English Podcast for Beginners (A2–B1) | Let's Talk About Money 💰 Easy Ways to Save & Budget

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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr.

English channel where learning English

is easy and fun. I'm Emily.

>> Hello Emily and hello to all our

wonderful listeners. It's so good to be

here again.

>> It is. How are you doing today, Paul?

>> I'm feeling great, thank you. I had a

very nice weekend. How about you?

>> I'm doing very well, thanks. I'm excited

for our new episode today.

>> Me, too. You said we have a very useful

topic for everyone. I'm curious.

>> Yes, it's a topic for everyone. Today we

are going to talk about money.

>> Ah money. Yes. That is a very important

topic. It's a part of life.

>> Exactly. We will learn some easy English

words to talk about money and we will

share some easy ways to save money and

make a budget.

>> That sounds perfect. Many people think

talking about money is difficult, but we

can make it simple.

>> That's the plan. But wait, before we

start, we have a small request for

everyone listening.

>> Yes, we do. If you like our podcast,

please take a moment to give us a like.

It really helps us.

>> And please subscribe to Mr. English

channel so you don't miss our new

episodes. and share this with your

friends who are learning English.

>> Yes, please do. Your support is amazing.

Okay, Emily, I'm ready. Let's talk about

money.

>> Let's do it. So, Paul, we all use money

every day. We buy things.

>> Yes, we do. I buy food. I buy coffee in

the morning. I buy a ticket for the bus.

Me too. This is called spending money.

When you give money to get something,

you spend it.

>> Ah, so I spend money on coffee and I

spend money on food. I understand.

>> Yes, exactly. Now, in life, we have

needs and we have wants. These are two

very important words when we talk about

money.

>> Needs and wants. Hm. Okay. What is the

difference, Emily?

>> Good question. A need is something you

must have to live. It is very important.

>> Something I must have like what?

>> Like food. You need food. You need

water. You need a home to live in. These

are needs.

>> Ah, okay. That makes sense. I need food

every day. So, food is a need.

>> Perfect. Now, a want is something you

would like to have. It's nice, but you

don't need it to live.

>> Something I would like to have, but I

don't need it. Can you give me an

example? Sure,

a new video game is a want. Or maybe a

very fancy, expensive jacket. It's nice,

but you don't need it.

>> I see. So, my old jacket is fine. A new

expensive jacket is a want.

>> Exactly. Or think about coffee. A simple

coffee can be a daily habit, but maybe

going to a very expensive cafe five

times a day is a want.

>> Okay, you have a point. One coffee is

okay. Maybe five expensive coffees is a

want. I get it.

>> Yes. And understanding the difference

between needs and wants is the first

step to managing your money. Well,

>> that's a great start. Needs are

important. Wants are extra. I will

remember that. So, what's next?

>> Next, let's talk about a budget.

>> A budget. I hear this word a lot. It

sounds a little serious.

It can sound serious, but it's actually

a very helpful friend. A budget is just

a plan for your money.

>> A plan for my money. I like the sound of

that. How does it work?

>> It's simple. A budget helps you see your

money in and your money out.

>> Money in and money out.

Okay. What is money in?

>> Money in is all the money you receive.

For most people, this is their salary

from their job.

>> Okay. So, the money I get from my work

every month is my money in.

>> Yes, that's it. And money out is all the

money you spend. So, my food, my coffee,

my bus ticket, my rent for my apartment,

this is all money out.

>> You got it. A budget is just a way to

look at those two things together. Your

money in and your money out.

>> So, how do I make a budget? Do I need a

computer?

>> No, not at all. You can start with

something very simple. A notebook and a

pen. A notebook. I like that. It's easy.

>> It is. You can make two columns. On one

side of the page, write money in. On the

other side, write money out.

>> Okay. Money in and money out. I can do

that.

>> Great. Under money in, you write your

salary for the month.

>> Done. My salary is under money in. Now

for the other side.

>> Yes, the money out side. For one month,

try to write down everything you spend

money on.

>> Everything really. Even a small

chocolate bar.

>> Yes. Everything. Your rent, your bills,

your food, your coffee, your chocolate

bar. Everything.

>> Wow. That will be interesting.

I think I might be surprised where my

money goes.

>> Many people are. The small things can

add up. That little coffee every day or

that snack in the afternoon.

>> H. Yes. If I buy a coffee for $3 every

day in one month, that is a lot of

money.

>> Exactly. A budget is like a map. It

shows you where your money is going. It

doesn't tell you what to do. It just

gives you information.

>> A map for my money. I love that idea,

Emily. It feels less scary now.

>> Good. It's your tool to help you. So,

after you have your budget for a month,

you can look at it. You can see your

needs and your wants.

Ah, so I can see how much I spend on

needs like food and rent and how much I

spend on wants like going to the movies.

>> Yes, exactly. And this brings us to our

next topic, saving money.

>> Saving money. This is the best part. I

want to save money. How can my budget

help me?

>> Your budget can show you where you can

save. You look at your wants list. Okay,

I'm looking at my list of wants. My five

expensive coffees,

[Laughter]

>> right? Maybe you can spend less on some

wants. For example, instead of buying

coffee every day, you can make coffee at

home on some days.

>> Make coffee at home. That's a good idea.

It is much cheaper.

>> It is. And you can save a little money

every day. A little money saved every

day becomes a lot of money over a month

or a year.

>> Wow, that's true. It's a small change,

but it has a big result. That's a great

tip.

>> Here is another one. Cooking at home.

>> Cooking at home. I like to cook.

>> That's great because eating at

restaurants or buying takeout food can

be very expensive. It's a want.

>> Yes, it is. Sometimes after work, I'm

tired and I just buy dinner, but it does

cost more money.

>> It does. If you cook your meals at home,

you can save a lot. You can even cook

extra for lunch the next day.

>> That's a super idea. Cook once, eat

twice, and I can save money on lunch,

too.

>> See, easy ideas. It's about making

small, smart choices.

>> I like these smart choices. What else,

Emily? Do you have more tips?

>> I do. Another good idea is to make a

shopping list before you go to the

supermarket.

>> A shopping list. Why is that important?

>> When you have a list, you know exactly

what you need to buy, your needs, like

milk, bread, eggs.

>> Okay, I write my list. milk, bread,

eggs.

>> Then at the store, you only buy the

things on your list. You don't buy extra

things that you want but don't need.

>> Like that big bag of cookies or that

extra ice cream.

I always see things I want.

>> Me, too. The supermarket is full of

wants. A list helps you stay focused and

spend less.

>> That is so true. A list is a plan for my

shopping. A budget is a plan for my

money. It's all about planning.

>> Yes, it is. Good job, Paul. Now, here is

something to make saving more fun. Have

a saving goal.

>> A saving goal? What do you mean?

>> A goal is something you want to achieve

in the future. So, a saving goal is a

reason to save money. Why do you want to

save?

>> H a reason to save? Well, I would love

to go on a vacation next year.

>> Perfect. A vacation is a fantastic

saving goal. Or maybe you want to buy

something special like a new bicycle or

a new phone. Oh, I really want a new

bicycle. My old one is very, very old.

>> There you go. A new bicycle is your

saving goal.

>> So, how does a goal help me save?

>> It helps you stay motivated. When you

are at a cafe, you can think, hm, do I

buy this expensive cake or do I put this

money away for my new bicycle?

>> Ah, that is powerful. I can see my

bicycle in my mind. The cake is nice

now, but the bicycle is a bigger dream.

>> Exactly. Your goal makes the choice

easier. You are not just not spending

money, you are saving for your bicycle.

It feels positive.

>> That's a wonderful way to think about

it. It's not about losing something now.

It's about gaining something better

later. My new bicycle.

>> Yes. And you can make it visual. You can

put a picture of a bicycle on your wall

or on your desk. Oh, I love that idea.

So, I can see my goal every day. It

reminds me why I am saving.

>> It does. It keeps your dream alive.

>> This is great. So, I have my budget. I

am making small changes and I have a

goal. What is a good way to physically

save the money? Where do I put it?

>> A great question. You can open a

separate bank account just for your

savings. A savings account.

>> A savings account. So I have one account

for spending and one for saving.

>> Yes. And every week or every month you

can move a little money into your

savings account.

>> So it's separate. I won't spend it by

accident.

>> Correct. And here is a fun old-fashioned

way to save small amounts of money.

>> Oh, I'm listening.

>> A piggy bank.

>> A piggy bank?

Like the small pink pigs for children?

>> Yes, but it works for adults, too. It's

for your coins.

>> My coins? The small money I get back

when I buy something. The change.

>> Exactly. At the end of every day, you

can take all the coins out of your

pocket and put them in the piggy bank.

>> H. It's only a little bit of money each

day. Does it really help?

>> You will be so surprised. You don't

really miss the coins day by day. But

after a few months or maybe a year, when

you open the piggy bank,

>> there will be a lot of money inside.

Wow, that's like finding treasure.

>> It is. It's a very easy and satisfying

way to save without thinking too much

about it.

>> I'm going to get a piggy bank or maybe

just a big jar. I'll call it my bicycle

jar.

>> Bicycle jar. I love it. That's a perfect

name. It connects to your goal.

>> Yes. So, let's review the steps. They

are all very simple and use easy English

words.

>> Great idea, Paul. Let's do a quick

review.

Okay. So, step one was to understand the

difference between needs and wants.

>> Yes, needs are what you must have. Wants

are what you would like to have.

>> Step two was to make a simple budget

with a notebook. Money in and money out.

>> That's right. to see where your money

goes.

>> Step three was to find small ways to

save money, especially on wants, like

making coffee at home or using a

shopping list.

>> Perfect. Small changes make a big

difference.

>> Step four, have a saving goal. something

exciting to save for, like my new

bicycle.

>> Yes, a goal keeps you motivated.

>> And step five, a fun extra tip is to use

a piggy bank or a jar for your coins.

>> You remembered everything. Good job,

Paul.

>> Thank you, Emily. Your tips are just so

clear and easy to follow. I feel like I

can really do this.

>> That's the most important thing. Anyone

can do it. You just need to start.

>> And the English words are not so

difficult.

Money, spend,

save, budget, cost, price,

need, want, goal, coins.

>> See, you are already talking about money

in English. It's fantastic.

>> This is great. I hope our listeners are

feeling good about this, too.

>> I hope so, too. It's about being in

control of your money. And that is a

good feeling.

>> A very good feeling. And it starts with

a simple plan.

>> Yes, just a simple plan in a simple

notebook.

>> Wow, Emily, our time is flying by. I

can't believe it's almost the end of the

episode.

>> I know. Talking about money was fun.

It really was and very helpful. Thank

you for these great ideas. I'm starting

my bicycle jar tonight.

>> That is wonderful to hear. We really

hope these tips and English words help

all of you at home.

>> Yes. Remember everyone, even a small

step is a good start.

>> That's so true. And now before we go, we

would love to hear from you.

>> We would please leave a comment for us.

Let us know what is one tip you use to

save money.

>> Or you can tell us about your saving

goal. What are you saving for? Is it a

trip, a new phone, a car?

>> We are excited to read your answers.

Reading and writing in English is great

practice, too.

>> It is. And please, if you enjoyed this

episode, don't forget to subscribe to

Mr. English Channel

>> and share it with your friends and

family. Let's help everyone learn

English and manage their money in a fun

and easy way.

>> Thank you so much for listening today.

It was a pleasure, Paul. The pleasure

was all mine, Emily. Until next time,

everyone. Goodbye.

>> Bye for now. See you in the next

episode.

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