Discussing Budget & Practicalities
Roommates consider the cost implications of suggested activities, discuss transportation, and other logistical details.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
pricey
Means expensive or costing a lot of money. Use it when talking about things that are not cheap, like 'That restaurant is too pricey for me.'
factor in
To include something as part of your calculations or plans, like costs or time. For example, 'We need to factor in the travel time.' It's useful for practical discussions.
adds up
Means the total amount becomes significant when you combine costs. Say it like 'The bills add up quickly' when expenses accumulate.
affordable
Something that you can pay for without spending too much. Use it to suggest budget-friendly options, e.g., 'This hotel is affordable.'
break the bank
An idiom meaning to cost too much money. It's casual; say 'It won't break the bank' to mean it's not expensive.
chip in
To contribute a small amount of money towards something shared. Common in group plans, like 'Let's all chip in for the pizza.'
convenience
The quality of being easy and practical, not requiring much effort. Use it in planning, e.g., 'Location is important for convenience.'
split
To divide costs equally among people. Practical for roommates, like 'Let's split the bill.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
have we thought about the cost?
This is a polite way to raise a concern about money in group planning. Use questions like this to discuss practical issues. It's a yes/no question starting with 'have we' for shared consideration.
We also need to factor in transportation.
Useful for reminding others to include extra costs. 'Factor in' is a phrasal verb; use it in discussions about budgets to sound natural and practical.
that adds up.
A simple expression to show that costs are becoming too high. It's informal and common in everyday talks about money; helps express concern without being direct.
What if we did something more affordable around here?
This suggests an alternative idea using 'What if' for proposals. Great for negotiating plans; the conditional 'did' makes it hypothetical and polite.
I'm open to anything that doesn't break the bank.
Shows flexibility in plans while mentioning budget limits. 'Open to' means willing; the idiom 'break the bank' adds casual tone for friends discussing costs.
We could each bring a dish to share, or we could just chip in for pizza.
Offers options using 'could' for suggestions. 'Chip in' means contribute; this structure is useful for low-cost group activities, showing coordination.
We'd still need to check the weather for the picnic, obviously.
Points out a practical detail with 'obviously' for emphasis. 'We'd' is short for 'we would'; use in planning to cover all bases like weather or logistics.