I don't have many qualifications for the presidency, but I can tell you the price of a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread. Bill Clinton was grilled about them when he ran for president in 1992. And, being Bill Clinton, he rattled off the correct prices and wowed some voters.

　　我没有资格去竞选总统，不过我可以说出一加仑牛奶或一个面包价格几何。比尔-克林顿1992年竞选总统时，就有人拿这个问题来考他。贵为比尔-克林顿, 这位仁兄飞快答出了正确的价格，引来选民一片赞叹。

　　I might give Bill a run for his money when it comes to grocery-store prices. That's because I do the shopping in our family.

　　在食杂品价格这个问题上，我还是可以跟比尔争个高下的，因为在我们家我负责采购。

　　This week's column is a cheapskate's guide to grocery shopping. Consider it an early Christmas present. (Notice how it's not costing me anything.)

　　是有办法的本周的专栏文章是食杂品采购省钱指南，就当是提前送的圣诞节礼物吧。（请注意我可是分文未花哦。）

　　First, the bad news. Food prices have soared and aren't likely to get cheaper anytime soon. Soaring commodity prices were the culprit the past couple of years. But now that prices have dropped for everything from wheat and orange juice to beef, food makers aren't lowering prices much in turn. They know Americans aren't going to stop eating in a recession. Indeed, we may shop more at supermarkets as we cut back on restaurant meals to save money.

　　首先说坏消息。食品价格一路飙升，而且看来近期也不会回落。过去几年，食品价格的突飞猛进是因为农产品价格飞涨。可如今从面粉到橙汁到牛肉所有东西的价格都跌了，为什么食品厂商却没怎么相应地降价呢？因为他们知道，经济虽然不景气，但美国人还是得吃饭。事实上，为了省钱，我们不但少上馆子了，而且也多去超市买东西了。

　　Even in this tough terrain, it's possible to cut your food bill. But you have to approach shopping strategically. Where you shop depends on what you eat. I employ the following multipronged approach, which could work for many households:

　　即便形势如此严峻，要降低食品开销还是有办法的。不过你必须在购物时采取一些策略。不同的东西要去不同的地方买。以下就是我的全方位省钱术，可供很多家庭借鉴：