The methods of practicing economy（实行节俭） are very simple. Spend less than you earn. That is the first rule. A portion should always be set apart for the future. The person who spends more than he earns, is a fool.

The next rule is to pay ready money, and never, on any account（无论如何） , to run into debt.

The person who runs into debt is apt to（倾向于） get cheated; and if he runs into debt to any extent, he will himself be apt to get dishonest. "Who pays what he owes, enriches himself."

The next is, never to anticipate uncertain profits by expending² them before they are secured. The profits may never come, and in that case you will have taken upon yourself a load of debt which you may never get rid of.

Another method of economy is, to keep a regular account of all that you earn, and of all that you expend¹. An orderly man will know beforehand what he requires, and will be provided with the necessary means for obtaining it. Thus his domestic budget will be balanced; and his expenditure³ kept within his income.

It is difficult to fix the precise limits of economy. Bacon says that if a man would live well within his income, he ought not to expend more than one half, and save the rest. This is perhaps too exacting⁴; and Bacon himself did not follow his own advice. What proportion of one’s income should be expended⁶ on rent? That depends upon circumstances.

Wherever there is a large family, the more money that is put to one side and saved, the better. Economy is necessary to the moderately（适度地） rich, as well as to the comparatively poor man. Without economy, a man cannot be generous. He cannot take part in the charitable（慷慨的，仁慈的） work of the world.

If he spends all that he earns, he can help nobody. He cannot properly educate his children, nor put them in the way of starting fairly in the business of life.  Thousands of witnesses daily testify, that men even of the most moderate intelligence, can practice the virtue⁷ with success.

Men of all classes are, as yet, too little influenced by these considerations. They are apt to live beyond their incomes. To save money for avaricious⁸（贪婪的） purposes is altogether different from saving it for economical purposes. The saving may be accomplished⁹ in the same manner-by wasting nothing, and saving everything. But here the comparison ends. The miser¹⁰’s only pleasure is in saving. The prudent¹¹ economist¹² spends what he can afford for comfort and enjoyment¹³, and saves a surplus for some future time. The avaricious person makes gold his idol¹⁴, whereas the thrifty¹⁵（节约的） person regards it as a useful instrument, and as a means of promoting his own happiness and the happiness of those who are dependent upon him. The miser（守财奴，吝啬鬼） is never satisfied. He amasses¹⁶（积聚，积累） wealth that he can never consume, but leaves it to be squandered¹⁷ by others, probably by spendthrifts（挥霍无度的人） ; whereas the economist aims at securing a fair share of the world’s wealth and comfort, without any thought of amassing¹⁸ a fortune.

There is a dignity in the very effort to save with a worthy¹⁹ purpose, even though the attempt should not be crowned with eventual²⁰ success. It produces a well regulated mind; it gives prudence²¹（审慎） a triumph over extravagance3; it gives virtue the mastery over vice⁵; it puts the passions under control; it drives away care; it secures comfort. Saved money, however little, will serve to dry up many a tear；will ward²² off many sorrows and heart burnings, which otherwise might prey²³ upon us. Possessed²⁴ of a little store of capital, a man walks with a lighter²⁵ step-his heart beats more cheerily.

When interruption of work or adversity happens, he can meet them; he can recline on（依赖，信赖） his capital, which will either break his fall, or prevent it altogether. By prudential（谨慎的） economy, we can realize the dignity of man; life will be a blessing²⁶.