L: I can hardly make ends meet these days.
E: same here. I have’t brought any new clothes for three months.
L: my income remains the same but prices just continue to rise.
E: true. The news says that there is a general increase in the price of daily mecessilities.
L: difinitely. I have to spend 300 yuan more on food every month.
E: the biggest price jump is for pork, so most people have to turn to chicken.
L: is that inflation?
E: inflation is more than just the rising prices, I guess. But the central bank is warning about the risk of inflation.
L: has the government taken some measures to curb it?
E: yes. The government has banned price hikes in some key industries like energy.
L: but I’m afraid the price hikes will spill over from food into other areas of the economy.
E: you said it. I think we should tighten our budget and cut our spending.
L: how?
E: for a start, we can take the public transport to work. You know, running a car is a big expense.
L: sounds a good idea.