Saving Money Shopping – B1/B2 Listening

In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, you will listen to Jade talking about how she saves money when shopping.

Jade speaks quickly, with a south-eastern British English accent, and she uses slang and filler phrases.

Complete the exercises below, then check the transcript to make sure you understood all of the words you heard.

Listen and understand

Answer the questions about how Jade saves money shopping. Check answers when you have finished all of the questions.

What is Jade’s general approach to shopping?

She always shops in the same store for everything

She chooses where to shop based on price and convenience

She avoids shopping as much as possible

How does Jade feel about buying online?

She avoids it because it’s confusing

She likes it but knows it has drawbacks

She only shops online during holidays

What challenge does Jade mention about discount stores?

Items are often out of stock

They’re expensive in the long run

They tempt people to overspend if not careful

Why does Jade sometimes choose Noodol for shopping?

It’s quieter and more relaxing

It’s a discount store with lower prices

It delivers groceries to her house

What does Jade do to avoid overspending?

She uses a budgeting app

She brings only a limited amount of money

She makes a shopping list and plans ahead

What issue does Jade mention with shopping online for clothes?

The website is often slow

She receives too many ads

Clothes don’t always fit and returns can be a hassle

Why does Jade go to shopping centres sometimes?

To hang out with friends

To try things on before buying

To shop during late-night hours

What does Jade say about finding deals in shops?

She never pays attention to sales

She finds good deals when there are sales

She prefers full-price items for better quality

Train your ear

Listen and complete ONLY the missing words.

And though it’s

Things cheaper there

They’ve always got on offer

But it can get really busy

You can end up buying

Dictation and transcript

Listen to the speaker again, and write what you hear. Then check your answers. Pause, replay or restart if you want to.

DRE Dictation

Words and phrases

Here are some useful words and expressions from the text about shopping that you might want to learn and use.

Words

a supermarket (n) – a large shop that sells food and household goods
pricier (adj) – more expensive than something else
convenient (adj) – easy and practical to use
a discount (n) – a lower price than usual
an offer (n) – a special price or deal in a shop
to overspend (v) – to spend more money than you planned
a fortune (n) – a very large amount of money
to compare (v) – to look at two or more things to see how they are different
a shopping centre (n) – a group of shops in one large building or area
a deal (n) – something you buy for a good price
a market (n) – an outdoor place where people sell food, clothes, or gifts
to bargain (v) – to try to agree on a lower price when buying something

Phrases

do a bit of food shopping – buy some food or groceries
a budget shop – a shopping trip where you try not to spend much
on offer – being sold at a lower price for a short time
plan ahead – prepare or think about what you will do before it happens
make a shopping list – write down what you plan to buy
end up (doing something) – finally do something, often by accident
way too much – much more than you need
spend a fortune – use a lot of money
buying stuff online – shopping on the internet
don’t fit properly – not the right size or shape
send (something) back – return an item you bought
a bit of a pain – something annoying or inconvenient
wait for the sales – buy things when shops reduce their prices
find good deals – get things for a good price
walk around – move through an area while looking at things
bargain for a better price – try to pay less for something
depends on what I need – changes according to the situation
how much I want to spend – the amount of money I plan to use
how quickly I need it – the amount of time I have before I need something

Grammar from the transcript

This shopping description includes several useful grammar patterns. The first section stays the same, and all other sections contain new patterns taken directly from this text.

Comparative structures

The speaker uses comparatives to show differences in amount, price, or quality.

a bit pricier
things are a lot cheaper there
The prices at Noodol are a lot lower than at Baggles

Prepositional clauses with “when / whenever / when it comes to”

These clauses organise ideas and show when something is relevant or true.

Whenever I do a bit of food shopping…
When things are cheap or on offer, you can end up buying way too much
When it comes to buying clothes though, I tend to shop online

Have got to for obligation

“Have got to” expresses strong necessity or obligation in everyday English.

you’ve gotta be careful
it has got pretty much everything I need (different meaning, possession, but authentic form)
I’ve got to go to a shopping centre if I need something quickly