5c. Talking About Money - Discussing Finances

1. Talking about Money -
Discussing Finances
UNIT 22
ASL III

2. Talking about Money
Talking about money is inevitable - we
compare prices on clothes and furniture,
discuss purchases we’ve made, brag about
bargains we’ve found, commiserate when
we spend a fortune on car repairs, ask
about borrowing and paying off debts,
discuss how best to save money for the
future, and so on. This unit introduces
you to money-related signs so you can
discuss financial topics with others.

3. Talking about Money
This is a semantics (vocabulary) unit.
Since we live in and are all part of the
American economy, we naturally develop
signs to match the words that are
commonly used to talk about finances -
words like deposit, withdrawal, loan,
interest, paid off, bounced check,
investment, and dividends. However, not
all signs mean exactly the same as their
English counterparts. You will learn
when and how to use these money signs
appropriately.

4. Discussing Finances
• DONATE - “to make a donation to
someone or to a charity”
• BE-BROKE - “to be out of money; to be
short of money; to be broke”
• (2h)SPEND-ALL (S→1) - “to spend more
than you really should; in another context
this sign can mean to spend money
recklessly”
• OWE++ - “to owe someone; to be in debt;
to afford to be in debt”
• HAVE-TIGHT-BUDGET - “to barely make
ends meet; to live from paycheck to
paycheck”
*The word “bills” is fingerspelled.
Here is a video of these vocabulary words.
Please watch this clip to see how you would
use these sign in action.

5. Dialogue 1
• What was Cinnie selling?
Raffle tickets
• How much were the raffle
tickets?
10 tickets for $8 or $1 each
• What were the prizes for
winning the raffle?
1st - $500, 2nd - $100, 3rd –
dinner for two
• Why was Byron reluctant about
buying the tickets right away?
He was broke
• What did he offer instead?
He gets paid in 2 weeks and
will give her the money.
Read the questions and answers to this dialogue.
Then, watch the video and see if you can catch the
key vocabulary used.
Key Vocabulary:
PRESENT-TO (donate) fs-BILLS
(2h)BE-BROKE OWE++
HAVE-TIGHT-BUDGET fs-PAYCHECK
(2h)SPEND-ALL (S->1) SUBSCRIBE/ GET

6. Discussing Finances
PAY-IN-LARGE-CHUNKS - “to pay for an expensive
item with a large sum of cash; if the sign is repeated, it
means to increase monthly payments substantially to pay
off a debt sooner”
CAN’T AFFORD - “to be unable to afford something; to
not have sufficient funds to make a purchase, to be unable
to assume any more debts”
PAY-REGULARLY - “to make monthly payments, i.e.,
bills, rent; to provide financial support on a regular basis,
e.g., alimony, or allowances”
INCREASE - “to increase; to appreciate in value or debt”
LAY-AWAY - “to make a purchase using a layaway plan;
to pay on the unpaid balance until it is paid in full before
taking the merchandise”
PAY++ - “to keep paying”
PAID-OFF - “to have a debt paid in full; to pay off a debt”
Here is a video of these vocabulary words.
Please watch this clip to see how you would use
these sign in action.

7. Dialogue 2
• What was Missy’s problem?
Her term paper was due real soon, but the
computers in the library were almost always
occupied.
• What did Ken suggest and why?
He suggested that she buy a computer for her own
use. Its benefit is that you can complete work at your
own pace. No need to wait for availability.
Note: Missy and Ken used different signs for
“computer.”
• What was Ken’s response to Missy’s idea of
charging the computer to her credit card rather
than buying it outright?
He cautioned Missy about the high interest rate for
using credit cards (18%) and suggested that she
consider a layaway plan.
• Why did Missy finally decide to charge the
purchase after all?
She charged it because she needed to use the
computer right away rather than having to wait for
it to be paid off on the lay away plan.
Read the questions and answers to this dialogue.
Then, watch the video and see if you can catch the
key vocabulary used.
Key Vocabulary:
PAY-IN-LARGE-CHUNKS
PAY-REGULARLY INTEREST
CAN’T AFFORD LAY-AWAY
USE-CREDIT-CARD PAID-OFF

8. Discussing Finances
MONEY+ZERO “palm” - “to
run out of money/funds; to be
broke; to have zero balance in
an account”
POUR-MONEY-ON - “to
spend or pay more than you’d
like or expect for something,
e.g., major repairs, renovations,
tuition, hospital bills, or
weddings”
Here is a video of these vocabulary words.
Please watch this clip to see how you would use
these sign in action.

9. Dialogue 3
• What did Nikki invite Cinnie to?
She invited her to join her in flying down to
see a Deaf West Theatre show 2 weeks
following, particularly because Cinnie’s
friend, Bob Gail, was in that show.
• Why did Cinnie decline?
She didn’t have enough money to spend
because of a recent major bathroom
renovation she did.
• What did Nikki offer Cinnie instead?
She offered to treat Cinnie to dinner for her
birthday even though her birthday was 2
weeks later.
Read the questions and answers to this
dialogue. Then, watch the video and see if
you can catch the key vocabulary used.
Key Vocabulary:
MONEY+ZERO“palm”
POUR-MONEY-ON

10. Discussing Finances
MONEY+RICH - “to be wealthy; to have an abundance of money”
(2h)alt. PRESENT-TO (donate) - “to bequeath; to present a large
monetary gift to someone”
(2h)SPEND - “to spend all of the money you have in a short period of
time; to blow money”
(2h)alt. DONATE - “to donate to a number of causes or to people; this
sign is a variation of an earlier sign shown”
GET-LOTS-MONEY (V handshape) - “to make a great deal of money
from an investment, inheritance, or from gambling; a windfall”
BUY - “to buy; to purchase”
ZERO-BALANCE - “money dwindles down until there is nothing left”
(2h)TREAT-TO-ALL - “to pay for everyone’s expenses; to treat everybody
to something”
(2h)alt. WINK+BRIBE - “under the table; to gain favor from someone by
giving him/her money; to bribe (usually refers to activity that is not
aboveboard)”
BUSINESS IN-RED - “to get into debt; to lose money in a business
venture”
Here is a video of these vocabulary words.
Please watch this clip to see how you would use
these sign in action.

11. Dialogue 4
• What hypothetical situation did Ken present to
Byron? What are the conditions? ?
Situation: You inherited $100,000,000 from a
relative. In order to receive the whole sum, you must
first spend $10,000,000 within 1 month without: 1.
building any assets, 2. donating to poor people, or 3.
putting any money into savings.
• What ideas did Byron have (in regards to the
hotel and the baseball team)?
Hotel: 1. rent one month’s worth of every room at a
very expensive hotel, the Ritz: 2. invite all of his
friends to stay at the hotel for the whole month and
treat them to fancy meals every day.
Baseball team: 1. buy a professional baseball team; 2.
pay outlandish salaries to all of the players; and 3.
bribe all the players to lose games, so business will
suffer, losing money.
Read the questions and answers to this dialogue.
Then, watch the video and see if you can catch the
key vocabulary used.
Key Vocabulary:
(2h)SPEND-ALL (S->O->S) TREAT
(2h)alt.PRESENT-TO(donate) (2h)TREAT-TO-all
(2h)alt.INVEST GOOD+MONEY
ZERO-BALANCE (2h)alt.WINK+BRIBE
MONEY+RICH (2h)PRESENT-TO BUSINESS IN-RED
GET-LOTS-MONEY (V handshape)

12. Discussing Finances
(2h)alt. CONTRIBUTE -
“everyone contributing or
pooling money”
PAY+EARN+SMALL - “small
or limited earnings”
STINGY - “to be a cheapskate;
to be stingy
Here is a video of these vocabulary words.
Please watch this clip to see how you would use
these sign in action.

13. Dialogue 5
• What was Ken asking the cast
to do and why?
Contribute $20 for director’s
birthday
• Why couldn’t Cinnie afford to
contribute $20.00?
She worked at a company for 4
years and never got a raise, cost of
living increased and she had large
deductions from her paycheck.
• How much did Cinnie end up
contributing?
$5.00
Read the questions and answers to this dialogue.
Then, watch the video and see if you can catch
the key vocabulary used.
Key Vocabulary:
(2h)alt.CONTRIBUTE SUBTRACT-FROM-LARGE
PAY+EARN+SMALL COST LIVING GO-UP
NONE PAY INCREASE HAVE-TIGHT-BUDGET
RICH CAN’T+AFFORD
STINGY NEEDY

14. “Buying a Car - New or Used”
Which car was Missy interested in buying?
the four-door Honda Accord
How much of a down payment could Missy afford?
up to $3,000 for the down payment
How long did Missy want to pay off the loan?
no longer than 5 years
Besides making a cash down payment, what was Missy
thinking about doing?
trading in her old car
Summarize the pros and cons of buying a new car vs. a
used car in the following areas:
*interest: higher for a used car (11%) than for a new car
(7.5%)
*monthly payment: higher for a new car ($350) than for a
used car ($220)
*value of a car: value of a new car drops by $1,000 once it
leaves the dealer’s lot; the value remains about the same for
a used car
*car insurance: higher for a new car than for a used car
When Nikki purchased a car a couple of years back, why didn’t
she buy a new car?
She was a student at the time and had limited income working
part time.
Why does buying a used car seem to be a more attractive option
for Missy?
because she would have money left over each month for other car
expenses
Read the questions and answers to this
dialogue. Then, watch the video and see if
you can catch the key vocabulary used.

15. Review
Discussing Finances Vocabulary Words (and used in action):
DONATE
BE-BROKE
(2h)SPEND-ALL (S→1)
OWE++
HAVE-TIGHT-BUDGET
fs-BILLS
PAY-IN-LARGE-CHUNKS
CAN’T AFFORD
PAY-REGULARLY
INCREASE
LAY-AWAY
PAY++
PAID-OFF
MONEY+ZERO
POUR-MONEY-ON
MONEY+RICH
(2h)alt. PRESENT-TO (donate)
(2h)SPEND
(2h)alt. DONATE
GET-LOTS-MONEY (V handshape)
BUY
ZERO-BALANCE
(2h)TREAT-TO-ALL
(2h)alt. WINK+BRIBE
BUSINESS IN-RED
(2h)alt. CONTRIBUTE
PAY+EARN+SMALL
STINGY
Throughout this presentation, you have learned the following: