How to Talk about Money in English
- Nick Nantais NEWN
- Apr 8, 2021
- 5 min read
Listen and follow along here.
Hi everyone, welcome back to Natural English with Nick, I hope you’re all doing well, staying in shape, working hard but always finding some time to relax and of course learn English which I can’t recommend enough. Today we’re going to discuss some vocabulary related to money, how to spend it, how to save it and some slang words that you will likely hear out of a native speaker’s mouth the next time you chat with your friends in English or simply pull up Netflix ( turn on; enter a website) and watch something in your pajamas. There is a partial transcription for today’s episode available on my website in the description below. I will soon be providing full transcriptions along with extra content on my Patreon Page so be sure to check that out. I will share more details about that in the next episode. let’s get down to business!
Okay, so I got a short story here we are going to go through together so I can better contextualize these words and expressions for you guys. The story is about our friend Martin who wants to buy a house with his girlfriend Victoria and the two are a little stressed because well they are already pretty strapped financially. To be strapped(informal) means to have just enough money to get by, to be making ends meet. Victoria loves Martin, but isn’t sure if she is ready to buy a house together. I should make it clear that Martin and his girlfriend Victoria usually get along great, they fight very little and in general are pretty laid-back (relaxed;easy-going) people. It is just this whole getting house thing that has Victoria a little worried. Understably of course, I mean Martin just manages his father’s bakery on the far east side of the city, the self proclaimed “ best bakery in town” as his father calls it. Then Victoria works at a hip ice cream shop downtown called drip where just 8 months ago Martin stumbled into with a hankering for something sweet. That day, Martin left the shop with not only a double scoop of chocolate* ice cream and vanilla swirl, but also Victoria’s number written on the accompanying napkin.After their first date by the river following some delicious Korean BBQ, the two hit it off (slang) ever since. Martin has always been a spender, he blows his money (He spends a lot of money) on almost everything that catches his eye. Last week, Martin even bought himself a pair of Gucci flip flops just because he thought they sounded cool in a song. Victoria, on the other hand has always been a saver, maybe you could even say a compulsive cheapskate( someone who doesn’t spend money). Ever since Victoria got a minimum wage job, she has been putting away cash like crazy and avoiding every opportunity to spend. They sound perfect for each other right? I mean, what’s romance without a little drama.
One day after a long day at work, Victoria and Martin get into a big fight because of Martin’s excessive spending. Martin says that he just loves the finer things in life like Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses and Versace cologne. He argues that it makes him feel fulfilled. Victoria, being the sympathetic and forgiving woman she is, says “well if you promise to cut back your spending and stick to a reasonable budget, I would be down to start looking at houses.” She goes on to say “ it doesn’t make sense to keep paying so much in rent just to live with no future return of investment”. “We are not gaining equity Martin, don’t you understand that!” Martin nodded. He never thought about it that way. He has always just wanted a house because his parents were spenders like him, had terrible credit and could never afford one. Plus, his favourite show is “MTV Cribs” so getting a house has always been on his consumer’s bucket list (a list of things you want to do before you die).
After several months of hard work picking up extra shifts( working extra hours) at their jobs, Victoria and Martin are finally beginning to seriously consider getting the place they have always wanted. Martin’s bank account barely budged (hardly moved) those whole long months and Victoria was happy for him. He seemed like a changed man. Victoria could really see the difference when it came to buying stuff at the grocery store for example. Martin took to (started) paying cash instead of using his debit card so he could more easily see the money leave his possession. Martin stopped making unnecessary weekly online purchases. He even began to sell stuff he didn’t need like his dusty guitar he hasn’t touched in years, his luxurious Versace bathrobe and his brand new motorcycle he bought just two months ago. Victoria was shocked and giddy to start a new chapter of her life with Martin.
A few weeks later of viewing housing, going to open houses and pestering real estate agents (asking a lot of questions), Victoria and Martin came across the perfect place. It is a modern two-storey house, with a two car garage, a recently renovated kitchen and open-concept front room. There is even a patio in the backyard to have campfires in the summer, a shed for Martin’s toys and a garden to grow vegetables so Victoria can save money on groceries. The house is just a 10 minutes drive from downtown so they can easily go out with friends on weekends and get to their jobs in little time. On the flipside,(informal, however) the bathrooms were a little outdated and the basement is unfinished. Good thing, Victoria is a very handy( good at working with tools; knowledgeable) person and she enjoys doing renovations, Martin not so much.
After talking to the real estate agent about the details of the house, Victoria and Martin determined that since the house is going for (selling for) 350,000 on the market, the two of them need to come up with( manage to get money in this case) 15% down (up front) to avoid paying additional fees. Victoria and Martin decided to go to a bank to compare rates and see where they could get the best deal to finance the house. Martin began to get nervous, he was avoiding eye contact with Victoria, and sweating profusely (sweating a lot). When the two of them pull up to the bank, Martin says “I think I’ll just wait in the car, you can handle this right?” Victoria frustrated responds “Martin, this is the kind of thing couples are supposed to do, don’t you get that? Plus I need your math skills in there” Martin began to look anxious, his lips tightened up and he struggled to speak. “Martin what it is” Victoria said. “Yeah so I might have a second credit card” “What” she says in shock. “I’m behind on my payments and I’m about 10,000 in debt,” he says. Victoria couldn’t believe it. Martin hadn’t changed. He had just kept his addiction from her. He had taken out a new credit card months ago and maxed it out with his compulsive spending. Victoria was super pissed off (vulgar, angry). She couldn’t believe him. Now they were pretty much screwed (slang, in trouble). How were they supposed to get a loan for a mortgage with Martin’s credit? Next stop, the mafia!
Support me here on Patreon :)
Thank you for listening :)
Comments