the store) and shopping on the lower shelves, because the items “at eye level” (at the height of one’s eyes, where one is normally looking) are more expensive. But they also know how to find “discounts” (reductions in price).

Many stores “advertise” (promote) a “manager’s special” each week. The manager’s special is an item that is sold at a very low price, often “at a loss” (sold for less than it cost the store to buy), in order to bring in customers. Bargain hunters stock up when the items they need are “featured” (shown) as a manger’s special.

Bargain hunters also know to look for “clearance items,” or items that the store has marked down to try to get rid of them quickly. In a grocery store, meat and “dairy products” (milk and foods made from milk) are “put on clearance” if only one or two days “remain” (are left) until their “expiration date” (the date after which something should no longer be eaten). Bargain hunters know that these clearance items are still safe to eat and can often be bought “at half price” (for 50% of the regular price).

Finally, bargain hunters might look for “final markdowns” and “close-out items.” A “final markdown” is the lowest price at which the store will sell the items. And “close-out items” are items that will no longer be sold, so they are trying to get rid of all of them by lowering the price.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - c