AEE 2322: Do You Doom Spend? Connect Over This Topic in English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast: Episode AEE 2322 - "Do You Doom Spend? Connect Over This Topic in English"

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan
Release Date: December 16, 2024

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Introduction to Doom Spending

In this episode of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the emerging trend of doom spending—a term coined as a play on the familiar concept of doom scrolling. This phenomenon involves individuals using shopping as a coping mechanism to deal with negative emotions, particularly in the wake of stressful events like elections.

Notable Quote:

"Doom spending is a play on doom scrolling. So doom scrolling has become a household term... and doom spending takes that concept into how people are using spending as a way to cope."
— Michelle Kaplan (07:10)

Understanding Doom Spending

Doom spending refers to the tendency of individuals to make purchases impulsively when feeling uneasy or pessimistic about the state of the world. This behavior is often a response to emotions such as anxiety, uncertainty, and depression, serving as a form of retail therapy to momentarily alleviate negative feelings.

Notable Quote:

"It's a doom spending. It's basically retail therapy when people feel particularly uneasy and pessimistic about the state of the world."
— Michelle Kaplan (08:27)

Statistical Insights

The hosts reference an article from HuffPost by Caroline Bologna, highlighting significant statistics:

• Total Credit Card Debt in the U.S.: $1.166 trillion (Q3 2024) (04:09)
• Pre-Election Doom Spending:
  • 27% of Americans engaged in doom spending leading up to the election.
  • The numbers rise to 37% for Gen Zers and 39% for millennials (07:54)

These figures underscore the widespread nature of doom spending, particularly among younger demographics facing political and economic uncertainties.

Notable Quote:

"A recent survey from Credit Karma found that 27% of Americans were doom spending in the lead up to the election, with that number climbing to 37% for Gen Zers and 39% for millennials."
— Lindsay McMahon (10:57)

Cultural Context and Implications

Lindsay and Michelle discuss how doom spending ties into broader cultural practices in the United States, such as consumerism and the ease of online shopping. The availability of credit cards with favorable return policies makes impulsive purchases low-risk, exacerbating the trend.

Notable Quote:

"Our economy runs on extreme amounts of consumerism. We're well known for that."
— Michelle Kaplan (16:01)

They compare credit-based spending prevalent in the U.S. with cash-based transactions common in other cultures, which may inherently limit excessive spending due to the tangible nature of cash.

Vocabulary and Language Focus

The episode provides essential vocabulary related to doom spending and retail therapy, aiding listeners in articulating their experiences and opinions on the topic. Key terms discussed include:

• Retail Therapy: Using shopping to improve mood or relieve stress.
• Overspend: Spending more money than intended.
• Impulse Purchase: Buying something spontaneously without prior planning.
• Compulsive Shopper: Someone who has an addictive tendency to shop excessively.
• Indulgent: Allowing oneself to enjoy the pleasure of something, often excessively.

Notable Example:

"I can be a bit of a compulsive shopper when I'm stressed."
— Michelle Kaplan (14:56)

Practical Application: Role Play

To demonstrate how to incorporate the new vocabulary into conversation, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role play scenario where they discuss their own doom spending habits. This segment illustrates how to use phrases like "retail therapy" and "impulse buy" naturally within dialogue.

Notable Interaction:

Michelle: "I need to unwind. Should we go for some retail therapy?"
Lindsay: "Oh, yes. But I need to be careful. I did some damage last time."
Michelle: "Oh, did you overspend?"
Lindsay: "You know it. I can be a bit indulgent when I'm stressed."
Michelle: "You see this necklace? Total impulse buy after my breakup."
Lindsay: "Oh, I get it. I'm not usually a compulsive shopper, but can't help myself these days."
— (18:17 - 20:31)

Connecting Through Shared Experiences

A significant takeaway from the episode is the importance of connection through shared vulnerabilities. By admitting to similar behaviors, individuals can foster deeper relationships and mutual understanding. The hosts emphasize the value of mirroring—reflecting someone's feelings or experiences—to build rapport and empathy.

Notable Quote:

"If someone admits that they are maybe a doom shopper or they're going for some retail therapy, how do we connect with that person...? We want to mirror them because it's a little bit vulnerable."
— Michelle Kaplan (21:02)

Takeaways and Conclusions

Lindsay and Michelle wrap up the episode by reinforcing the key points:

1. Awareness of Doom Spending: Recognizing this behavior as a response to negative emotions.
2. Cultural Insight: Understanding how American consumerism facilitates such spending habits.
3. Language Practice: Utilizing the provided vocabulary to discuss personal experiences and societal trends.
4. Building Connections: Using empathy and shared experiences to connect with others.

They also encourage listeners to engage with their content through polls and reviews, fostering a community of learners focused on connection over perfection.

Notable Quote:

"The important thing to take away from today's episode is being able to use these things to not only talk about things like articles, but talk with people and connect with them."
— Lindsay McMahon (22:42)

Additional Resources

Listeners are directed to explore related episodes, such as one from the Business English Podcast discussing the usage of similar terms like "restrain" vs. "refrain," which complements the theme of controlling spending habits discussed in this episode.

Notable Mention:

"This is an episode of the business English podcast... should you use the word restrain or refrain?..."
— Lindsay McMahon (20:41)

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Connect and Practice:

• Podcast Poll: How do you usually pay for things? Options include cash, credit card, debit card, and check. Engage with the poll on Spotify to see how others manage their spending.
• Language Practice: Incorporate today's vocabulary into your conversations to discuss personal spending habits and connect with friends on similar experiences.

Final Thought: Embrace the journey of learning English by sharing and connecting over relatable topics like doom spending. Remember, Connection NOT Perfection is the mantra to becoming fearless and fluent in American English.

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Transcript

[Lindsay McMahon]

This is an all ears English podcast. Episode 23 22. Do you doomspend connect over this topic in English?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com forward/subscribe. In today's episode, we talk about one way that people deal with negative emotions in American culture, which is shopping. Get key vocabulary to talk about this rising trend and learn how to mirror when someone shares this about themselves.

[Google Gemini]

This episode is brought to you by Google Gemini. With the Gemini app, you can talk live and have a real time conversation with an AI assistant. It's great for all kinds of things, like if you want to practice for an upcoming interview, ask for advice on things to do in a new city, or brainstorm creative ideas. And by the way, this script was actually read by Gemini. Download the Gemini app for iOS and Android today. Must be 18 + to use Gemini Live.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Hey there, Michelle. How are you today?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Hi, I'm good. How are you, Lindsay?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Good, good, good. What are we getting into today on Allers English?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Lindsay, do you ever buy something when you're in a bad mood?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I have to say, this is not where I go when I'm in a bad mood. Yeah, no, I don't, I don't go to retail therapy personally. What about you, Michelle? Are you. Do you have a tendency to buy when you're upset?

[Lindsay McMahon]

No, I don't, I don't. I don't think so. I don't think, you know, everybody has their vice. You know, some people, they have a tendency to eat when they're upset. They have, you know, I don't know what I do when I'm upset. I. But it's not shop. And part of that is just because I'm such a terrible decision maker. So it's not relaxing to me. It's not, you know. Yeah. But I suppose if I were looking for a way to forget about something or just want a distraction, I could see going with a friend to the mall and just, you know, walking around, something like that. But I don't. I'm not gonna like, start just buying things like.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, right, right, right. Well, but although it is a real thing, I mean, some people definitely do this and there, there's Even a name for this phenomenon. Michelle, what is it?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, my gosh. So this is a new. A new term for it. Guys, we've talked about doom scrolling before, I think on the podcast. So this is doom spending.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, doom spending. And it seems like based on an article we're going to talk about today and add our opinions and teach you how to do things, it seems like doom spending is having a bit of a resurgence right now, or just spending. And we know that this is kind of a hot spot for Americans historically. I mean, as long as I've been able to read the news, I know that credit card debt has been a major problem in the US especially in the years leading up to the 2008 recession. Our credit card debt was off the charts. And I'm. I'm not sure that that caused the recession. Maybe it was a contributing factor. It was mostly for the subprime mortgage lending. But I think once the subprime mortgage lending crashed down, credit card debt didn't help the scenario. Right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So we know right now, According to lending tree.com, we know that Americans total at this time, right? After all the pandemic and everything we've learned, the credit card balance in America is $1.166 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest consumer debt data from the Fed, the Federal Reserve bank of New York. So that's not a small amount of money, Michelle. People are spending money on their credit cards.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes, absolutely. For sure. So very interesting to see what's going on here. So we're gonna just touch on this article, give our opinions, and we're gonna also give you a lot of good vocabulary to go along with this to talk topic.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It's a great conversation topic that our listeners could have with a native speaker, right? Yes, that's right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

But guys, before we get into this, we wanted to say thank you so much to our reviewer, to our listener, Amir, for his wonderful review.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, Amir wrote an amazing review in Apple Podcasts on November 12th. He's from the Netherlands. He says, every day I wake up early around 5 in the morning and I go to work. And there are some essential point points to empower me. Except for the coldness in Rotterdam. So he's saying there's something. Some things help him to deal with the coldness in Rotterdam. And he says, coffee. Lindsay and Michelle, you are exactly like fuel, which makes my day energetic and positive. I appreciate you and your excellent team for all your nice efforts and awesome produced content. How amazing. Michelle, it's like A little mini Christmas gift early.

[Lindsay McMahon]

I know. Thank you so much. That is really, seriously. That means a lot to us. Amir. I. We're so happy to be here for you. We're so. You're. You guys are the reason we do this. And we, We. We really love what we do. And we're so happy that we're a part of your day and your fuel 100.

[Michelle Kaplan]

What we do here runs deep for us. This is so important for us. Right, to help you all build connection. So if you feel similar to the way Amir feels, go and write your review. Let us know what you think about the show. Wherever you're listening, guys. Whether it's Apple podcasts or Spotify or the app, the Android iOS app. Leave us a review and we'll read it out loud on the show. All right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Absolutely. Thank so much.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes. Okay, Michelle, let's get into doom spending. First of all, what does the word doom mean? Doom.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Like something bad. Something bad is happening. Right. So doom scrolling. It's kind of your. Well, there's the expression gloom and doom. Kind of thinking the worst is going to happen. Right. So doom is just with a bad feeling, right?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah. And I think our listeners probably know the term doom scrolling, but if they don't, it's kind of. It's looking for b. You know, the. This comes back to the way the brain, the human brain is wired. The human brain is wired to look for the dangerous thing. We've talked about evolutionary psychology. We know that it's wired to focus on the dangerous, the bad things. So sometimes when. When we're in a certain mood, we want to go to Instagram or Facebook and look for kind of, I don't know, things that make us feel rotten.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's a.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It's weird, right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

I don't think we're thinking of it like that. Oh, I want to find something to make me feel rotten. But, you know, it's just. That's what happens. It's a. Yeah, it's a weird thing.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It's human. It's very human. So. So today. So then this term doom spending is a play on doom scrolling, right, Michelle?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Exactly. Exactly. So doom scrolling has be kind of evolved into really a household term. I mean, to. Yeah, I, I would say that in the beginning, people didn't really know what it meant or it's. It's really a very new term. So that's interesting how the evolution of language can. This is totally new. But doom spending. So like Lindsay said, this is play on that. So there was an article on huffpost.com by Caroline Bologna on November 8, 2024. And the article was called, this dangerous money habit is becoming more common. Don't be tempted. Data suggests the 20 election is fueling a bad impulse. Very interesting.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Very interesting. Yeah. Okay, so again, so we know what doom spending is. It sounds like people are feeling upset about the election. Yes, they are indeed. And this is what they're doing, right. They're going out and they're just spending money as a way to deal with something that feels really dark emotionally.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right, Right, exactly. The article mentions that. Yeah, it's a doom spending. It's basically retail therapy when people, as they say, feel particularly uneasy and pessimistic about the state of the world. Oh, man.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Where's the good news in today's episode? Right. Yes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Well, so it does mention that the election, it said leading up to the election could have caused it. And it says that because shopping can give us dopamine. This. I'm talking about the article here. Right. And also, what makes it easy to do them spending the Internet. Right. You don't, you don't even have to go out anywhere. You can just be in a bad mood and say, I need this. Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, that's what I was. I was wondering, are we talking about physically going into an immersive shopping environment? Are we talking about. Is this mostly happening online? Probably online. Because most people shop online now, right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So it's more. You're getting that dopamine hit regardless of where you're shopping.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right. And there's no, there's. It's. It's too easy to press. Press that button. It's just too easy. And also then, you know, you can return it. So, you know, you might. A lot of times return policies are pretty good. So it's probably just easy. It feels very low risk to just press the button and see what happens.

[Michelle Kaplan]

But for me, I, when I think about the, the hassle to go and return something, even just to walk over to like a Whole Foods and put it in the box, it's a big hassle. And it would block me from just randomly buying things because it seems like a lot of work to do that. I don't know. It's just not the way I think.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, I totally agree. I absolutely hate having to return things by mail. I. I mean, I know people, they don't mind. Oh, I just had to drop some things off. I. What happens to me is I forget and I just put it off and then I have things that I don't use Because I just never return them. So yeah, to me I, I do try and be pretty careful about what I buy because I just, I, I don't know, I think, I think it, I think I take it even more seriously than an in person purchase.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, it's just a lot of work. Things will sit on your countertop ready to be returned for two months and then you miss the deadline. So. Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, it's terrible. I hate that. Yes. And Lindsay, I just wanted to let our listeners know that towards the end of this episode we are going to have a poll on Spotify. Guys, we've been doing these really, really fun polls to interact with you on Spotify. If you're listening on Spotify, you get a lot of polls and some of them we announce the results.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's right. And we have a good question today, right, Michelle. It's going to, it's, it's a very cultural question, right. A practical cultural question about how things vary around the world. So Michelle, is there a quote from the article that would be interesting here for our listeners to know?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, so I thought this was very interesting. Yeah. It said a recent survey from Credit Karma found that 27% of Americans were doomed spending in the lead up to the election, with that number climbing to 37% for Gen Zers and 39% for millennials. And then it, those feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and depression are often driving forces. So yeah, this is talking about the lead up to the election and this article came out a couple days after the election. So I'm not sure what's happening right now.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I think a lot of people, whether they are excited about the election results or not, they had an intuition of what was going to happen. A lot of people just felt like they knew where things were going to go. And I wonder if this is in any real way related to like a hoarding mentality when you think that things are going to get, get scary.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Like I wonder the apocalypse situation.

[Michelle Kaplan]

I do, yeah. I'm not trying to be a psychologist here, but it seems like it could be related to that somehow on a, like a basic layer. Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

That's interesting. Yeah, I did not think of that, but maybe that's. It's possible. It's definitely possible. I mean. So Lindsay, do you know anybody who does doom spend?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Not really, no. I, I think most of the people in my world are more about experiences, honestly. Obviously people shop and buy things, but most people I know, I think would rather take that money and just do like a weekend away. And maybe there's A term for that too.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right, Right. Yeah, but that.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's where I land. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes. Same here. I. I actually think that recently we talked a little bit about this, so probably in a. About, you know, different people and how they spend their money. So. Yeah, I mean, the article also gives ideas on how to stop doom spending. So we're not going to go over those today, but definitely we gave you the name of the article, so go check it out if you're interested.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Love it.

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[Michelle Kaplan]

Okay, Michelle, we are back. So now let's talk about how we can actually take a fascinating, fascinating concept like this and turn this into a fantastic conversation. A robust conversation. Right. So we need some vocab first. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes. Well, you've already heard us mention today this term retail therapy. Therapy. Retail therapy. So what is that? What is retail?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I think it's this probably what people are looking for right at this moment. The idea of healing your mind and heart with buying things. Retail is just, you know, buying items for the consumer on a consumer level. So, for example, I'm up for some retail therapy now that the election is over. Let's go to the mall.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Interesting.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yep. Or overspend. Right. So you if to spend too much. Right. I overspent on Prime Day last year, so I'm going to stay away from it this year.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yep. Prime day is always a big one for people, for sure. And then we have the term impulse purchase. Impulse buy or impulse purchase. Right. For example, I was in a bad mood and I saw that these jeans were on sale, so I made an impulse buy.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah. Or a compulsive shopping. Or compulsive shopper. So that's somebody. I mean, there are people who. It can be an actual addiction, of course.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Anything can be an addiction, right? Yes, absolutely.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, you could say I can be a bit of a compulsive shopper when I'm stressed.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, definitely. And then indulgent. Right. To talk. So saying that something is indulgent. I know it's indulgent, but I bought a car. Yeah. Wow.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Imagine if your spouse comes home, if your spouse deals with things this way and they buy huge things, not like a twenty dollar pair of.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Socks, but like they buy a car.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right. You see that car with the bow in the driveway, you know, that always has a big bow on it. Yeah, that's, that's scary. I mean, but things do happen. Well, like. Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And, and to be fair, I mean, this is what our culture revolves around. I mean, this is why America, the American economy has gotten so big is because this is. I mean, you drive on the highway, you see these ads everywhere right in front of you. We, I don't know, this is how we function. Like people buy and buy and buy. It's. It's not so different than the average person. You know, maybe not to this extreme buying a car, but our economy runs on extreme amounts of consumerism. Right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah. Right. Absolutely. Yeah, I think we're well known for that.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes. So we have a good poll on that note. Right, Michelle, we have a great poll question today. This is gonna get to this. What is it?

[Lindsay McMahon]

The question is, how do you usually pay for things? Is it by cash, credit card or debit card? Oh, I guess we could have put check in there too, but I don't even know.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Let's put it in there. Let's pay my check.

[Lindsay McMahon]

I don't even.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Do you have you. When was the last time you paid by checking?

[Lindsay McMahon]

So sometimes I have to pay by check. If it's. Do you ever have. Where there's a big. You have to. Okay, let's say something for your house. Yeah. And maybe I recently had somebody say, oh, there's gonna be a three. You can either pay by cash or card or you can, you know, but if you pay by card, there's a 3% or 4% fee. Then I'm gonna get out the checkbook. I don't.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, right. So. So there's also. Yeah, sometimes it's like direct, direct debit out of your account too, if you.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Set it up online.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Okay.

[Lindsay McMahon]

That's how I pay for my daughter's school. But there's also, we forgot to mention things like Venmo.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So let's. Okay, we're adding things to this.

[Lindsay McMahon]

A lot of ways to pay for things.

[Michelle Kaplan]

But I think what this gets down to is, you know, I think at least in American culture, as you see people, while credit card debt is a whole different thing in the US if you're paying off your credit card debt every. If you're paying off your bill every month, you're not carrying debt. But it gets really dangerous if you're carrying debt over from month to month, because those percentage rates, that's how people get into a lot of trouble financially. But I know a lot of cultures run more on cash. Right. And, and so that means if you have the money, you can buy the thing. If you don't have the money, you can't buy the thing. Right. It's a little safer, I think. So I'm curious to see what our listeners have to say.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, yeah, that'll be interesting. So I guess we could say Venmo or Zelle. I don't know what's popular around the world, but I'll stick Zell in there.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, so look out for that poll. It'll be very interesting to see what people say. All right, let's do a role play. Lindsay, what do you think?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Okay, Michelle, let's do it. So here you and I are stressed out about a project that we're working on at school. So it sounds like we're gonna doom, doom shop. Right? Okay, here we go. I need to unwind. Should we go for some retail therapy?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, yes. But I need to be careful. I did some damage last time.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, did you overspend?

[Lindsay McMahon]

You know it. I can be a bit indulgent when I'm stressed.

[Michelle Kaplan]

You see this necklace? Total impulse buy after my breakup.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, I get it. I'm not usually a compulsive shopper, but can't help myself these days.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right, nice. I love it. So we're having a retail therapy conversation here, talking about our own habits and what we've done in the past. So let's see. So I first said, should we go for some retail therapy? So essentially, I'm inviting you to go shopping together. Right. Because we're stressed out. Yes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yep. And then, guys, this is a extra bonus for today. So I said, I need to be careful. I did some damage last time. Lindsay, do you hear people say I did some damage when they're talking about spending?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Sure. And that damage could mean you went home to your partner and they got upset. Or it could mean you just ran up a credit card debt. Debt on your credit card that you can't pay back or something. Or something. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

It could also just mean you spent a lot. I. I remember very clearly asking my friend who was on a trip, if she may, if she bought anything, because she said she was going to go shopping and she said, oh, we did some damage. So it doesn't. It doesn't necessarily mean actual damage. Although it could, but it could, it also just could be a way to kind of, in a fun way say, yes, we bought a lot. Oh, I did some damage today.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, you did a lot of whatever you were doing, right? Yes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

And you have to say it in a certain tone of voice. I did some damage today with a little bit of humor. And then you said, and I asked.

[Michelle Kaplan]

You, ooh, did you overspend? Right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

And you said, michelle, I said, you know it, I can be a bit indulgent when I'm stressed.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, yeah. And then I said, you see this necklace, right? This was a total impulse buy after my breakup. So I'm, I'm really commiserating with you here. Here. You know, I'm, I'm showing empathy, I'm mirroring you. I'm showing an example of when I did the same thing, which is a very high level connection skill, by the way.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Definitely, definitely. And, and then I said, oh, I get it. I'm not usually a compulsive shopper, but I can't help myself these days.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah. And you know what, Michelle? I think that. Well, first of all, before we go into the, the, the takeaway, let's talk about another episode our listeners could check out if they wanted to. What is that episode?

[Lindsay McMahon]

So, guys, this is an episode of the business English podcast. It was. Episode. It was, should you use the word restrain or refrain? And I thought about this because we're talking about shopping and maybe we need to restrain ourselves or refrain from going to the mall. So those are also really good words that you can use with this topic.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, good. Good point, Michelle. Good link. I love that. In my mind, I think there's a couple things I want our listeners to take away here. First of all, fascinating topic to track the economy, you know, how people are spending their money. What are the results of the election in our daily habits? And then, so this is a conversation you could start. If you're just talking about the social phenomenon that's going on, then I, I think the connection skill here is what we stumbled on at the end. If someone admits that they are maybe a, a doom shopper or they're going for some retail therapy, how do we connect with that person, Michelle? What do we do? Right. We want to mirror them because it's a little bit vulnerable. If you're just saying that, you might feel a little awkward sharing it. Maybe you feel a little ashamed. What if you could mirror that person and say, oh, I've done that too.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And, you know, that's really cool.

[Lindsay McMahon]

That could be a whole follow up episode about, you know, how, how that works. But definitely, I think that, you know, we gave you some of the, some of the real stats, but what it really comes down to is that connection topic is learning how you guys can talk about it in your daily lives. So yeah, when Lindsay said, oh, you see this necklace? Total impulse buy, that was a huge connection moment. That can bring us closer together because we realize, ah, we both kind of.

[Michelle Kaplan]

We all do it. Sure. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Right, right, exactly. So I think that that's really the important thing to take away from today's episode is being able to use these things to not only talk about things like articles, but talk with people and connect with them, which everybody. I, I think most people can relate to this topic or at least have something to say.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So or, or if it's not shopping, it's something else that you do it. Maybe it's eating or exercising too much or, or watching too much tv. It's something. Right? And so we understand that no one is perfect on a human level, even beyond just language. So what we then have to do is find a way to connect, find our similarities. Right? This is how we do it.

[Lindsay McMahon]

This will be a follow up episode for sure. I'm gonna have fun with this one.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right, sounds good. Stay tuned guys. Hit the follow button for that follow up episode. And Michelle, I'll see you soon. All right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, bye, Lindsay. Bye guys.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right, bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears. English with. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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