Talking about money and shopping
B1 · 40–50 min · Apex English
"Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship."— Benjamin Franklin
Which are YOU?
Which best describes you? Compare with a partner.
- I always hunt for bargains.
- I splash out on things I love.
- I save every month, no exceptions.
- I live paycheck to paycheck.
- I hate shopping.
- I love shopping.
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Three people, three wallets
Show transcript
Speaker 1 (A, Portuguese, 20s): I'm a total bargain hunter. Charity shops, end-of-season sales, everything. You can find amazing stuff for a fifth of the price if you know where to look. My whole wardrobe is second-hand and I get compliments on it every week.
Speaker 2 (B, English, 30s): Right now I'm really tightening my belt. I've been saving up for a deposit on a flat for two years. I've cut out takeaway coffees, takeaways in general, and half my streaming subscriptions. It's boring, but I can see the number growing.
Speaker 3 (C, Italian, 40s): Honestly? I like splashing out. On good shoes and on travel. Life is short. And with shoes, you really do get what you pay for — a good pair lasts ten years, cheap ones fall apart in six months. So it isn't really 'spending' in my head.
A. Listen for gist
- Which speaker is currently 'tightening her belt'?
- Which speaker loves splashing out?
- Which speaker hunts for bargains?
B. Listen for detail
- Speaker 1: where does she find her best bargains?
- Speaker 2: what is she saving up for?
- Speaker 2: what has she cut out?
- Speaker 3: what does he splash out on?
- Which speaker mentions the phrase 'you get what you pay for'?
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Money & shopping idioms
- a bargain
- a rip-off
- to splash out (on)
- to tighten my belt
- to save up (for)
- to be broke
- to live paycheck to paycheck
- you get what you pay for
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Money & shopping — game
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'Are you a saver or a spender?'
In pairs. A asks B how they deal with money. B answers honestly using at least 4 idioms from Section 3.
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End-of-lesson quiz · Money & shopping
6 questions · 70% to pass · instant feedback after you submit.
Q1.'£5 for a coffee?! That's a rip-off.' Means it is…
Q2.'I got this jacket for €10 — total bargain.' Means it was…
Q3.'I'm going to splash out on a nice dinner.' Means…
Q4.'This month I'll have to tighten my belt.' Means…
Q5.'I'm broke.' Means…
Q6.Most natural for a B1 speaker:
0/6 answered