1) Vocabulary

1. finances - a. to spend too much money

2. paycheck - b. not serious or sensible
3. tips - c. to buy
4. budget - d. helpful advice
5. frivolous - e. gas, water, electricity
6. spree - f. all the money a person has
7. overspend - g. payment for work
8. supply - h. when you do a lot of one activity
9. purchase - i. a plan for how money will be used
10. assign - j. to give a purpose to something/someone
10. expenditure - k. the amount available of something
11. utility - l. the amount of money a person spends
How to Save Money
Are you bad with finances? Do you live from pay check to pay check? Would you
like to figure out how to save a little money from time to time?
Here are a few tips.
1. Give yourself a budget for each week and stick to it. If you get to the end of the
week with nothing left, take a bus instead of a cab, make your own dinner instead
of eating out, invite your friends over for a BYOB (bring your own beer) party
instead of going to a bar, and pass on the frivolous shopping spree until you have
more money.
2. Stop using credit cards. Pay for everything with cash. It's easier to overspend
when you're using a bank or credit card because you don't know exactly how much
you have. If you have cash, you can see your supply running low.
3. Keep a record of your spending. Write down everything you spend your money
on for a couple weeks or a month. Be as detailed as possible, and try not to leave
out small purchases. Assign each purchase or expenditure a category such as:
Rent, Car insurance, Car payments, Phone Bill, Cable Bill, Utilities, Gas, Food,
Entertainment, etc.

3) Questions - Discuss these questions with your partner.

1. What is this article about?
2. What should you do if you overspend your budget?
3. Why is it better to pay with cash instead of with bank or credit cards?
4. Why should you keep a record of your spending?
5. Which tip do you think is the best tip?
6. Can you think of any other ways to save money? Talk about and write at least 1 new idea
with your partner:
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4) Rank – What is the best thing to do with money? Rank these ideas from best (1) to worst (8),
uses numbers 1-8.

_____buy gold ______save it for a rainy day

_____hide it under the bed ______ give it to your children
_____give it to charity ______wallpaper your room with it
_____spend it all ______not worry about it
Talk to your partner about his/her ideas about the best and worst things to do with money.
Ask: “What do you think is the best/worst thing to do with money?” “Why?”
Answer: “I think the best/worst thing to do with money is _______ because_______.”
Talk more... “What's the next best/worst thing to do with money?”

5) Discussion – Here are 5 scenarios you might do save money that end up costing you more.
Why aren't doing these things a good idea?
Why do they cost you more money over time?
What should you do instead of these things?
1. Avoiding regular check-ups with a doctor, dentist, optician, etc...
2. Buying the cheaper product
3. Avoiding routine car maintenance (checking the oil, filling the tires, check-ups, etc...)
4. Driving further for cheaper gas
5. Buying too much at sales
6. …..... Can you think of 1 more? ___________________________________________________

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