The household budget
A short in Spanish text at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. Since January we have written down all our expenses in a notebook, and the very first week was an unpleasant surprise.…
Text
- Desde enero apuntamos todos los gastos en un cuaderno, y la primera semana fue una sorpresa desagradable. Los ingresos son los mismos que el año pasado, pero los precios han subido y el dinero no llega a fin de mes. Lo que más gastamos no es la comida, sino comer fuera: casi doscientos euros en cuatro semanas. Ahora cocinamos en casa de lunes a viernes y guardamos lo que ahorramos en una cuenta aparte. No son muchos ahorros todavía, unos ciento cincuenta euros al mes, pero en verano se notará.Since January we have written down all our expenses in a notebook, and the very first week was an unpleasant surprise. Our income is the same as last year, but prices have gone up and the money does not last until the end of the month. What we spend the most on is not food, but eating out: almost two hundred euros in four weeks. Now we cook at home from Monday to Friday and put what we save into a separate account. The savings are still small, about one hundred and fifty euros a month, but in summer it will show.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did the family start a notebook?
- What has changed compared to last year?
- What did the most money go on?
- How much can they save per month?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.