Explain changes in spending, compare saving strategies and support a preference with reasons.
Fictional examples welcome. You never need to disclose your income, bills or family circumstances.
A pay raise should be good news. Yet the celebration can be short if the supermarket bill, rent and transport costs grow faster. The cost of living is about the everyday things people need to pay for. Inflation describes a broad rise in prices. It tells us about change, not whether today’s prices feel affordable. Even when inflation slows, prices can continue rising—just more slowly.
Our charts use Spain as a starting point. The national CPI shows general price changes over one, five and ten years, all ending in October 2026. OCU’s separate supermarket study compares a shopping basket with the previous study. Its collection dates and products differ from the CPI. That matters: a headline about average inflation will not describe every family’s shopping, and a large increase in one vegetable does not describe the whole economy.
To make ends meet means to have enough money for necessary costs. When money gets tight, people may cut back on meals out, shop around or switch to store brands. They may make do with an older phone rather than replace it. Making do means managing with what is available, even when it is not ideal. Going without means not having something at all. These expressions describe different choices.
Not every saving tip is equally useful. Cooking several meals together might save time and money later, but it requires ingredients, equipment and space to store the food. Traveling to a cheaper supermarket may cost more than it saves. A person who has already cut every optional cost has fewer choices than someone canceling a subscription they rarely use.
Pay and prices also need a fair comparison. A larger salary in euros is a nominal increase. A real increase means the salary can buy more after changes in prices. Average pay can rise while some workers receive nothing extra. Working more hours can also increase someone’s monthly income without increasing their hourly pay.
Should governments regulate prices? A temporary limit could protect shoppers from a sudden rise in essential costs. However, shops and producers must still cover their costs. Another option is direct help for households, or tax reductions on selected goods. The class does not have to agree on one answer. A useful plan should explain who benefits, who pays and what might happen next.
Original classroom writing. Research snapshot: 13 November 2026.
Do not add overlapping periods. A slowing positive rate is not a falling price level.
| Month | Annual CPI rate |
|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 3.1% |
| Nov 25 | 3.0% |
| Dec 25 | 2.9% |
| Jan 26 | 2.3% |
| Feb 26 | 2.3% |
| Mar 26 | 3.4% |
| Apr 26 | 3.2% |
| May 26 | 3.2% |
| Jun 26 | 3.2% |
| Jul 26 | 3.6% |
| Aug 26 | 4.3% |
| Sep 26 | 4.9% |
| Oct 26 | 4.9% |
| OCU selected product | Change |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes | +33.2% |
| Lemons | +25.2% |
| Cauliflower | +22.8% |
| Eggplant | +20.4% |
| Megrim fish | +19.4% |
| OCU whole basket | +1.8% |
| Mashed potato mix | -14.8% |
| Artichokes | -15.1% |
| Canary Islands bananas | -22.6% |
Explain a phrase, check its meaning, then use it in a spending decision.
Answer in pairs and identify a supporting sentence. Keep opinion separate from a reading fact.
Hamburger Helper is an American boxed pasta-and-sauce mix; you add ingredients such as ground beef and milk. It stretches the meat into more portions. Instant ramen is another familiar US college-budget option. A 2025 opinion article treats stronger demand for budget meals as a clue about financial pressure. This is an informal idea, not an official inflation index. What is your go-to meal when money is tight?
A brief cultural aside, not a separate economics unit. Optional: the 2025 opinion article · What is in the box?
Spain, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025: average gross wage cost per worker rose 4.0%; CPI annual rates were 3.2% in April, May and June. Using these rounded figures gives approximately 0.8% real growth: 1.04 ÷ 1.032 − 1. This is a broad average comparison—not each worker’s pay raise, median earnings or take-home income.
INE wage-cost releaseIn an ONS survey of adults in Great Britain in August 2026, 59% reported spending less on non-essentials because of rising living costs, 43% shopping around more and 38% spending less on food shopping and essentials. These are self-reports, not Spanish statistics; people could take more than one action.
ONS survey and methodsA worker receives 3% more pay while their usual basket costs 5% more. Has the pay rise improved what they can buy? What else would you want to know?
Federal Reserve Education · Inflation
Watch only the opening three minutes, or stop earlier after the basket explanation. Historical prices are examples from the video, not today’s prices. This is a US explainer; its policy target and methodology require context.
Open official video and transcriptInflation is a broad increase in prices over time. A low price in the past does not prove something was easier to afford, because pay was different too. A price basket combines many purchases. It describes an average pattern, while households spend their money differently.
Official page and transcript checked; video playback has not been verified here. The fallback is original classroom narration, not an authentic transcript.
Find at least €80 of monthly changes in the fictional budget. For each change, discuss the money saved, the time required and who might find it difficult. Protect one small pleasure and explain why your plan is realistic.
| Item | Euros per month |
|---|---|
| Housing and bills | €1050 |
| Food and household goods | €420 |
| Transport | €160 |
| Health and essential care | €90 |
| Phone and internet | €60 |
| Social life and subscriptions | €120 |
| Savings / emergency buffer | €100 |
Income €2,100 · current spending €2,100 · new cost €80.
| Possible change | Monthly saving |
|---|---|
| Switch some brands / reduce food waste | €25 |
| Cancel one subscription | €15 |
| Two fewer takeout meals | €30 |
| Walk or use an existing bus pass for suitable trips | €20 |
| Renegotiate phone plan | €10 |
| Delay a non-urgent purchase | €30 |
| Reduce the savings contribution this month | €40 |
Compare quality, time, transport and access. Do not cut essential care or recommend skipping meals.
Final outcome: Agree on a plan, defend one protected priority and explain a tradeoff.
Compare the three options. What problem do you want to solve first?
The government sets a maximum price for a few important products. This can help shoppers. But shops must still pay for products and workers. What if the maximum price is too low?
The government gives money or food vouchers to people who need help. Who should receive it? How can people apply easily?
Lower taxes on some products could reduce prices if shops pass the saving on. More choice between shops could help too. How would we check that shoppers benefit?
Who benefits? Who pays? What could go wrong? How would you check whether it worked?
Compare two fictional shops: a nearby store saves travel time; a farther one offers a cheaper basket. Design the information you need before deciding which is better value.
One useful expression. One claim you can support with data. One choice or opinion you reconsidered.
Related: The Repair Revolution · Related: The Four-Day Workweek · All versions of this topic
60-minute route: warmer 5; reading and comprehension 12; charts 8; vocabulary and useful language 8; selected discussion 12; decision and exit ticket 15. Optional media replaces part of discussion; add the extension and policy clinic for 90 minutes.
Teach make do with + noun, do without + noun, cut back on + noun/-ing. Avoid “make do without” as the default example when contrasting the meanings. Recycle expressions in decisions rather than drilling them in isolation.
Budget example: €25 brand/waste changes + €15 subscription + €30 fewer takeout meals + €10 phone plan = €80. These are fictional estimates. Do not count the same food saving twice. Teen plan: picnic €20 total or free local event up to €10 with optional snacks; café €28 exceeds €24.
Listening guidance: Old prices need old pay for an affordability comparison; a basket measures a collection, not each household. Answer using the excerpt actually played; use the original fallback if unavailable.
Anticipated pitfalls: Slower positive inflation is not falling prices; cumulative periods overlap; percent and percentage points differ; nominal sales and sales volumes differ; cheap food is not automatically an “inferior good.” The food aside should take about two minutes, not become a major section.