Be a Truly Smart Consumer做一个精明的消费者

Social and economic development today has not only brought us new kinds of goods and services, but also greatly changed the way we buy goods and services. As students mostly rely on their families, along with the increasing pressure of daily life, they are more careful with their money: they collect all kinds of coupons, look for group-buy deals for eating and travelling, and buy clothes only on sale. For most people, this seems to be a smart way of enjoying better life at less expense. For me, however, this may not make us become smart buyers.
今天社会和经济的发展不仅给我们带来了新的商品和服务，同时也大大改变了我们购买商品和服务的方式。作为主要依靠家庭的学生，随着生活压力越来越大，他们用钱需要更加谨慎了：他们收集各类优惠券，组团吃饭和旅游，只买打折的衣服。对大多数人来说，这似乎是一个聪明的享受更好生活的方式，因为这些消费只需较少的费用。对我来说，然而，这也不意味着我们是精明的消费者。
I think such habits as buying with coupons or in the form of group-buy deals will easily result in overbuying and blind consumption. Buyers tend to think that coupons and group-buy deals give them a great advantage of saving money. It is praiseworthy that students choose to buy something they’re really in need of in such a way. But most of time, it is hard for them to refrain from being tempted to buy things offered at a tempting discount. The ultimate result is that they spend more money than they have planned before and harvest a heap of what they don’t really need.
我认为这样的习惯如购买优惠券或团购很容易导致不必要的盲目消费。购买者往往认为优惠券和团购能帮助他们省钱。值得赞许的是，学生选择去买东西，他们真的有这样的需要。但是大多数情况，他们不想购买一个诱人的折扣的东西是很难的。最终的结果是，他们的花费超过了预算，买下了一堆他们根本不需要的东西。
All in all, we should buy things out of necessity and ration instead of impulse. Don’t be confounded with lust and greed when seeing much cheaper things. Look before you leap. only in this way can we be a truly smart consumer.
总之，购物应出于必要合理的需求，而不要一时冲动。当我们看到非常便宜的东西时，不要被欲望和贪婪混淆，三思而后行。只有这样我们才能成为一个真正聪明的消费者。