Pocket Money (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Mi dinero - Pocket money
Learning to talk about pocket money and part-time work is essential for everyday conversations in Spanish. This topic covers how to discuss earning, spending, and saving money, along with common expressions Spanish speakers use.
This topic is particularly useful for students preparing for conversations about work, money management, and daily life situations in Spanish-speaking countries.
Essential vocabulary
The following vocabulary forms the foundation for discussing money and work in Spanish:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la paga | pocket money |
| a tiempo parcial | part time |
| ganar | to earn/to win |
| gastar | to spend (money) |
| pasar | to spend (time) |
| ahorrar | to save |
| apoyar | to support |
| parecido/a | similar |
| la buena suerte | good luck |
| no me molesta | it doesn't bother me |
| el dinero | money |
| el efectivo | cash |
| el metálico | cash/coins |
| la lana | money (slang) |
| la blanca | money (slang) |
Notice that Spanish has multiple words for money: el dinero (general term), el efectivo and el metálico (cash), plus slang terms la lana and la blanca that you'll hear in informal conversation.
Example sentences
Common Phrases About Money and Work
Mis padres me dan la paga cada semana. My parents give me pocket money every week.
Trabajo a tiempo parcial los fines de semana. I work part time at weekends.
Gasto mi dinero en ropa y música. I spend my money on clothes and music.
Me gusta ahorrar dinero para las vacaciones. I like to save money for holidays.
Grammar note: Notice that we use gastar for spending money, but pasar for spending time. For example: "Gasto dinero en videojuegos" (I spend money on video games) but "Paso tiempo con mis amigos" (I spend time with my friends).
What Lilia and Sebastián say
Lilia's situation: Lilia lives in Córdoba with her family and doesn't receive pocket money. She works part-time at her family's restaurant at weekends as a waitress. Her mother won't let her work during the week because she needs to focus on homework and studying. She enjoys helping at the restaurant and dreams of becoming a chef with her own small restaurant in the city centre one day. She prefers earning her own money because she can spend it how she wants, typically on clothes, music, and books.
Sebastián's situation: Sebastián lives in Guadalajara and his parents give him pocket money. He likes receiving it but has to help with household chores - cleaning the bathrooms weekly, setting the table daily, and taking out the rubbish. He doesn't mind helping at home because he thinks it's important to support his parents. He usually spends his money on video games and clothes, and enjoys buying colourful socks, though he doesn't wear matching pairs because his friends tease him about it. Currently, he's saving his money for a summer holiday with his friends.
Grammar micro-focus: Gastar vs pasar
Critical Grammar Point: Gastar vs Pasar
This is a common area of confusion for English speakers. Both verbs can mean "to spend", but they're used differently:
- Gastar = to spend money
- Pasar = to spend time
Examples:
- Gasto veinte euros en libros. (I spend twenty euros on books.)
- Paso dos horas estudiando. (I spend two hours studying.)
Mini-task: Complete with gastar or pasar:
- _____ mucho dinero en ropa.
- _____ tiempo con mi familia los domingos.
Spanish money idioms
Spanish has some colourful expressions about money that you might hear in conversation:
Tener más lana que un borrego Literally: "to have more wool than a ram" Meaning: to have lots of money Example: ¡Pagaste trescientos euros para tus vaqueros! Debes tener más lana que un borrego.
Estar sin blanca Literally: "to be without white" Meaning: to have no money Example: No puedo ir al cine esta noche. Estoy sin blanca.
These idioms use old slang terms for money - "lana" (wool) and "blanca" (white, referring to old white coins).
Translation exercises
Practice Translations
Spanish to English:
- Mis padres me dan la paga pero tengo que ayudar en casa.
- Ahorro dinero para comprar una bicicleta nueva.
English to Spanish: 3. I work part time in a shop at weekends. 4. She spends her money on books and music.
Common errors and fixes
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
❌ Paso dinero en ropa ✅ Gasto dinero en ropa Fix: Use "gastar" for spending money, not "pasar"
❌ Gasto mucho tiempo estudiando ✅ Paso mucho tiempo estudiando Fix: Use "pasar" for spending time, not "gastar"
❌ Recibo el paga ✅ Recibo la paga Fix: "Paga" is feminine, so use "la"
❌ Trabajo en tiempo parcial ✅ Trabajo a tiempo parcial Fix: Use the preposition "a" before "tiempo parcial"
Answers to exercises
Exercise Answers:
- Gasto
- Paso
- My parents give me pocket money but I have to help at home.
- I save money to buy a new bicycle.
- Trabajo a tiempo parcial en una tienda los fines de semana.
- Gasta su dinero en libros y música.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use la paga for pocket money and remember it's feminine
- Gastar is for spending money, pasar is for spending time - don't mix them up!
- Part-time work is trabajo a tiempo parcial (note the "a")
- Spanish has colourful money slang: lana and blanca both mean money
- When talking about helping at home, use ayudar en casa and apoyar to support family