The household budget
A short in Serbian 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 prices grew, my wife and I sit down on the first of the month and plan the budget. First we set aside money for…
Text
- Откад су цене порасле, жена и ја седнемо првог у месецу и планирамо буџет. Прво одвојимо новац за станарину и рачун за струју, па тек онда за храну. Трошкови за грејање су зими највећи, а лети скоро да их нема. Кредит за ауто отплаћујемо још две године и рату плаћамо онлајн, да не чекамо у реду. Оно што остане иде на штедни улог, јер желимо да имамо уштеђевину за селидбу.Otkad su cene porasle, žena i ja sednemo prvog u mesecu i planiramo budžet. Prvo odvojimo novac za stanarinu i račun za struju, pa tek onda za hranu. Troškovi za grejanje su zimi najveći, a leti skoro da ih nema. Kredit za auto otplaćujemo još dve godine i ratu plaćamo onlajn, da ne čekamo u redu. Ono što ostane ide na štedni ulog, jer želimo da imamo ušteđevinu za selidbu.Since prices grew, my wife and I sit down on the first of the month and plan the budget. First we set aside money for the rent and the electricity bill, and only then for food. Heating costs are the biggest in winter, and in summer there are almost none. We'll be paying off the car loan for two more years, and we make the payment online so we don't stand in line. What's left goes into a deposit, because we want savings for a move.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- When do they plan the budget?
- What do they set money aside for first?
- Why do they pay the loan installment online?
- Why do they need savings?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
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.