B1 Listening: How I Spend My Money (Intermediate English)

Alex
6 hours ago
3 min read

B1 intermediate English listening about money. Includes comprehension questions, transcript, and a free PDF. Ideal for English learners and classrooms. — B1 English Listening Practice: How I Spend Money

B1 Listening: How I Spend My Money (Intermediate English)

Download the PDF (includes questions, speaking practice, and transcript)

Listen to the audio and answer the questions. The transcript and answers are at the bottom of the page.

Comprehension Questions

Veronica feels _______________.
a) happy
b) stressed
c) rich
Who makes the most money?
a) Veronica.
b) Veronica's husband.
c) Veronica's kids.
In recent years, Veronica has spent a lot of money on her _______________.
a) car
b) house
c) husband

Two years ago, Veronica had a problem with _______________ in her house.

a) mice

b) ants

c) bees

What does Veronica do to enjoy life? She _______________.
a) goes out to eat
b) goes on vacation
c) buys new clothes

Who plays piano?
a) The oldest child.
b) The youngest child.

Every year, Veronica and her husband have to buy new _______________ for Gary.
a) sheets
b) shoes
c) shirts

Veronica thinks that people shouldn't _______________ other people.
a) judge
b) laugh at
c) push

Veronica wants to go _______________.
a) to California
b) on vacation
c) home

Speaking Practice

Did your parents give you an allowance when you were younger?
Do you usually carry cash?
Do you have a credit card? If so, how old were you when you got your first credit card?
How much money do you spend on food every week?
Do you think you are "good with money"?

Transcript

B1 English Listening: How I Spend My Money

Hello. My name is Veronica. I have a full-time job and a family of four. Today, I want to tell you about my financial situation. To be completely honest, life is tough. I feel like I'm working all the time and that I never have enough money for everything.

First of all, I make around a thousand dollars a week. I'm sure that sounds like a lot to many people, but I live in California, so a thousand dollars is next to nothing. Luckily, my husband has a good job. He makes around two-thousand dollars a week, which is good. Together, we make pretty good money, but we still struggle to pay the bills.

For instance, we just bought a new car last month, and we still have fifteen years left on our mortgage. We live in a small home, but there's always something to fix or replace. Last year, we bought a new fridge. Six month ago, we had to buy a new toilet. Oh, and two years ago, we had a problem with mice, and the exterminator was not cheap.

You know what else isn't cheap? Food. Our weekly grocery bill is around three-hundred-and-fifty dollars. We also go out to eat once a week. I don't think that's too much for a family in California. You have to enjoy life a little bit, right?

Then, there are the kids' activities. Our oldest, Maddie, loves playing the piano. So, we bought her a piano. And we have been paying for lessons for the past three years. It's not cheap. Our youngest, Gary, loves playing soccer, so we pay for his soccer lessons. Luckily, soccer isn't very expensive, but Gary's only eleven and he's still growing, so we still have to buy new soccer shoes for him every year.

I know there are people who are listening to this and saying, "You chose to have a family. Why are you complaining?" I just think people shouldn't judge other people. I also think, in general, life is too expensive these days. Gas, groceries, clothes, entertainment, bills. Everything costs money, and it feels like work never ends. And I can't even remember our last real family vacation.