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.