‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits

Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

1
  Warmer

a. Which of these things would you give up to save money? Put them in order from 1–6: 1 is the
thing you would be most likely to give up and 6 is the least likely. Give reasons for your choice.

• mobile phone

• TV services and apps

• internet service

• washing machine

• car

• air conditioning

2
  Key words

a. Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

cancel            cut back            disability            inflation            subscriber

1. is when prices increase so that money becomes less valuable.

2. A is someone who pays money to receive a product or

service regularly.

3. If you a streaming service, you stop paying for it.

4. If you have a , you cannot use a part of your body or your

brain correctly.

5. If you , you reduce the amount of money you spend.

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 ‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits
Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

extend      outgoings      pension      reassess      retired

6. Your are the amounts of money you have to spend regularly, for
example on your rent or fuel bills.

7. If a person is , they are no longer working because they are too old.

8. Your is the money you receive regularly after you have stopped
working because of your age.

9. If you your home, you make it bigger.

10. If you something, you check it carefully again.

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 ‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits
Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate
Gemma McSherry and Clea Skopeliti ‘We decided to rationalize our outgoings’
23 July, 2022 12 “My wife and I are extending our home and the
building costs have rocketed,” says John, 41,
1 The UK inflation rate is about 10% and an engineer.
could increase to 12% by October, 2022. The
cost-of-living crisis means many people are 13 “We decided to increase our savings and
trying to reduce their expenses. reassess our finances.

2 One area includes streaming services. Netflix 14 John now only joins and leaves services when
lost one million subscribers in the second there is a particular show he wants to watch.
quarter of 2022. 15 “We cancelled Netflix but recently re-joined to
watch a series and cancelled again after two
3 We spoke to four people about how the rising
months. We joined Disney+ to watch the Star
cost of living has changed their TV habits.
Wars films, but I’m thinking of cancelling it too.”
‘I haven’t watched it in ages’ 16 John and his wife were not using their
4 Kate says she has cancelled Netflix. “I haven’t subscriptions enough and they were costing
watched it for ages so what am I paying for?” nearly £50 a month. “We have work and two
young kids, so there’s no time to watch much
5 Kate says she decided to give up the streaming TV.”
services partly because of the cost. “I’ve been
trying to reduce my weekly spending. There’s © Guardian News and Media 2022
First published in The Guardian, 23/07/2022
no point if you’re not using the service.”
6 She adds that she might go back to
Netflix in the autumn, “if they have some
interesting shows.”
‘I’ve had to cut back on the things that
previously weren’t luxuries’
7 Jess has a disability and is unable to work.
“I’ve had to cut back on the things that weren’t
luxuries before but are now – streaming
services, for example.”
8 Jess’s monthly bills have increased – “and
that’s during summer; I don’t know what’s going
to happen in winter,” she says. She was paying
£40 a month for her streaming services.
‘My pension is not going up’
9 The cost of living crisis has made 72-year-old
Ted Cardwell check his monthly outgoings.
Cardwell, who is retired, has decided to cancel
Netflix and Amazon Prime to save money but
would return if they offered a discount rate
for pensioners.
10 Ted says the reason is financial and not
because services are getting worse.
11 “The cost of living is going up and my pension
is not going up with it.”
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 ‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits
Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

3
  Comprehension check

a. Answer the questions using information from the article.

1. What will the UK inflation rate probably be in October, 2022?

2. How many subscribers did Netflix lose in the second quarter of 2022?

3. Why has Kate cancelled Netflix?

4. Why might she go back to Netflix in the autumn?

5. Why is Jess unable to work?

6. How much was Jess paying for her streaming services?

7. Why would Ted return to Netflix and Amazon Prime?

8. Why has he cancelled his streaming services?

9. What has happened to the costs of extending John’s home?

10. Why did he join Disney+?

4
  Key language

a. Match the words from the text with their meanings

1. luxury a. before the present time

2. habit b. suddenly increase a lot

3. previously c. make something more efficient

4. discount d. something expensive that you enjoy but do not really need

5. rocket e. a reduction in the price of something

6. rationalize f. something you do often or regularly

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 ‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits
Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

5
  Discussion

a. Do you agree with this statement? Why? Why not?

• “I couldn’t live without streaming services.”

6
  In your own words

a. Inflation is happening in a lot of countries around the world. How could people reduce their
expenses? Which things do people pay for that they do not really need? Search online to find
ways people could save money.

b. Share your ideas with the class.

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 ‘I can’t afford what I used to’: how the cost of living has changed viewing habits
Level 1: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate – Teacher’s notes
3. Comprehension check
Article summary: The article describes how
many people are giving up their subscriptions a. Ask students to work individually to answer the
to streaming services in order to save money questions and then compare their answers in pairs
and interviews four people to identify their or small groups. The answers given are not the only
reasons for doing so. possible answers. For example, in item 3, students
may say ‘because she hasn’t watched it for ages’
Time: 60 minutes or similar.

Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing Key:

1. 12%
Language focus: Vocabulary
2. one million
3. because she is not using it
Materials needed: One copy of the
4. if they have some interesting shows
worksheet per student
5. because she has a disability
6. £40 a month
7. if they offered a discount rate for pensioners
1. Warmer 8. for financial reasons
9. they have rocketed
a. The purpose of this activity is to introduce the topic 10. to watch the Star Wars films
of saving money in the current wave of inflation that
is being experienced by some countries around the 4. Key language
world, notably the UK and the US. The answers
depend on personal choice but make sure you a. Students can check their answers in the text after
ask students to give reasons for the order they completing the exercise.
have chosen.
Key:
2. Key words 1. d 4. e
2. f 5. b
a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and 3. a 6. c
then compare their answers in pairs or small groups.
Point out that a subscriber subscribes to a service 5. Discussion
and pays a subscription. Cut back is followed by
on when it has an object. Cut down has the same a. Allow students time to note down their ideas and
meaning. If you reassess something, you think about encourage them to give reasons for their answer.
it carefully again before reaching a decision about it.
6. In your own words
Key:
1. Inflation 6. outgoings a.-b.  This could also be done as a homework task.
2. subscriber 7. retired
3. cancel 8. pension
4. disability 9. extend
5. cut back 10. reassess
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