Greetings readers! The IELTS Speaking Section is an integral part of your IELTS prep. In it comes the Cue Card section, where a candidate is supposed to converse with the examiner on any given topic spontaneously. Let’s explore the topic “Talk about a special day which was not that expensive” so that you ace your test prep journey with us.
Harvard University: Talk About a Special Day Which Was Not That Expensive
Introduction
Celebrating a special day does not need to be that expensive. Today I am going to share about a special day which was not that expensive. Last year during summer one of my friends got accepted to Harvard University. We wanted to celebrate this day with her but didn’t have enough money to go for a pricey lunch. So we found an alternative and ended up celebrating a special day which was not that expensive.
What is the occasion?
Last year one of my friends got her acceptance letter from Harvard University. We were really happy and excited for her. We wanted to celebrate this special day by going out and having lunch together. But all of us didn’t have enough money to go out and have lunch in a pricey restaurant. Getting into Harvard University was my friend’s dream come true and we wanted to make this day even more special for her. So we turned it into a special day which was not that expensive.
Where did you go?
Since we all did not have enough money to go and have lunch in a pricey restaurant,we decided to go on a picnic to a nearby waterfall. This was also the place where weusede to go and play as kids.We couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate than the waterfall. It’s a beautiful place with trees surrounding a waterfall. It was close to our house as well. So we decided to go there and celebrate this special day without making it expensive.
Why didn’t it cost you that much?
Since we decided to go to a nearby waterfall on a picnic instead of going to a pricey restaurant, we saved a lot of money there. We mostly took homemade food, snacks and some packaged food instead of buying overpriced foods from franchise restaurants available near the waterfall. We also carried water from home as we all hated to pay for packaged water. Instead of taking a cab and paying a thousand rupees, we took a means of public transport to our destination. This is how we saved a lot of money and celebrated a special day which was not that expensive.
Conclusion
This incident taught me that we can be happy even if we don’t have enough money because it is the people who you’re celebrating with matter. On this day we enjoyed ourselves a lot, we ate the food we brought with us, talked about our lives and how great our childhood was together. I will always carry this day with me forever because it taught me a very valuable lesson in my life: special days do not have to be expensive.
Example 2: Talk About a Special Day Which Was Not That Expensive
Introduction
Special days do not always have to be expensive, they can be celebrated without putting a dent in the pocket. Today given the opportunity I would like to talk about a special day which was not that expensive. Last month my cousins came to visit me. We were very close since childhood but this time we were meeting after a long time. We wanted to go out and celebrate some as we met after a long time. I must say all of us are frugal spenders so we decided to make it a special day which was not that expensive.
What was the occasion?
My cousins came to visit me after a long time. We are a tight-knit bunch and we were seeing each other after 4 years. As kids, they always used to come to my hometown during summer and we would play all day, in the evening we would go to the park and every Sunday we used to visit the local town fair. So after 4 years when they came to visit me, we wanted to make this time special.
Where did you go?
As I said we used to love to visit the town fair as kids, this time when they came we were in luck as the town fair was also there. All of us decided to visit it again just like old times. So in the evening we all got ready and went to the fair. We were all excited to relive all the memories We had as kids.
Why didn’t it cost you that much?
In the evening we all went to the fair. We walked our way to the fair as it was located near my house so we didn’t have to spend money on transport. Also since it was a town fair everything here was available at a very cheap price, unlike metropolitan cities. As kids we used to love going on rides so we had to go on rides this time as well. The fare for the rides cost us just ₹20. After hoping on all the fun rides we got hungry so we had some snacks at a stall in the park and headed back home. This special day was not expensive because it was in a small town with all the local things.
Conclusion
I must say that after this day I realized something small towns are way cheaper than big cities. Also, small towns have that feeling of closeness that the big cities lack. After reliving the day with my cousins we all had a discussion on how it was a special day which was not that expensive. I will carry this day forever with me.
Example 3: Talk About a Special Day Which Was Not That Expensive
Introduction
These days due to inflation nothing comes for a cheap price but this year I had a special day which was not that expensive. Today I’m going to share about a special day which is very close to my heart and was not that expensive. Lasdiscussedmber me and my roommate wanted to celebrate but we didn’t have enough money to buy pricey food and go out for a movie. So we celebrated the day without making it expensive.
What was the occasion?
It was a day before the new year, we were in the hostel as our college didn’t grant us leave. We wanted to celebrate New Year by eating good food and watching a movie but neither of us had the money to go out to a pricey restaurant and a movie. So we decided to make this day special without making it expensive.
Where did you go?
We decided to stay in the hostel and cook ourselves a nice meal in the hostel kitchen. We took permission from our warden and went to the kitchen. We looked around and found everything we needed to cook a pizza. We both didn’t know how to make a pizza so we referred to YouTube for help. Me and my friend had the time of our lives making that pizza. After our Pizza was done we came back to our room and downloaded the movie we wanted to watch from the internet, dimmed the lights of our room giving it a theatrical touch and celebrated new year.
Why didn’t it cost you that much?
It didn’t cost us at all as we decided to stay in and use the resources available to us. If we had ordered food from outside or gone to a theater to watch a movie it would have been expensive. We cooked ourselves food from the kitchen and watched a movie sitting in our hostel room. It was a very special day which was not that expensive at all.
Conclusion
This special day will always remain close to my heart because every year on new year I used to go out and spend money to make this day special. However, this year I enjoyed myself without having to spend a single penny. This day made me realize that it is possible to stay happy even without spending money.
Follow-Up Questions: Talk About a Special Day Which Was Not That Expensive
1. Do teenagers spend more money nowadays?
Yes, teenagers spend much more money nowadays as the income of the families has also increased. Also, there are many options available from which teenagers can earn themselves enough pocket money. Moreover, most of the families nowadays are nuclear families so they spoil their kids by fulfilling all of their wishes.
2. Did you ever spend on something expensive but regret it later?
Yes, I once bought myself a pair of branded shoes and after using it for just a few days the sole of the shoe came off. I went to the store asking for either an exchange or a refund and they denied me both. I instantly regret spending so much money on it.
3. What will you choose between lunch at an expensive restaurant or a picnic at a nearby park?
Honestly answering the question, lunch at an expensive restaurant is alluring but I will choose a picnic at a nearby park. I have had many special days which were not that expensive so I know that feeling is far better than dining in an expensive restaurant.
4. How do you save money?
I try to save as much money as possible by using various schemes available in the market to save money. I invest in various stocks and keep a major amount of my money in the bank. Along with these I also try not to spend on expensive things or things I might not need in future.
5. Which do you think is better online shopping or going to physical stores?
The answer to this question is subjective as it depends on person to person but to answer your question I prefer going to physical stores over online shopping. Physical stores have that touch of closeness that online shopping lacks. I choose online methods only under special circumstances.
Neha Sharma is an IELTS faculty with a decade of experience in teaching IELTS. She holds a PhD in English from Stanford University, USA. Excelling in tailoring her teaching to individual student needs, she has helped over 50,000 students achieve their target scores. Actively involved in research, she ensures that her methods remain effective and innovative.
