Shopping, services, and money
A2 gave you the basics: buy, sell, cash, price, expensive. B1 needs the place vocabulary (mall, outlet, thrift store), the sale vocabulary (BOGO, clearance, Black Friday), the return vocabulary, the banking vocabulary (checking, savings, credit score), the payment app vocabulary (Venmo, Zelle, Cash App — uniquely American), and the money idioms that come up constantly.
This is also one of the most culturally American topics — US consumer culture has shaped a lot of unique vocabulary, from Black Friday to split the check.
Where you shop — places
| Place | Notes |
|---|---|
| store | general retail location (AmE default — grocery store, clothing store) |
| shop | also used, slightly more BrE-flavored |
| supermarket | big grocery store (Kroger, Safeway, Publix) |
| grocery store | what BrE calls a grocer’s; primary food shopping |
| corner store | small neighborhood store (snacks, basics) |
| convenience store | 7-Eleven, Wawa, Circle K — quick stops |
| mall | indoor shopping center with many stores |
| shopping center | outdoor strip-mall version |
| strip mall | small outdoor mall, shops in a row |
| outlet / outlet mall | discount stores selling brand items at lower prices |
| flea market | open-air used / antique market |
| farmers’ market | local produce / artisan market |
| thrift store | second-hand store (Goodwill, Salvation Army) |
| garage sale / yard sale | individual selling used items at home |
| pop-up shop | temporary store |
| boutique | small, high-end specialty store |
| department store | large multi-section store (Macy’s, Nordstrom, Target) |
| big-box store | huge single-store retailer (Walmart, Costco, Home Depot) |
| warehouse store | bulk membership store (Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s) |
Online and modern shopping
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| online shopping | buying via web |
| e-commerce | online retail (general term) |
| marketplace | Amazon, Etsy, eBay |
| seller | who sells |
| buyer | who buys |
| in-store | in physical store |
| curbside pickup | order online, pick up at store curb |
| drive-through pickup | similar, no exit car |
| delivery | shipping to your home |
| same-day delivery | delivered same day (Amazon Prime, Instacart) |
| dropshipping | seller forwards to manufacturer (often suspicious quality) |
By 2026, curbside pickup is mainstream for groceries (born in pandemic, stuck around). Same-day delivery is normal in cities. Instacart, DoorDash (food + grocery), Amazon Fresh are everyday brand names.
Sales and discounts
The American sales calendar shapes a lot of shopping vocabulary.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sale | reduced price period |
| discount | price reduction |
| on sale | currently discounted |
| half-off | 50% discount |
| markdown | price reduction (often after season) |
| clearance | final sale to clear stock (deepest discount) |
| BOGO | Buy One, Get One (free or half off) |
| 2-for-1 | similar to BOGO |
| coupon | discount voucher |
| promo code | discount code online |
| flash sale | very short sale |
| limited-time offer | time-restricted deal |
| holiday sale | sale around a holiday |
The American sales calendar
| Event | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| Black Friday | day after Thanksgiving (late Nov) | huge in-store discounts |
| Cyber Monday | Monday after Thanksgiving | online discounts |
| Prime Day | summer (Amazon-only) | Amazon mega sale |
| Memorial Day sale | late May | mattresses, appliances, cars |
| Fourth of July sale | July 4 | summer goods, appliances |
| Labor Day sale | early Sept | end-of-summer discounts |
| Back-to-school sale | August | school supplies, clothes, electronics |
| Boxing Day | (BrE — not really used in US) | not an AmE retail event |
Black Friday is iconic — it’s the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Cyber Monday is its online sibling.
Returns and customer service
US returns culture is generous compared to many countries — most stores accept returns for weeks.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| receipt | proof of purchase |
| return | give back for refund |
| refund | get your money back |
| exchange | swap for different item |
| store credit | credit to use only at that store |
| restocking fee | charge for returning some items |
| return policy | the store’s rules about returns |
| 30-day return | typical US return window |
| no questions asked | very generous return policy |
| customer service | the help desk / department |
| complaint | formal expression of dissatisfaction |
| warranty | manufacturer’s promise to fix / replace |
| under warranty | still covered |
| extended warranty | additional paid coverage |
Phrases:
- I’d like to return this.
- Do you have your receipt?
- Can I get a refund or just store credit?
- It’s still under warranty.
Money basics
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cash | physical money |
| coins | metal money |
| bills / banknotes | paper money — AmE bill, BrE banknote |
| change | smaller money returned after payment, or coins generally |
| credit card | borrows money, billed later |
| debit card | takes money directly from your account |
| ATM | Automated Teller Machine — cash machine |
| PIN | Personal Identification Number |
| chip | the chip on a card (vs swipe) |
| tap / contactless | tap card or phone to pay |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | phone-based payment |
Bank account types
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| checking account | everyday account for spending |
| savings account | for saving, usually small interest |
| money market account | higher-interest savings |
| CD (certificate of deposit) | locked savings for fixed period |
| balance | money currently in account |
| deposit | put money in |
| withdraw | take money out |
| transfer | move between accounts |
| direct deposit | salary paid directly to your account |
| overdraft | spending more than you have |
| overdraft fee | bank charge for overdraft |
| bank fee | various charges |
| interest rate | percentage paid / charged |
Credit and debt
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| credit | borrowed money / borrowing capacity |
| credit score | numerical rating of creditworthiness (300-850 in US) |
| credit limit | max amount you can borrow |
| credit card debt | unpaid balance accumulating interest |
| APR | Annual Percentage Rate — yearly interest rate |
| pay off | fully repay |
| pay down | partially repay |
| minimum payment | smallest amount you must pay |
| late fee | charge for paying late |
| loan | borrowed money for a specific purpose |
| mortgage | home loan |
| student loan | loan for education (huge issue in US) |
| auto loan | car loan |
| in debt | owing money |
| debt-free | owing nothing |
The credit score is hugely important in US life — it affects loan approval, apartment rental, even some job applications. Building credit and good credit / bad credit are everyday terms.
Payment apps (uniquely American)
These three are the standard US peer-to-peer payment apps:
| App | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venmo | PayPal | most popular, social feed of payments |
| Zelle | banks | bank-to-bank instant transfer, built into many banking apps |
| Cash App | Block (Square) | popular esp. with younger / Black users |
| PayPal | own | older, used for online purchases too |
| Apple Cash | Apple | iMessage-integrated |
Verbs:
- Venmo me. (= send me money via Venmo)
- I’ll Venmo you. (= I’ll pay you via Venmo)
- Zelle me. (= send me money via Zelle — though sometimes I’ll Zelle you)
- Send it Cash App. (= use Cash App)
These are now verbs in casual American English. I’ll Venmo you for the dinner is normal.
Income and expenses
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| income | money you earn |
| salary | yearly fixed pay ($60K salary) |
| hourly | paid by the hour ($25/hour) |
| paycheck | regular pay payment |
| pay stub | document showing pay details |
| benefits | health insurance, 401(k), etc. |
| 401(k) | US retirement savings plan |
| pension | retirement income (less common in private sector now) |
| tax / taxes | what you pay government |
| pre-tax / after-tax | before / after taxes |
| net / take-home pay | what’s left after taxes and deductions |
| gross | total before deductions |
| tip / tipping | extra payment for service |
| bonus | extra pay |
| raise | salary increase |
| commission | percentage-based pay |
| side hustle | extra income job |
| freelance | independent work |
| gig work | short-term independent work (Uber, DoorDash) |
Spending vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| budget | plan for spending |
| expenses | what you spend |
| bills | regular payments owed (rent, utilities) |
| utilities | electricity, water, gas, internet |
| rent | monthly housing payment |
| mortgage payment | monthly home loan payment |
| save up for | accumulate money for goal |
| splurge on | spend extravagantly |
| splurge | indulgent purchase |
| tight on money | low on funds |
| broke | out of money (casual) |
| strapped | short on money |
| comfortable | financially OK |
| well off | financially comfortable |
| wealthy / rich | having lots of money |
| in the red | losing money / overdrawn |
| in the black | profitable / positive balance |
| paycheck-to-paycheck | spending each paycheck before next |
The phrase living paycheck-to-paycheck is widely used in 2026 — about 60% of Americans report doing this.
AmE-specific money / restaurant phrases
The restaurant payment ritual has unique American vocabulary:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Check, please. | request the bill |
| Could we get the check? | polite version |
| Split the check / split the bill | divide the cost |
| Going Dutch | each person pays their own |
| Pick up the check / pick up the tab | pay the whole thing |
| It’s on me. | I’m paying |
| It’s my treat. | I’m paying (gift connotation) |
| Let me get this one. | I’ll pay |
| Tip | gratuity for service |
| Tip-out | when servers share tips with bartenders / bussers |
| Gratuity included | tip is automatic (often for groups of 6+) |
US tipping standards (2026):
- Restaurant: 18-22% (older: 15%; now creeping up)
- Bar: $1-2 per drink or 20%
- Coffee shop / counter service: optional, often a tip-screen at checkout
- Taxi / rideshare: 15-20%
- Hair / nail salon: 15-20%
- Food delivery: 15-20% plus pre-delivery tip
- Hotel housekeeping: $2-5/day
Tipping has expanded beyond restaurants in recent years (the tip screen phenomenon) — it’s a hot topic of complaint.
Negotiation
- Haggle — negotiate the price (used at flea markets, garage sales, sometimes cars)
- Bargain — negotiate (verb), or a great deal (noun)
- Lowball — offer way below asking price
- Best offer — your best price (in negotiation)
Money idioms — high frequency
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rip-off / rip off | overpriced / cheating someone |
| good deal / great deal | well-priced |
| bang for your buck | value for money |
| a steal | very cheap, great deal |
| dirt cheap | extremely cheap |
| break the bank | be too expensive |
| ballpark figure | rough estimate |
| a ballpark | approximate range |
| costs an arm and a leg | very expensive |
| pay through the nose | pay too much |
| on a shoestring | with very little money |
| make ends meet | barely cover expenses |
| cut corners | save money by lowering quality |
| a penny saved is a penny earned | saving = earning |
| money doesn’t grow on trees | money is finite |
| time is money | time has economic value |
| bring home the bacon | earn money for the family |
| bread and butter | main source of income |
| pinch pennies | be very frugal |
| on the house | free (gift from business) |
Collocations
- save money / for retirement / up
- spend money / time / on
- earn money / a living / interest
- make money / a fortune / a profit / a deposit
- lose money / your wallet / a job
- borrow money / from someone
- lend money / to someone (note: borrow = take, lend = give)
- owe someone money
- pay for / by card / cash / in full / off
- invest in / money / time
- withdraw / deposit money / from / into the account
- transfer money / funds
- build credit / savings
- pay off debt / a loan
- on a budget / a tight budget
- a fortune / a small fortune (= a lot of money)
- a king’s ransom (= a huge sum)
Phrases and expressions
- I’m broke. (= I have no money — casual)
- I’m strapped this month. (= short on money)
- Money’s tight. (= I don’t have much)
- Save up for… (= accumulate money for a goal)
- Splurge on… (= treat yourself)
- Worth every penny. (= excellent value)
- Not worth the money. (= overpriced)
- You get what you pay for. (= cheap = lower quality)
- My treat. (= I’m paying)
- Put it on my tab. (= add to my running bill — bar / restaurant)
Common Russian-speaker mistakes
- Magazine for store (false friend). Magazine in English is a periodical (Time, Vogue). For a shop, say store or shop.
- Pay with wrong preposition. Pay for the meal, not pay the meal (when there’s an object). But pay the bill (no preposition with bill). And pay by card / in cash, not pay with.
- Borrow and lend mix-up. Borrow = take (I borrow from you). Lend = give (I lend to you). Russians often say Could you borrow me 20?
- Economical vs economic. Economical = saving money / cheap to use. Economic = relating to the economy. An economic policy (about the economy) vs an economical car (cheap to run).
- Costly vs expensive. Both work but expensive is more common in everyday English. Costly sounds more formal or implies involving cost / sacrifice (a costly mistake).
- Receipt pronounced wrong. The p is silent: /rɪˈsiːt/, not /rɪˈsept/.
- Cash meaning money generally. In English, cash specifically means physical bills and coins. I don’t have cash means I don’t have paper money — but I might still have a credit card.
- Ticket for receipt. Russian чек in English context — the slip you get is a receipt, not a ticket. Ticket in retail context is a price tag or, in a financial sense, a parking ticket / fine.
Summary
- Places: store / shop, mall, outlet, thrift store, flea market; online: e-commerce, marketplace, curbside pickup, delivery.
- Sales: discount, BOGO, clearance, coupon; calendar: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day.
- Returns: receipt, refund, exchange, store credit, return policy, warranty.
- Money basics: cash, credit / debit card, ATM, contactless / tap / Apple Pay.
- Banking: checking, savings, balance, deposit, withdraw, overdraft, interest, credit score, credit limit, debt.
- US payment apps: Venmo (most popular), Zelle, Cash App, PayPal — all used as verbs.
- Income: salary, hourly, paycheck, benefits, 401(k), tip, bonus, raise, side hustle.
- Restaurant: check please, split the check, it’s on me, my treat, US tipping (18-22%).
- Idioms: rip-off, good deal, bang for your buck, break the bank, ballpark figure, costs an arm and a leg.
- Watch the borrow / lend trap and the magazine false friend.
Next theme: Clothes, fashion, and style — beyond A2 basics into blazers, hoodies, sneakers, athleisure, and in style / out of style.
A2: Money and banking B2: Personal finance