This month’s Spanish tip is about money and budgeting. The budget, but of course. Here are some common terms when it comes to money management as well as a few refranes/dichos (sayings).
Budget: Presupuesto
Money: Dinero
Silver: Plata (plata is also sometimes a slang word for money itself)
Gold: Oro (dorado means “golden”, you could also remember this from the English word ore)
Bank: Banco
Cash: Dinero en efectivo
Dollars: Dólares (in some countries including Puerto Rico they will still use “peso”. Peso means “weight” similar to English pounds)
Cents: Centavos
Change: Cambio, monedas (literally coins)
Exchange rate: Tasa de cambio (intercambio)
Taxes: Impuestos, contribuciones
Business: Negocio
To pay: Pagar
To buy: Comprar
To rent: Aquilar/rentar
To go shopping: Ir de compras
Save money: Ahorrar dinero
Earn money: Ganar dinero
Spend money: Gastar dinero
How much does it cost? ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Interest: Interés
The bill: La factura/la cuenta
A loan: Un préstamo
Financial matter: Asunto finaciero
For sale: Se vende, de venta
On sale: Rebajada, de liquidación, a la venta
Deal (as in a good deal): Ganga
Deal (as in an agreement): Trato
Investment: Inversión
To invest: Invertir
Finances: Finanzas
Fiar: To sell on credit (loan out)
Credit score/history: Historial Crediticio
Credit card: Tarjeta de Crédito
Expensive: Caro, expensivo
Cheap: Barato, inexpensivo
Stocks and Bonds: Acciones y bonos
Coupon: Cupón
Some phrases related to money:
Se acabó el dinero, se acabó la amistad. When the money stops, so does the friendship -A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Chivo brincado, chivo pagado. The goat that jumps is the goat that was paid
No le eches dinero bueno al malo. Don’t throw good money after the bad
Debo no niego; pago, no puedo. I owe it, I don’t deny; (but) pay it, I can’t
Con dinero baila el perro. With money the dog will dance
Lo barato cuesta caro. The cheapest things cost the most -you get what you pay for
Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. The shrimp that sleeps gets taken with the current. -Early bird gets the worm or early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
Al ojo del amo engorda el caballo. Only under the eye of the master does the horse fatten up. -If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.