Lesson: How to Foolproof Your Budget

Conversation

Answer the following questions. You might be asked to write them down or answer them out loud.

1. Are you good at saving money?
2. Are you saving money to buy something? If so, what are you planning to buy?
3. Are you a price conscious shopper?
4. Do you have more than one bank account? If so, how hard/easy is it for you to manage them?
5. Do you often put money in the bank? How disciplined are you in doing that?
6. Do you sometimes buy things that you don't need?
7. Have you ever been in debt? How did you solve this problem?
8. How important is money to you?
9. How do you manage your money?
10. What do you spend most of your money on?
11. Is it better to pay with cash or by credit card? Why?
12. Are credit cards a good thing?

Vocabulary

Look at the vocabulary below. Take time to explore the links for their definitions in English and their translations to Portuguese. When you are done, make a sentence with each word. Ask your teacher if you should write them down or say them out loud.

DT   payday

DT   finally

DT   bills

DT   overdue

DT   stock

DT   bounce

DT   tough

DT   budget

DT   gear

DT   empty

Video

Watch the following video but DON'T read the transcript yet.

After watching the video do this listening exercise.

Reading practice

Read the following transcript then do the associated reading comprehension exercise.

ExpandTranscript:

It's payday! Put that check in the bank and get ready to PARTY! Now you can finally pay some overdue bills, buy that gear you've been eyeing, and stock the refrigerator. That is, until the end of the month when the next payday is still days away. More bills are piling up, the refrigerator is empty, checks are bouncing, and you don't have money in the bank to put gas in the car. Living paycheck to paycheck is tough. But there is a system that will make sure you always have the cash you need. It's called the envelope system. Instead of depositing that check into your bank account, cash that check and bring it home. Make envelopes for every budget item you have, like gas, food, rent and so on. Then put the appropriate amount of cash in each envelope. When you wanna buy something, only use cash from the correct envelope. This makes it so you won't overspend in any one category, and you'll always have money for things you need.

Writing practice

Write a couple of paragraphs talking about the importance of managing your money well and what can happen if you don't. Make sure to use words you learned from the text and try to make it as long as you can.

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