English, baby!

Managing Money

Learn English with this budgets English lesson

Date: Oct 30 2018

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

Go Super!

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen

Do you know how much money you have? Can you manage it by balancing your bank statements, or are you more carefree about your finances? If you’re lucky enough to have disposable income, you might not have to worry that much about saving it for a rainy day. You might even pay someone else to allocate what you have to where it needs to go.

Managing money is a skill. Some people have it, and some people don’t. It’s true that it can be learned later in life, but often being extra responsible about money is something that our parents teach us. The most important thing to remember is keeping enough money to cover one’s expenses. If you spend more than you have, then you’re in trouble.

Marni and Jessica are talking about money. One is extra careful about money, and the other is not. Learn more in today’s English lesson about finances.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Jessica

Marni: I was just balancing my checkbook. Looking at my income, and my bank statements, and everything. And, oh boy!

Jessica: That’s so stressful.

Marni: It really is! I hate having to just manage every cent, but that’s the way I am. I was taught to just take care of your money, and make sure that you have enough money to cover everything, and never carry a balance on your credit card, and…

Jessica: I understand the whole theory of saving it for a rainy day, but more recently I’ve been trying to become more carefree with my money…

Marni: Really?

Jessica: …and my spending. Yes, it’s out of character for me. I used to be like you. I used to manage every dollar.

Marni: OK.

Jessica: And, yes, I had a lot of financial security at that time. But now, I feel comfortable. I get to travel more. And I feel good spending money that I’ve worked hard to earn.

Marni: I just can’t allocate my money that way. I have specific things that I need to make sure that I have money for, and then I don’t have a lot of disposable income. So I just really need to manage my money. Hopefully some day I’ll get to be more like you.

Jessica: I’ll help you out.

Marni: Thanks.

Jessica: I’ll help you get there.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Past Progressive Tense" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Jessica and Marni have very different opinions about money and how to spend it. Marni wants to know exactly how much she has, and she knows exactly how she will use it. She takes great care to be aware of what she is earning and what she is spending.

Jessica used to be like Marni, but she’s trying to be less worried about money. She doesn’t want to use her time looking carefully at her bank statements. Jessica would rather travel and spend her money in other ways that make her happy.

Marni hopes that one day she will have similar feelings about money, but for now, she isn’t going to start behaving out of character. She’s probably going to go home and check her bank account on the computer!

Are you more careful with money like Marni, or are you more carefree with your money like Jessica?

Comments

kelvindu

China

I used to take money like Jessica where I were almost carefree about money while I was living and working in Beijing, China. I almost spent every penny that I earned finding funs from meeting up fridends, playing games and travelling around the world. Now I am going completely the other direction. I am now working in Canada which is well known for its insanely high income tax rate. I have to start caring about the way I spend money and save a bit of money in my bank account for a rainy day.

vik32

India

yup sometimes i try to be more careful with my hand at money as i am quite spendthrift. however, whenever i try i end up spending up and screw everything up. it is really hard for me to save money i hope in future somebody comes and help me out with that..:)

buttafly

Germany

All my live I have lived within my/our means and been comfortable. It’s just not in my nature to spend money extravagantly or carelessly. It’s important to learn how to manage your money. Taking control of your money means you’re taking control of your life….

angel_ eyes

Pakistan

I used to be carefree and its not that cute as Jes is trying to sound. Maybe in USA world you can do that because there is your goverment, welfare, fund and all that to fall back on. Here, it is called living hand to mouth. You HAVE to manage your money widely and save for raniny day.

ola33

Japan

Must get this in the open to you – I’m not that great about saving for a rainy day. I’m more carefree about money even if the income is not that disposable at all. My policy is money come – money go. They are just to make us a little bit happy, they can be a quick fix when you’re not in the mood. I wish I would be more prudent about managing the money, but it’s out of my character. Every one has got their own weaknesses.

neginb

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

as you know money is something you need it everyday but being more careful about money as much as Marni used to be, makes the life somhow crazy ,actually this kind of behavior causes to lose the pretty quiet life , i believe that emontional health is more important than every matrial thing like money so i myself try to be carefree with my money but it doesnt mean i quit rainy days, i absolutely matter about them and always try to save some mony ^__

julito

Argentina

Money is important but it is not all in life . Some people like to live on the edge ,money that they earn it is spent to the last cent ,totally unconcern about the future , or rainy days if you will. Others are so stingy with money that prefer to live in poverty than living the life in a good way. As for myself , It gives me peace of mind if i have money in the bank, I wouldn`t like to have to borrow money from my friends or relatives , not if i can avoid it . I have a saving account, also a piggy bank at home :))))

cici.suifeng

China

I spend whole of money every month, so bad.

ibr20

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

unfortunatly im care free with my mony but i like to be such a person who manages for each cent

ghost.w0506

Germany

I fully agree with Kotlesya

her shout “I never borrow money” is a great rule for everybody. Just in case of – buying a house or car” you can leave this way

for other things , like new cellphone, more vacations, new furniture, it s awful Why?? because when you borrow money, you pay back 16 or 18 per cent more than you have got from your bank. so you feed just the bank, while you have to work hard to earn the money. DO YOU REALLY LIKE THAT WAY ????

kotlesya

Belarus

If there is a possibility to save money for a rainy day that would be a good idea. But not everyone can afford such a luxury as savings. But people work hard and usually manage their money for the sake of more or less appropriate quality of life.

Me personally live according to my own internal law: ” I never borrow money. I don’t like to borrow anything” . The skill of the managing money leads to the outcome where it is avoided to borrow money from other people and rely only on your own budget.

wiasullah

Afghanistan

I love to be more carefull about saving money for a rainy day and Thanks from Jassica and Marni they have really nice conversation abvout managing money and finance,