CLASS COLOR LEGENDS:

Yellow- Correct Answer

Green- Things to remember
Red- Wrong Answer
Orange- mispronounced words

Money

This is the preparation material for an English conversation lesson about money –
earning money, losing money and spending money! There is an audio discussion to listen to,
common idioms relating to money and a list of conversation questions that we might use when
discussing this important subject.

Audio discussion
http://goo.gl/scULqu

Money
Transcript

Todd:​ So, Anita, we're talking about money.

Anita:​ OK.
Todd:​ I have some questions for you.
Anita​:​ Fire away​.
Todd:​ First question: are you good at saving money?
Anita​: You know now that I got married, I think I'm much better at saving money, than I was
before.
Todd: Yeah, I think it's definitely one thing that comes with age​. The older you get, the better
you get at saving money.
Anita​: Definitely.
Todd​: But we all waste money, so what is something you waste money on?
Anita​: Oh, what do I waste money on? Probably movie rentals.
Todd: Movie rentals, right.
Anita​: I love watching movies, and I am capable of renting five movies a week, so that's one
thing.
Todd​: You know, actually, not that you mention it, I have a huge problem with movie rentals, not
so much the movie rental but the late fee. I'm terrible. Like, I'll have a movie for two weeks, and I
could have bought the movie for the price I have to pay for the rental, for the late fee. Oh, it
drives me nuts​.
Anita​: You should do what I did. I moved to a new apartment last month and that apartment is
right in front of a movie rental place.
Todd​: That's it. That's the solution. Always live by the movie rental place.
Anita​: That's my way of saving money.
Todd​: Well, these days you can actually download movies on the internet which is really
convenient.
Anita​: If you're American, yes. Usually many of these websites where you can legally download
movies are only for American or people with American credit cards.
Todd​: That's true.
Anita​: Unfortunately, it's not available to the rest of the world yet, but I know in my country we
have a website where you can rent movies. You download them from the internet and you get a
special password, so the movie, you can only access the movie within those 24 hours that you
rent it for. I've never tried it but the system is there and I think it's a great system.
Todd​: That's a cool technology.
Anita​: Yeah, very.
Todd​: What about other things like music and books? Do you spend a lot of money on that?
Anita​: Books, yes. Books yes. Music not as much. But one thing I definitely spend a lot of
money on is my phone bill.
Todd​: Oh, really.
Anita​: Yes.
Todd​: Talking on the phone.
Anita​: Yes, talking on the phone.
Todd​: Well, actually it's funny because those are two things I never waste money on. 1) I hate
talking on the phone, so I'm never on the phone. I always have extra minutes, and 2) for books,
go to the library. It's free.
Anita​: But then you can't keep the book at home and the whole beauty of reading a book it to...
after you've read it, put it in your own personal library and feel good about yourself when you
look at your library and think. "Ah, I've read so many books" but I like having books at home
because you can reread them anytime you feel like it.
Todd​: Oh, that's interesting. I don't think I've ever reread a book, ever.
Anita​: Really.
Todd​: Yeah, one time and that's it.
Anita​: Really.
Todd​: Maybe I just don't have the same love of reading as you do.
Anita​: Could be.
Vocabulary

borrow​ - use ‘borrow’ when ​taking​ money from someone

Can I borrow some money? I hope I could borrow from you.
lend​ - use ‘lend’ when ​giving ​money to someone.
I can lend you some cash. Do you want me to lend you now?

Phrasal Verbs

● pay back​ - to return money owed to someone

I will pay back next month, I promise.
● pay off​ - to finish paying all the money that is owed
I’m about to finish paying off my house mortgage.
● save up​ - to keep money for a large expense in the future
We need to save up for our future life.
● put aside​ - to save money for a specific purpose
You should put aside your savings for our future family.

Idioms and Expressions

● Money doesn’t grow on trees​ - money doesn’t come easily

People should start saving money. Money doesn’t grow on trees.
● I’m not made of money​ - to not have a lot of money
Stop bothering me. I’m not made of money
● Time is money​ - time is valuable so do not waste it
They don’t know how to value the time. Time is money.
● beyond one’s means​ - more than one can afford
She always spends her money beyond her means.
● to cost an arm and a leg​ - to cost a lot of money
This make-up kit costs me an arm and a leg.
● flat broke​ - to have no money at all
He is flat broke because he bet in a gamble
● foot the bill​ - to pay for something
He got promoted so he invited us in a fancy restaurant and he said he will to foot the bill.

Conversation Questions
● Do you think money brings happiness?

You: Money helps you live better.

Better: Money can help us live a better life.

● What would you do if you were given $1 million?

● In what ways do people’s lives revolve around money?
● Do you agree with the expression “money is the root of all evil”?
 ● Have you ever lost a lot of money?
● Have you ever won a lot of money?
● Do you think children should be given pocket money / allowance?
● How important do you think it is to save money?
● Do you think people behave differently when they have a credit card compared to when
they have cash?
● Do you think that money can ever buy love?
● Have you ever had money stolen from you?
● What qualities must a person have to make big money?​-end
Friendly reminder :)
● Why do people often want more money, no matter how much they have got?
● Why are poor people in many cases more generous than rich people?
● What do you like spending money on?
● Have you ever lent money to someone?
● Have you ever found any money on the street? If so, what did you do with it?
● When did you open your first bank account?
● How old were you when you earned your first salary? What did you spend it on?