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Cash or Card?

Date: Dec 11 2009

Grammar: Past Perfect Progressive

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Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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It’s a tempting thought: “I’ll just charge it.” You can pay for almost anything with a credit card these days, and it’s easy to feel like plastic money isn’t real money.

Until you get your monthly bill, that is. A lot of Americans today are stuck with more credit card debt than they can handle. But cards are so convenient, why bother carrying a bunch of bulky cash?

Plus, if you pay attention, you can actually earn money by spending money through credit card rewards systems. As Mason says, you just have to know how to play the game. Find out if he and Marni prefer to pay with cash or cards.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Marni

Mason: I got 10,000 new credit card applications in the mail. And they just bug me, ‘cuz I’ve got my one, I’m signed on to the whole credit card thing, and I need everybody else to just leave me alone.

Marni: Yeah, but you’re gonna be inundated with offers if you have good credit.

Mason: I have great credit.

Marni: Right, that’s the thing.

Mason: The secret is pay it off.

Marni: But that’s why so many Americans and so many people get into trouble, is because they carry debt.

Mason: It is. It’s so easy, you’re just like “Hey, it’s just a little piece of plastic, and sure, put this on my tab, I’ll run that one, no problem, I’ll pick up this check.”

Marni: So, I had been using my credit card relentlessly, just paying for everything with my credit card.

Mason: A vicious cycle, it’s a vicious cycle.

Marni: Because I never have cash on me. And then my balance started just getting so high that I felt like I was spending money that I really didn’t have. So I had to scale back and actually start budgeting and paying for things with cash again.

Mason: Well and you know, you’re just robbing yourself, because the credit card companies, if you can use them right, you get great benefits, you get cash back or you get the miles, or you get shopping rewards or whatever.

Marni: Right. And I think that’s such a good incentive to use your credit card. But it does…I feel like it becomes a vicious cycle.

Mason: It’s like a game. You play the game and you get your little points…Stick it to the man! That’s what the credit card’s all about. The magnetic man. Stick it to him.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Paying your credit card bill on time every month and never carrying debt are good habits to get into. But as Mason has discovered, they also have a downside. When you have really good credit, you tend to receive tons of annoying offers for more credit cards in the mail.

Most places in the U.S. let you pay with a credit card, so it’s almost unnecessary to carry cash with you these days. Marni didn’t like to carry cash, so she used her credit card all the time. But she realized that she was spending too much money that way. Now she tries to pay with cash more often.

Do you usually pay for things with cash or a card? Do you think there are more pros or cons to using a credit card?

Comments

1 through 20 of 52
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Prashant1972

India

I use credit cards with care and getting their optimum benefits. Credit cards are very easy to carry and ready money is available with you. However one should take utmost care while using credit cards as said in the above lesson that there are so many rewarding offers associated with cards. One can easily attract to lucrative offers and vicious cycle may start.I use credit cards only when I wanted to purchase the things which otherwise I would have paid through cash. I am paying my credit cards bills promptly without any fault. The benefit of using credit cards is as follows:· Easy for use· Use is rewarding,· Can do transitions online, so your personal visit charges saved.

Ae_Waraporn

Thailand

I usually pay for things with cash, because I don't have a credit card.^^

bolortuul

Mongolia

i allways use cash.

bigsalmon

China

cash,cash,cash…i like the factuality that batches of bills are held in my hands! XP

cutebaby1

Russian Federation

As for me now I don't have any credit card at all. But when I had it I didn't use it often. Only to withdraw money from it, 'cuz in my country there are not so many places where you can pay by CC. Only in hotels, big shops and few restaurants.

tommy_bel

Russian Federation

I think , that the inventor who will embed a LED display into a credit card will be a real genius, who save a billions of our dollars (euros, roubles etc.), because we would be able to control our budget every time we want to make a payment. But, unfortunately it is still a sci-fi ( but technically it is not unreal ). So , we always have to keep in mind that stuff about our money. Otherwise, the bank will make its profit of our absent-mindesness))). If you`re able to control yourself and know how to count your money – use CC, if you a man-of-desires – use your cash)).

Temka

Mongolia

I usually use cash . It's better. If i get credits then i will be having a vicious cycle.So the cash is better for me.

Temka

Mongolia

The lesson was cool i liked it much . Now i know how to play with credit cards

Meyra

Turkey

Credit cards are very convenient but when you have a credit card you feel like you're shopping for free :)

L_a_d_a

Ukraine

well mosly i pay with cash

i think both pros and cons

r ! f k i

Indonesia

....if the cashier asked me: "cash or card"?

my answer'd be: "free of charge, please.."

cho84

Colombia

to use dredit card is good but only when you are going to buy somethin gexpensive. otherewise, i prefer to use cash.

akank.saja

Indonesia

yeah true.. credit card just put us on vicious cycle situation. I was have 5 credit cards and I had trouble with that, so I closed it all then i started to use cash money again.

I wrote on my blogs about financial suicide http://elvinjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/financial-suicide.html

sorry about my English there, I am not native English speaker :P :P

cherieying

China

it supposed that credit card would first make your life comfortable,you can buy things without consideration even you don't have the cash but you have credit card,however,when the end of month is coming, that will make you feel not well,the debt may ruin your weekend and you have to keep up working to pay off the next month's debt.

Hairfly

Brazil

I prefer pay in credit car or debit card.

beyaznapolyon

Turkey

i think that credit card is a bad habit for people.

when the peaople used the credit card they feel happy.

the credit card is so bad that it is big liar;)

because it gives just bills..

Cool-danish

South Korea

If credit card is in one's hand, the card will be used exactly..

Youky Yeung

China

I have a credit card, but never use it. i think i'd rather use cash, that i know how much money i spend and how much money i still have, using card always cause more consume, so i think cash is more suitable for me…

girafinha

Japan

i pay for most of the things with cash. in that way, i can control my finantial status. it's much more obvious to see how my money go in and out. however,since i came to the us, i've been paying with card. the reason why is it's not safe to carry cash with me here,and almost all the places accept cards in the us as the dialog says. also it's simply easy. but i also have the downside of being out of control with my balance..arggg