Coutney Hamilton’s mound of credit card debt turned her into a first-rate penny pincher this year.
- mound of
大量の
- penny
〈英〉〔通貨単位の〕ペニー
○ほんのわずかな金額
- pincher
盗む人、盗人、どろぼう
Hamilton, 29, a legal secretary from Los Angeles, has $200 to stretch across six gifts.
- stretch
○（自動）能力一杯に働く
（他動）〜を能力一杯に働かせる、ぶっ倒れそうになるくらいに働かせる
“I’m hard-pressed for some cash, and I’m trying to live beneath my means.”
- hard-pressed
追い詰められた、土壇場の、困窮した、四苦八苦して
- beneath
〜の支配下に
Frugal gift-shopping is nothing new, but it will likely become the norm this year, recent consumer research indicates.
- frugal
〔暮らし・食事・お金の使い方などが〕質素な、つましい、節約する、倹約（的）な
- norm
標準、基準、模範、規範、典型、平均
Although the plastic rectangles will still be among the most popular presents.
- plastic rectangles
サングラス？
http://www.ninewest.com/Plastic-Rectangle-Wrap-w/Embellishment/2881265,default,pd.html
For many facing tighter budgets, paring back the number of people they give gifts to is the first plan of a attack.
- pare
〜の皮をむく、（つめを）切る、〜を削り取る、削減する
People on the fringe of a gift giver’s social circle, such as teachers, should expect cookies or nothing at all this year.
- fringe
へり、末端、縁、周辺、外れ
○〔社会・政治などの〕分派、非主流派、過激派グループ
Groups are going in together on gifts so individuals won’t have to shell out on their own.
- shell out
〔お金をしぶしぶ〕支払う
Some shoppers trawl sales for gift items or set aside case each week for presents to avoid overspending with credit cards.
- trawl
(名)トロール網
(他動)徹底的に探す
- set aside
〜を脇［傍ら］に置く、取りのけておく、取っておく、蓄えておく
