ENGLISH MIND
Inglรฉs para Latinos
B2 ยท Leaders Level ยท Monthly Book Series
The Psychology
of Money
2 Lessons ยท 45 min each ยท Familia English Mind
LevelB2
Lessons2
Duration45 min
BookM. Housel
1
Lesson 1 of 2 ยท Vocabulary & Speaking
Money Talk โ Real English People Actually Use
Idioms, slang, and phrasal verbs that native speakers use when talking about money โ at work, with friends, in the news. Nothing from a textbook. All real.
5 min
Warm-Up
Would You Rather: Money Edition
๐ Vote โ raise your hand or type in chat
- Q1: Would you rather live paycheck to paycheck in NYC or be broke but live on the beach?
- Q2: Would you rather blow all your savings on one dream trip or save it all forever?
- Q3: Would you rather get a raise or cut your expenses in half?
Notice the phrases โ paycheck to paycheck, blow your savings, get a raise. By the end of class, you'll own ALL of them. Let's go, familia.
10 min
Presentation
18 Money Phrases โ In Context
Each phrase is presented as a chunk โ with real context and one example sentence. Repeat each phrase after it's introduced.
Idiom
live paycheck to paycheck
Spend everything you earn โ nothing left to save.
Gastar todo lo que ganas, sin ahorrar nada.
"Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck โ one emergency away from trouble."
Idiom
break the bank
Cost too much โ financially ruin you.
Costarte demasiado, arruinarte.
"Going to that restaurant won't break the bank if you skip dessert."
Idiom
tighten your belt
Spend less because money is tight.
Gastar menos porque el dinero estรก apretado.
"After losing a client, we had to tighten our belt for a few months."
Idiom
money doesn't grow on trees
Money takes effort โ it doesn't appear from nowhere.
El dinero cuesta trabajo โ no aparece de la nada.
"Mom always said: money doesn't grow on trees, so spend it wisely."
Idiom
on a shoestring (budget)
With very little money.
Con muy poco presupuesto.
"We traveled through Europe on a shoestring โ hostels and street food only."
Idiom
pinch pennies
Be very careful โ or cheap โ with money.
Ser muy cuidadoso o tacaรฑo con el dinero.
"She pinched pennies for years to buy her first home."
Slang
blow your money / savings
Spend it all impulsively.
Gastar todo de forma impulsiva.
"He blew his entire bonus on a new car and a trip to Vegas."
Slang
broke
No money at all.
Sin dinero, arruinado.
"I can't come to the concert โ I'm totally broke until Friday."
Slang
cash-strapped
Very limited on money (more formal than "broke").
Con el dinero muy limitado. Mรกs formal que "broke".
"Many small businesses are cash-strapped after the holidays."
Slang
loaded / filthy rich
Extremely wealthy.
Extremadamente rico.
"Her new neighbor is loaded โ he has three Teslas in the driveway."
Slang
in the red / in the black
In debt / making a profit.
En nรบmeros rojos (deuda) / en positivo (ganancia).
"The company was in the red for two years, but now it's finally in the black."
Slang
a steal / a bargain
Something bought at a great price.
Algo que compraste a muy buen precio.
"$30 for those shoes? That's a steal โ I'd grab them now."
Phrasal Verb
save up (for)
Gradually save money for something specific.
Ahorrar gradualmente para algo especรญfico.
"We've been saving up for a house for three years."
Phrasal Verb
cut back on
Reduce spending in a specific area.
Reducir gastos en algo.
"We cut back on eating out to save an extra $400 a month."
Phrasal Verb
put aside
Set money aside for later.
Reservar/guardar dinero para despuรฉs.
"I try to put aside 20% of every paycheck before I spend anything."
Phrasal Verb
cash out
Convert an investment into cash.
Convertir inversiรณn en dinero en efectivo.
"He cashed out his stocks at the wrong time and lost a lot."
Phrasal Verb
splurge on
Treat yourself to something special.
Darse el gusto de gastar en algo especial.
"After the promotion, she splurged on a weekend trip to Miami."
Phrasal Verb
pay off
Finish paying a debt / also: be worth it.
Terminar de pagar una deuda / tambiรฉn: valer la pena.
"It took 5 years, but I finally paid off my student loans."
15 min
Practice ยท Interactive Drilling
Quick Conversations โ Pick the Best Response
Drilling ยท Lesson 1
10 Mini-Conversations โ Choose the Best Reply
Read the short conversation and pick the best reply for the last line. You have 20 seconds โ the clock starts as soon as the question loads. Go with your instinct!
15 min
Production ยท Role-Play
The Money Confession Show
๐๏ธ The Money Confession Show
Each person picks a role below (or is assigned one). You have 8 minutes to prepare a mini-conversation of 2 minutes using at least 5 phrases from today's class. Then 2โ3 groups perform for everyone.
๐ธ
The Impulse Spender
You blew your savings on something ridiculous. Now you have to explain it.
๐งฎ
The Penny Pincher
You pinch every penny. You haven't splurged in years. You judge everyone.
๐ฐ
The Loaded Cousin
You have money but pretend to be frugal. It's complicated.
๐ฌ
Always Broke
You're always broke but always in a good mood. Money is not your thing.
๐
The Investor
You never spend. You talk about compound interest at dinner.
๐ฏ Use 5+ phrases from class
โฑ๏ธ 2 minutes per group
๐ฌ Be honest โ or dramatic
๐ง React to what others say
Brain Challenge: After each performance, the class votes โ "Which character had the best financial mindset and why?" Answer using at least 2 phrases from today. No right answer. Defend your position in English.
All these phrases โ paycheck to paycheck, blow your savings, tighten your belt โ they come from real stories. Morgan Housel starts his book with exactly those kinds of stories. When you read Chapter 1 this month, you'll recognize the English AND the human behavior behind it. That's your unfair advantage, familia.
Lesson 2 ยท The Language of the Book
2
Lesson 2 of 2 ยท Academic & Conversational Vocabulary
20 Phrases from the Book โ Applied to Real Life
The 20 key phrases from The Psychology of Money โ not as dictionary definitions, but as tools to talk about money, decisions, and mindset in real life.
5 min
Warm-Up
Book Trailer + One Big Question
๐ The hook โ listen, then answer
"This book has been read by over 4 million people. The author says something radical on page one: your financial decisions are not about math โ they're about behavior. Today we're going to learn 20 phrases from this book. Not to pass a test. To think in English about money, about life."
- Your turn: What's one financial decision in your life โ good or bad โ that had nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with emotion? Share in pairs. 30 seconds each. Then we'll hear 2โ3 stories.
When you talk about that decision right now โ what language did your brain use? English or Spanish? By the end of today, it'll start switching.
10 min
Presentation
20 Key Phrases from the Book
Each phrase shown in context โ how Housel uses it, and how you can use it tomorrow. Repeat each phrase after it's presented.
Book Key
long-term thinking
Thinking about consequences over time, not just reacting to the moment.
Pensar en consecuencias a largo plazo, no reaccionar al momento.
"Buying a house requires long-term thinking โ it's not about now."
Book Key
compound interest
Interest that grows on top of itself โ the biggest secret of wealth.
El interรฉs que se acumula sobre el interรฉs.
"Compound interest works in your favor if you start saving at 25."
Book Key
wealth vs. being rich
Wealth = what you don't show (savings). Rich = what you display (spending).
Riqueza = lo que no se ve. Ser rico = lo que se muestra.
"That guy drives a Ferrari but has no savings. Rich is not wealthy."
Book Key
tail events
Rare but extreme events that change everything โ pandemics, job loss, crises.
Eventos raros pero extremos que cambian todo.
"Losing my job was a tail event โ now I always keep an emergency fund."
Book Key
room for error
Leave a safety margin in your financial plans.
Dejar un margen de seguridad en tus planes financieros.
"Always leave room for error โ don't invest money you can't afford to lose."
Book Key
reasonable, not rational
Financial decisions don't have to be perfect โ just reasonable for you.
Las decisiones no tienen que ser perfectas โ solo razonables para ti.
"I keep cash in savings. Not rational, but reasonable for my peace of mind."
Book Key
financial independence
Having enough that you don't have to work out of obligation.
Tener suficiente para no necesitar trabajar por obligaciรณn.
"My goal isn't to be rich โ it's financial independence. Freedom to choose."
Book Key
the seduction of pessimism
Why bad news sounds smarter than optimism โ and why that's dangerous.
Por quรฉ las malas noticias suenan mรกs inteligentes que el optimismo.
"Don't fall for the seduction of pessimism โ the economy recovers, it always has."
Book Key
social comparison
Comparing your financial life to others โ the biggest destroyer of wealth.
Comparar tu vida financiera con la de otros โ el mayor destructor de riqueza.
"Social comparison is why people buy things they can't afford to impress people they don't like."
Book Key
enough
Knowing when you have enough โ the hardest concept in the book.
Saber cuรกndo es suficiente โ el concepto mรกs difรญcil del libro.
"Knowing what 'enough' looks like for you changes how you spend, save, and feel."
Book Key
getting wealthy vs. staying wealthy
Building wealth and keeping it are two completely different skills.
Acumular dinero y conservarlo son dos habilidades completamente diferentes.
"Many lottery winners are broke in 5 years โ getting and staying wealthy are different skills."
Book Key
frugality
Conscious discipline in spending โ not being cheap, but intentional.
Disciplina consciente en el gasto โ no tacaรฑerรญa, sino intenciรณn.
"Frugality isn't about being cheap โ it's about deciding what's truly worth your money."
Book Key
endure volatility
Handle the market's ups and downs without reacting emotionally.
Aguantar las subidas y bajadas sin reaccionar emocionalmente.
"The hardest part of investing is learning to endure volatility without panic-selling."
Book Key
a high savings rate
A high percentage of income saved โ the most important financial metric.
Porcentaje alto de ingresos que guardas โ la mรฉtrica mรกs importante.
"A high savings rate matters more than a high income โ it's all about the gap."
Book Key
a price worth paying
Every good financial decision has a cost โ see it as a price, not a penalty.
Cada buena decisiรณn tiene un costo โ verlo como precio, no penalidad.
"Market drops are a price worth paying for long-term gains โ not a punishment."
Book Key
money buys freedom
The real value of money is control over your time.
El verdadero valor del dinero es el control sobre tu tiempo.
"Money buys freedom โ the freedom to say no to things that don't serve you."
Book Key
manage money to sleep at night
The best decisions give you peace, not the "perfect" ones on paper.
Las mejores decisiones son las que te dan paz, no las "perfectas en papel".
"I keep 6 months of expenses in cash โ not optimal, but it lets me sleep at night."
Book Key
save without a specific goal
Save to have options, not just for concrete objectives.
Ahorrar para tener opciones, no solo para objetivos concretos.
"I save without a specific goal โ because life surprises you and you want to be ready."
Book Key
history is not a reliable guide
The financial past doesn't predict the future โ the world keeps changing.
El pasado financiero no predice el futuro โ el mundo cambia constantemente.
"History is not a reliable guide โ what worked in 2005 won't work today."
Book Key
behavior beats intelligence
Behaving well with money matters more than knowing a lot about finance.
Comportarse bien con el dinero importa mรกs que saber mucho de finanzas.
"In personal finance, behavior beats intelligence every single time."
15 min
Practice ยท Interactive Drilling
Quick Conversations โ Pick the Best Response
Drilling ยท Lesson 2
10 Mini-Conversations โ Choose the Best Reply
Read the short conversation and pick the best reply for the last line. You have 20 seconds โ the clock starts as soon as the question loads. Trust your instinct!
15 min
Production ยท Fluency Sprint
Your 60-Second Financial Philosophy
Fluency Sprint ยท Lesson 2
My Money Philosophy โ Live
The question: "What is your personal money philosophy โ in English, using at least 4 phrases from today's class?"
You have 3 minutes to prepare, then speak for 2 minutes. While your classmate speaks: โ notice one phrase they used well โก prepare one question to ask them.
You have 3 minutes to prepare, then speak for 2 minutes. While your classmate speaks: โ notice one phrase they used well โก prepare one question to ask them.
2:00
ready
Press Start when your turn begins
๐ฏ 4+ phrases from today
โฑ๏ธ 2 min max
๐ฌ 1 question from classmates
๐ Everyone goes
๐ฅ Brain Challenge โ after everyone speaks
"If you had to describe the entire group's financial philosophy in one sentence using phrases from today โ what would you say?" No preparation. Just speak. That's the Language Mindset.
The real test: After all speakers are done, one volunteer summarizes the whole group's financial philosophy in ONE sentence โ using at least 3 phrases from today. No notes. No prep. Pure fluency. That's why we're here, familia.
You now have two toolkits โ the street language of money from Lesson 1, and the thinking language of money from Housel's book. When you read The Psychology of Money this month, you're not just reading in English. You're thinking in English. Every phrase you see in that book, you already know how to say it โ and how to feel it. That's the Language Mindset, familia. That's why we're here.
