Shadowing Practice: How to stop being BROKE as a teen - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Guess what?
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You don't deserve to just treat yourself for the short term.
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You deserve long-term happiness and financial stability.
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If you have money sitting somewhere right now, this could be the most important video you watch
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because what you choose to do with it can mean the difference between being a regretful broke girl
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or a responsible boss girl.
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Hi, I'm Amy and I help you become the CEO of your life.
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I'm living in New York City with my husband and I consider us to live rich without actually being rich.
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So today I'm sharing the secrets to help you do it too.
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Most of us grew up without anyone actually teaching us how money works.
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And as a result, we make predictable, very expensive mistakes, especially as girls,
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because we have a whole extra layer of marketing designed specifically to separate us from our money.
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Now for 10 tips I wish someone had told me sooner.
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The money moves that actually matter, the mistakes that women like us make more than anyone else, and exactly how to avoid them.
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And stay to the end because the last tip is one that literally every girl I know has gotten wrong, and it's probably costing you more than you realize.
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Let's go.
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Tip one, your skin is a financial decision.
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Start protecting it now.
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I'm opening up with this one because it's the tip with the longest payoff window, which means the earlier you start, the more you win.
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And it's going to save you from thousands of dollars in cosmetic procedures later.
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Imagine two girls.
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Girl A starts moisturizing and wearing SPF at 17.
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Girl B discovers skincare at 32 after noticing her skin doesn't quite look the way it used to.
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Now, girl A spends maybe $15 a month.
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Girl B is now booking laser treatments, buying prescription retinoids, and spending hundreds trying to reverse what sun damage did over a decade.
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Sunscreen every day is the single highest return investment you can make right now, little to no income required.
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Just ask your mom to get it for you as a Christmas gift or buy a CeraVe sunscreen, not sponsored by the way.
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And with that, just have a gentle cleanser, basic moisturizer, and consistency.
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That is the whole routine.
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Three steps just done daily.
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Tip two, understand the difference between a debit card and a credit card.
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Yes, really.
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A debit card is like shopping with cash from your wallet.
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When it's gone, it's gone.
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A credit card is like borrowing your friend's money to pay for dinner with the agreement
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that you'll pay her back by the end of the month.
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Now, if you pay your friend back on time, there's no drama.
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She's happy and you're happy.
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But if you don't pay her back, she starts charging you interest.
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Except this friend is a bank and she charges you 15 to 25% on whatever you owe her.
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So that $100 dinner could turn into $125 if you miss your payment.
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And then $140 a month after that, it snowballs really fast.
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But here's the thing though, you actually do want a credit card because using it responsibly builds what's called your credit score.
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Think of your credit score like a financial reputation.
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It's the number landlords check before they let you rent an apartment, the number banks look at before they give you a loan.
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The higher it is, the more doors open for you.
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So the move is get a credit card, use it for things you'd buy anyway, and pay it off completely every single month.
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Tip three, start building credit even if you have zero income.
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You don't need a job to start building credit.
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Student credit cards exist specifically for this moment no income, no credit history, no problem.
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The Chase Freedom student card and the Discover It student card are actually great starting points.
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Now, the limits are small, like the limit on your spending for each card, which is a good thing because you're just learning.
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Every month you pay off, you're quietly adding to your financial reputation.
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Tip four, know where your money actually lives and not all accounts are equal.
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A regular savings account at a big bank pays you around 0.01% interest per year.
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Now, A high yield savings account, which is usually through an online bank, pays closer to three to five percent.
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Same money, zero extra effort, but a completely different outcome.
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And then there's investing.
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This is where your money can grow significantly over time, but it requires leaving it alone for years, not months.
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Index funds are the best starting point for most people.
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So instead of betting on one company, which is like putting all your eggs in one bag and then dropping the bag.
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That's very risky.
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An index fund spreads your money across hundreds of companies at once.
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In fact, the market has returned around 10% annually over the long run on average.
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The magic ingredient here is time.
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So if you're impatient, sorry, even a small amount invested regularly, and I do mean small, like literally anything you can spare,
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this will look dramatically different after 20 years than it does after five because of compound interest.
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Remember that line, same money, zero extra effort, completely different outcome?
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That works on way more than just money.
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Let me show you.
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In consulting, I made a ton of presentation decks and decks made sense.
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They're how you present an idea with storytelling, but I hated making them.
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Not the thinking part, but the busy work.
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Realigning boxes over and over, choosing the exact colors, making it pretty.
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It made me
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so frustrated the amount of times I was staying up until 11 p.m at night doing these mindless, time-consuming tasks.
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I just wanted my ideas on the page.
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The storytelling, the creativity are the things that actually matter and it's the things that only you can do.
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So earlier this year when I gave my talk at NYU, I did the storytelling and I let Gamma, today's sponsor, do the busy work.
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I brain dubbed my stories verbally and it came up with an organized outline.
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I shared the kind of vibe I was going for and Gamma designed my whole presentation for me.
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Every slide you're seeing, I didn't build any of it.
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It took minutes and doing it myself would have taken at least three times as long.
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I have that in my outline, but to be honest, it would have taken at least hours, not just minutes.
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The thing is, they're the same ideas, but now I have zero busy work.
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Also a higher quality, completely different looking result.
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I love how using tech like Gamma can make us more human.
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We can spend our efforts instead on creativity and just enjoying life.
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Then with the rest of my weekend protected, I could go on a nice long walk with Sean and spend quality time with my friends.
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If you're a student, this moment shows up all the time.
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Class presentations, club pitches, that group project where you somehow ended up being the one to make all the slides.
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Your job is the idea.
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Gama's job is making you look good.
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It's free to start, no credit card required.
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My link is down below in the description.
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And thank you so much again to Gama for working with me again.
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Tip five, have a plan for where your money goes or it will just go.
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Here's what happens without a system.
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You get money, you spend money, you check your account two weeks later, and genuinely cannot explain where it went.
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Sound familiar?
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A simple framework, roughly 50% of your money goes toward things you need,
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rent, food, transport, then put 30% toward things you want clothes going out fun next is 20 toward savings
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or investing okay now the girl specific thing i want to
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add here we are being marketed to constantly in a way
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that is specifically designed to make spending feel like self-care the 60 serum
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that will transform your skin the 200 gym set that will make you motivated to work out because you look cute.
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La Boo Boo or the crazy expensive Stanley tumblers.
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I have no idea why water bottles were trending.
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The idea that treating yourself is always the emotionally healthy choice, but sometimes it's just clever marketing dressed up as wellness.
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Think about the brands and what their incentives are.
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So knowing the difference and making the call consciously, this is what separates the girl who feels in control of her money from the one who doesn't.
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Number six, learn to thrift like it's a skill because it is.
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So the girl who walks into a thrift store without a clear vision walks out with three things she'll never wear.
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But the girl who walks in knowing exactly the vibe she's building, maybe specific pieces that she's had on her wish list, because I do that all the time, maybe the colors, the silhouettes,
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she will walk out with a $400 blazer for $12.
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True story, I've actually bought Michael Kors and Banana Republic blazers at Goodwill.
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I also love Depop, Poshmark, and ThredUP.
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These platforms have completely changed the game.
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You can build a really beautiful, cohesive wardrobe at a fraction of retail price if you approach it with intention rather than randomness.
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For example, this 100% denim jacket I got for just two US dollars, and this top was originally $165,
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and I got it for $35 from Poshmark.
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Psst, there's also a flip side.
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There are some purchases that feel smart that actually aren't at all.
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We'll talk about that at the end.
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Remember tip number 10 talks about something that's costing you more than you've realized?
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It's coming up, so stay tuned.
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Tip 7, rent clothes for the moments that only happen once.
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Here's a scenario.
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You get invited to a wedding, a gala, a formal event, and you want to look absolutely stunning, as you should.
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But what sucks is that for some reason, it's expected that we girls wear something different every single time.
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So your options are spend $400 on a dress you'll wear once and then try to justify keeping it in your closet,
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or you can rent that same dress for $30 to $80, look just as incredible, and return it on Monday morning.
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Rent the runway and Nuuly have made this completely accessible, so the dress that retails for $600 is $50 to rent.
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You show up, you look amazing, zero closet guilt afterward, and I personally have used Rent the Runway for my courthouse wedding.
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The rule I use is buy things you'll wear 30 plus times.
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Rent things that exist for one specific moment.
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Tip eight, use your student email address like the VIP pass it is.
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Your .edu email is quietly one of the most valuable things you have right now
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and most people don't come close to using it fully.
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Spotify's student plan includes Hulu bundled together for the price of one.
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GitHub Pro is also completely free.
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Amazon Prime is heavily discounted.
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Some schools will even give you subscriptions to learning certain skills like AI and courses and things like that.
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Plus museums, software subscriptions, clothing brands, streaming services.
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There's a whole ecosystem of student pricing sitting there waiting for you.
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Just 10 minutes of Googling or clotting the thing you pay for
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and student discount could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
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Tip number nine, your credit card rewards can pay for things that feel completely out of reach.
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Sean and I flew United Polaris business class from New York all the way to Taipei,
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a full flatbed you can literally lay all the way down and sleep.
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You can access the Polaris Lounge where you sit down and order off an actual menu, hot foods, cocktails, anything you want.
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And then you board your flight where your seat turns into a bet.
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Guess how much we paid?
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Try guessing in the comments.
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I bet you're not going to get this, but reviewing in one, two, three.
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We paid just $5.60 each in taxes and fees.
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The strategy is to open the card right before a big purchase that you were already planning to do.
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So a holiday flight home, a laptop for school, or whatever.
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Hit the spending threshold organically and collect the bonus.
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Your everyday spending redirected through the right card can quietly accumulate into something extraordinary.
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The link for the cards we personally use is in the description below.
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Tip 10.
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Okay, this might be a little controversial, but contrary to what social media says.
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A luxury bag is not an investment, and the math will prove it.
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Have you heard this before?
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A Chanel or Birkin bag holds its value, sometimes even appreciates, so buying one is actually a smart financial move.
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You'll hear this at brunch with your girlfriends, you'll see it in the comment sections, and the thing is there's a tiny kernel of truth buried in it, which makes it that much more dangerous.
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The bags that actually appreciate, we're talking specific limited edition Birkins bought at retail,
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which also requires a waitlist and a spending history with Hermes.
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So dropping hundreds, thousands of dollars just to get the most expensive thing.
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It has to be in perfect condition and sold at exactly the right moment.
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The moment you start using a bag, it loses value.
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Scratches on the hardware or fading on the leather, a stain on the lining.
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And if you want to take down your cost per wear, well, you're going to want to actually wear that expensive bag out.
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Resale platforms will dock you for all of that damage.
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Most bags sell for less than their retail price, not more.
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A bag is a beautiful object that brings you joy.
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That's a valid reason to buy it.
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But it's an investment is not.
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Know what you're actually buying and then decide.
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Here's what I want you to walk away with.
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Money isn't something that just happens to you.
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It's something you learn to manage.
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And the earlier you start learning, the more of your life you actually get to design.
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None of it requires a finance degree, that you need support, you know we have Chatty and Claude.
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It just requires starting.
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One account opened, one credit card used correctly, and one impulse purchase paused and thought through.
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That's how it begins and it compounds from there.
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Let me know in the comments which tip was the most new to you
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and send this to a friend who needs it.
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They're going to be like, are you implying something?
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And nah, if you're a real friend, call them out.
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Remember to make your ideas come to life with Gamma.
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It's completely free to start.
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Link below.
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And if you want to enter your rich girl era and make money by starting your own business, watch this video because no one ever got rich from saving money, but it helps.
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Remember to own your life or someone else will.
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Thank you and I will see you at the top.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to stop being BROKE as a teen”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: card, tip, credit. This video has 198 sentences and 2521 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:25. The speaker talks fast, about 188 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| storytelling noun | The act and skills of presenting stories and tales. | |
| quietly adverb | /ˈkwaɪ.ɪt.li/ | Producing little or no noise. |
| blazer noun | /ˈbleɪzəɹ/ | A very bright or hot day. |
| sunscreen noun | A topical substance formulated to protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation by absorbing, reflecting or scattering ultraviolet rays. | |
| thrift noun | /ˈθɹɪft/ | The characteristic of using a minimum of something (especially money). |
| debit noun | /ˈdɛb.ɪt/ | In bookkeeping, an entry in the left hand column of an account. |
| runway noun | /ˈɹʌnweɪ/ | A defined, narrow section of land or an artificial structure used for access. |
| outline noun | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | A line marking the boundary of an object figure. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| creativity noun | /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/ | The ability to use imagination to produce a novel idea or product. |
| sponsor noun | /ˈspɒn.səː/ | A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or… |
| subscription noun | /səbˈskɹɪpʃən/ | Access to a resource for a period of time, generally for payment. |
| closet noun | /ˈklɑzɪt/ | A small room within a house used to store clothing, food, or other household supplies. |
| compound noun | /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/ | Anything made by combining several things. |
| accumulate verb | /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/ | To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together (either literally or figuratively), often gradually and without active intent. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| do over verb | /ˈduˌoʊvɚ/ | To cover with; to smear or spread on to. |
| dress up verb | To put on special or fancy clothes. | |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- She's happy and you're happy.
- You don't need a job to start building credit.
- Guess how much we paid?
- Have you heard this before?
- They're going to be like, are you implying something?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has gotten · has returned · I've actually bought |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | window, which means · card, which is · account, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 37 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, you'll, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thrift /ˈθɹɪft/, threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: subscription /səbˈskɹɪpʃən/, impatient /ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/, fraction /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/, prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/
- Long words — get the stress right: creativity /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/, accumulate /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/, organically /ɔːˈɡænɪkli/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, predictable /pɹəˈdɪktəbləl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like storytelling, quietly, blazer.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.