Living with debt
6 Minute English
BBC
4.5 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 28 May 2026
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Many people have to borrow money to make big purchases, like buying a house or a car. When you do this, you have to pay the money back over time – the money you owe is a debt. With the current cost of living getting increasingly high, some people are having to borrow money even for everyday purchases like bills and food. Sometimes this debt can get out of control, which causes anxiety and stress. Neil and Pippa discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.
Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260528
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.7 | Got another six minutes? We have lots more to help you with your English. Try real easy |
| 0:11.8 | English to learn from natural English conversations or learn some English from the biggest |
| 0:17.5 | new stories from around the world. Search BBC Learning English in your podcast app |
| 0:22.5 | to find our other programs |
| 0:24.0 | or find much more at BBC LearningEnglish.com. |
| 0:28.7 | Six Minute English from BBC LearningEnglish.com. |
| 0:35.6 | Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English. |
| 0:39.6 | I'm Neil. |
| 0:40.2 | And I'm Pippa. |
| 0:41.7 | Are you good at saving money, Neil? |
| 0:43.7 | Or do you like to spend it? |
| 0:45.7 | Well, actually, a bit of both. |
| 0:48.4 | I like to spend money on nice things, |
| 0:51.4 | but I also try to save mainly because I've got children. How about you? |
| 0:56.6 | Yeah, I'm the same. I like to save money or I try to for the future, but I also do spend it. |
| 1:04.8 | I don't count every penny that I spend and save every single penny that I earn. |
| 1:10.1 | Well, whether you're a saver or a spender, being in debt is common in the UK. |
| 1:16.5 | Debt refers to money a person has borrowed to buy something in which they have to pay back, |
| 1:22.1 | usually to a bank, a credit card company or another person. |
| 1:26.4 | Many people avoid talking about debt, but it affects us all. |
| 1:31.3 | In 2025, over 1,000 people contacted the UK Citizens Advice Bureau |
... |
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