Idioms About Money

Idioms About Money: Mastering English Expressions

by

Idioms are expressions that go beyond literal meanings, and understanding them is key to sounding natural and fluent in English. Among the most common and useful are idioms about money, which appear frequently in conversations, business discussions, and media.

From phrases like “break the bank” to “tighten your belt,” money idioms help you express complex ideas with creativity and clarity. But because their meanings aren’t always obvious, they can be tricky for English learners.

This guide will walk you through some of the most widely used money idioms—explaining what they mean, how they’re structured, and when to use them. With examples, usage rules, and practice exercises, you’ll build a deeper understanding of English idiomatic language and gain confidence in both casual and professional settings.

Whether you’re preparing for a job interview, improving your speaking skills, or just curious about idioms, this article will give you the tools to master money-related expressions like a native speaker.

Table of Contents

Definition of Money Idioms

Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. Instead, they have a figurative meaning that is culturally specific. Money idioms are a subset of idioms that relate to financial matters, wealth, poverty, and transactions. These idioms are frequently used in everyday conversation, literature, and business contexts to add color, emphasis, and cultural understanding to communication.

Money idioms can be classified based on their function and context. Some describe earning money, while others relate to spending, saving, or financial difficulties.

Understanding these classifications helps in recognizing and using them appropriately. The context in which an idiom is used is crucial for its correct interpretation.

For example, “bring home the bacon” refers to earning a living, while “break the bank” means to spend too much money.

Money idioms are a vital part of the English language, enriching communication and providing deeper insights into cultural attitudes toward money. Mastering these idioms enhances both comprehension and expression, allowing for more effective and nuanced communication.

Structural Breakdown of Money Idioms

Money idioms, like all idioms, are fixed expressions. This means that their structure is generally rigid, and changing the words or word order can alter or destroy the idiom’s meaning.

Understanding the structural elements of money idioms helps in recognizing and using them correctly.

Most money idioms consist of a combination of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. For example, in the idiom “a penny saved is a penny earned,” the nouns “penny” and “earned” are central, while the verb “saved” describes the action.

The structure is fixed, and changing it to “a nickel saved is a nickel earned” while similar, isn’t the common idiom. The phrase “break the bank” includes the verb “break” and the noun “bank,” conveying the idea of spending excessively.

The patterns in money idioms often involve metaphorical language. For instance, “money doesn’t grow on trees” uses the metaphor of trees to represent the idea that money is not easily obtained.

Recognizing these metaphorical patterns can aid in understanding and remembering the idioms. The structure of idioms is often what makes them unique and memorable.

The fixed nature of these expressions means that they must be learned and used as complete units of meaning.

Categories of Money Idioms

Money idioms can be categorized based on the specific financial aspect they relate to. These categories help in understanding the nuances and contexts in which each idiom is used.

Common categories include idioms about earning money, spending money, saving money, financial trouble, and general financial situations.

Idioms About Earning Money

These idioms describe the process of making money, often emphasizing the effort or source of income involved. Examples include “bring home the bacon,” “make a killing,” and “work for peanuts.”

Idioms About Spending Money

These idioms relate to how money is spent, often focusing on the amount or the manner of spending. Examples include “break the bank,” “shell out,” and “tighten your belt.”

Idioms About Saving Money

These idioms describe the act of putting money aside, often highlighting the importance of thrift and frugality. Examples include “save for a rainy day,” “nest egg,” and “cut corners.”

Idioms About Financial Trouble

These idioms refer to situations of financial difficulty, debt, or poverty. Examples include “in the red,” “broke,” and “hard up.”

General Money Idioms

These idioms cover a broad range of financial topics and situations, without fitting neatly into the other categories. Examples include “money talks,” “easy money,” and “golden handshake.”

Examples of Money Idioms

This section provides extensive examples of money idioms, organized by category. Each example is accompanied by a definition and example sentence to illustrate its usage.

Idioms About Earning Money

The following table provides examples of idioms related to earning money. Understanding these idioms can help you discuss employment, income, and financial success more effectively.

Idiom Definition Example Sentence
Bring home the bacon To earn a living; to provide for a family. My father works long hours to bring home the bacon.
Make a killing To make a large profit quickly and easily. He made a killing on the stock market last year.
Work for peanuts To work for very little money. I’m working for peanuts at my current job.
Cash in on To profit from a situation or opportunity. She cashed in on her invention and became a millionaire.
Line your pockets To make money dishonestly, often by taking advantage of a position. The corrupt officials were accused of lining their pockets with public funds.
Make ends meet To have just enough money to cover expenses. It’s difficult to make ends meet with rising costs of living.
Breadwinner The person who earns the money for a family. She is the primary breadwinner in her family.
Golden goose A valuable asset that generates a lot of money. The company’s new product is their golden goose.
Strike gold To discover something valuable or profitable. The company struck gold with their latest software innovation.
Rake in the money To earn a lot of money quickly. The store raked in the money during the holiday season.
Be rolling in it To be very rich. Ever since he sold his company, he’s been rolling in it.
Live high on the hog To live luxuriously. After winning the lottery, they started to live high on the hog.
Worth your weight in gold Extremely valuable or useful. Our accountant is worth his weight in gold.
Born with a silver spoon in your mouth Born into a wealthy family. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to worry about money.
Money for jam Money earned for very little effort. (British English) This job is money for jam; I barely have to do anything.
Money for old rope Money earned for very little effort. (British English) He’s getting money for old rope doing that job.
Get paid peanuts To receive very low wages. She gets paid peanuts despite working long hours.
Piece of cake Something very easy to earn money from. Selling these products is a piece of cake; they practically sell themselves.
Make a quick buck To earn money quickly, often through dishonest means. He tried to make a quick buck by selling fake merchandise.
Cushy number An easy and well-paid job. (British English) He landed a cushy number at the bank.
Have money to burn To have a lot of money and spend it freely. They have money to burn and are always buying expensive things.
Make a fast buck To earn money quickly, usually with little effort. He tried to make a fast buck with that risky investment.
On the gravy train Earning a lot of money easily, often without much effort. Those consultants are on the gravy train, charging exorbitant fees.
Clean up To earn a large amount of money quickly. They cleaned up during the real estate boom.
Hit the jackpot To have a sudden and significant financial success. He hit the jackpot when his startup was acquired.
Be in clover To live comfortably and prosperously. Since winning the lottery, they’ve been in clover.
Make a pile To accumulate a large amount of money. He made a pile in the stock market before retiring.
Live in the lap of luxury To live in very comfortable and expensive conditions. They retired and now live in the lap of luxury.
Get rich quick To become wealthy rapidly. Many people try to get rich quick through risky investments.
Related Learning Post  Mastering Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

Idioms About Spending Money

The following table illustrates idioms related to spending money. These expressions are useful for describing purchasing habits, costs, and financial decisions.

Idiom Definition Example Sentence
Break the bank To cost too much money; to be too expensive. That new car will break the bank.
Shell out To pay money, often unwillingly. I had to shell out a lot of money for the repairs.
Tighten your belt To spend less money due to financial difficulties. We need to tighten our belts to get through this recession.
Foot the bill To pay the expenses. The company will foot the bill for the conference.
Dip into savings To use money that has been saved. We had to dip into our savings to cover the unexpected costs.
Go Dutch To split the cost of something, typically a meal. Let’s go Dutch on dinner tonight.
Ante up To pay one’s share of a cost or contribution. Everyone needs to ante up to cover the expenses.
Pay through the nose To pay a very high price. We had to pay through the nose for the last-minute tickets.
Fork out To spend a lot of money, often unwillingly. I had to fork out a fortune for the car repairs.
Money pit Something that requires a lot of money to maintain. That old house is a money pit.
Burn a hole in your pocket Money that one is tempted to spend quickly. That bonus is burning a hole in my pocket.
Living beyond your means Spending more money than you earn. They are living beyond their means with their extravagant lifestyle.
Splash out To spend a lot of money on something special. (British English) We decided to splash out on a fancy dinner.
Chip in To contribute money to a common fund. Everyone chipped in to buy the gift.
Shell out for To pay a considerable amount of money for something. I had to shell out for a new engine for my car.
Pick up the tab To pay the bill. I’ll pick up the tab tonight.
Cost an arm and a leg To be very expensive. Those designer shoes cost an arm and a leg.
For a song At a very low price. I bought this antique table for a song at the flea market.
Pay the piper To face the consequences of one’s actions. Eventually, you’ll have to pay the piper for your reckless spending.
Be taken to the cleaners To lose all your money, especially in a deal or transaction. He was taken to the cleaners in that business deal.
For peanuts For a very small amount of money. They sold their old furniture for peanuts.
Cash cow A business or investment that generates a lot of money. That product line is our cash cow.
For tuppence For a very small amount of money. (British English, archaic) Back then, you could buy a loaf of bread for tuppence.
For love nor money Not for any price; impossible to obtain. You couldn’t buy that painting for love nor money.
Spend money like water To spend money wastefully or extravagantly. They spend money like water on unnecessary luxuries.
For a king’s ransom For a very large sum of money. That ancient manuscript is worth a king’s ransom.
Get your money’s worth To receive good value for the money spent. Make sure you get your money’s worth from that expensive gym membership.
Pay top dollar To pay the highest possible price. They paid top dollar for the beachfront property.
For next to nothing For almost no money at all. I bought this dress for next to nothing at the charity shop.
Related Learning Post  Mastering the Pronunciation of 'R' Sound

Idioms About Saving Money

The following table provides examples of idioms about saving money. These idioms are helpful for discussing financial planning, frugality, and long-term financial security.

Idiom Definition Example Sentence
Save for a rainy day To save money for a future need or emergency. It’s important to save for a rainy day.
Nest egg A sum of money saved for the future. They have a comfortable nest egg for retirement.
Cut corners To reduce costs, often by sacrificing quality. The company cut corners to increase profits.
A penny saved is a penny earned Saving money is as valuable as earning it. Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Put away for a rainy day To save money for a future need. We should put away some money for a rainy day.
Squirrel away To hide or save something, especially money. She squirreled away some money for her children’s education.
Stash away To hide or save something, especially money. He stashed away some cash in case of an emergency.
Salt away To save or store away, especially money. They’ve been salting away money for their retirement.
On the cheap In a way that minimizes expenses. We managed to travel on the cheap by staying in hostels.
Get the most bang for your buck To get the best value for your money. We want to get the most bang for our buck when investing in new equipment.
Economize on To reduce expenses; to be thrifty. We need to economize on our energy consumption to save money.
Hold on to your hat Prepare for something surprising or shocking. (Often used when anticipating high costs). When you see the bill, you’ll need to hold on to your hat!
Keep your hand in your pocket To avoid spending money. You should keep your hand in your pocket and save for the future.
Put by for a rainy day To save money for a future need or emergency. It’s wise to put by for a rainy day in case of unexpected expenses.
Scrimp and save To save money by spending as little as possible. They had to scrimp and save to afford their dream vacation.
Watch the pennies To be careful with small amounts of money. You need to watch the pennies and avoid unnecessary expenses.
Make every penny count To use money carefully and efficiently. We have to make every penny count during this economic downturn.
Clip coupons To cut out coupons from newspapers or online to save money on purchases. She always clips coupons to save money at the grocery store.
Live within your means To spend only as much money as you earn. It’s important to live within your means to avoid debt.
Skimp on To provide less than what is needed or desired in order to save money. Don’t skimp on quality when buying essential items.
Tightfisted Unwilling to spend money; stingy. He’s very tightfisted and never offers to pay.
Thrifty Using money and resources carefully and not wastefully. She is a thrifty shopper who always finds great deals.
Be on a shoestring budget To have very little money to spend. We’re on a shoestring budget this month, so we can’t afford to eat out.
Put something by To save money for a specific purpose. We’re putting something by each month for a new car.
Save your bacon To save someone from harm or difficulty. That unexpected bonus saved our bacon.
Be frugal Being economical with money or resources. They are frugal and always look for ways to save money.
Stingy Unwilling to give or spend money; miserly. He’s too stingy to buy anyone a gift.
Be close-fisted Reluctant to spend money; stingy. He’s known for being close-fisted with his money.
Penny-pinching Being extremely careful with money, often to an excessive degree. Their penny-pinching habits allow them to save a lot of money.

Idioms About Financial Trouble

The following table provides examples of idioms about financial trouble. These expressions are useful for describing debt, poverty, and economic hardship.

Idiom Definition Example Sentence
In the red Operating at a loss; in debt. The company has been in the red for the past two years.
Broke Having no money. I’m broke until payday.
Hard up Having very little money. They were hard up after losing their jobs.
Strap for cash Not having enough money. We’re a little strap for cash this month.
On the breadline Living in extreme poverty. Many families are on the breadline due to unemployment.
Go belly up To go bankrupt or fail financially. The business went belly up after the recession.
Get into debt To owe money to someone. They got into debt after taking out a large loan.
Be down and out Lacking money, resources, and hope. He was down and out after losing everything.
Be in dire straits In a very difficult or dangerous situation. The company is in dire straits due to declining sales.
Be on your last legs Close to failure or collapse. The old car is on its last legs.
Be up to your ears in debt To owe a large amount of money. They are up to their ears in debt after buying the house.
Be in a tight corner In a difficult situation, especially financially. The business is in a tight corner due to increased competition.
Be skating on thin ice To be in a risky or precarious situation. They are skating on thin ice with their risky investments.
Go bust To go bankrupt. The company went bust after failing to adapt to the market.
Be on the rocks Experiencing severe difficulties or problems. Their marriage is on the rocks due to financial problems.
Insolvent Unable to pay debts. The company was declared insolvent by the court.
At a loss Not making a profit. The business is operating at a loss.
Penniless Having no money; extremely poor. He was left penniless after the scam.
On the brink of bankruptcy Very close to becoming bankrupt. The company is on the brink of bankruptcy due to poor management.
Have empty pockets To have no money. I have empty pockets until I get paid.
Be in the poorhouse To be extremely poor. If we keep spending like this, we’ll end up in the poorhouse.
Be on the bones of your bum To have very little money. (British English) We were on the bones of our bum after the holidays.
Can’t make head nor tail of something Unable to understand something, often related to financial matters. I can’t make head nor tail of these financial reports.
Sink or swim To succeed or fail without assistance. They were left to sink or swim in the competitive market.
Take a hit To suffer a loss or setback. The economy took a hit during the pandemic.
Be in Queer Street To be in financial difficulty. (British English, archaic) They ended up in Queer Street after their business failed.
Be without a sou To have no money at all. He was without a sou after losing his job.
Feel the pinch To experience financial hardship. Many families are feeling the pinch due to rising inflation.
Go to the wall To fail financially; to go bankrupt. Many small businesses went to the wall during the recession.
Related Learning Post  Mastering Information Technology Vocabulary List

General Money Idioms

The following table provides examples of general money idioms. These expressions cover a wide range of financial topics and situations.

Idiom Definition Example Sentence
Money talks Money has power and influence. Money talks; with enough money, you can get anything done.
Easy money Money earned with little effort. He made some easy money by selling his old car.
Golden handshake A large sum of money given to someone when they leave a company. He received a generous golden handshake when he retired.
Nest egg A sum of money saved for the future. They have a comfortable nest egg for retirement.
Cash is king Cash is the most important thing in business. In this economy, cash is king.
Follow the money To investigate financial transactions to uncover wrongdoing. The detective decided to follow the money to find the culprit.
Grease someone’s palm To bribe someone. They had to grease someone’s palm to get the permit.
In the black Operating at a profit. The company is finally in the black after years of losses.
Cook the books To falsify financial records. The accountant was accused of cooking the books.
Sweeten the deal To make an offer more attractive. They had to sweeten the deal to get him to sign the contract.
Money is no object Money is not a limiting factor. Money is no object when it comes to her health.
Money doesn’t grow on trees Money is not easily obtained. Remember, money doesn’t grow on trees, so be careful how you spend it.
Make a clean sweep To make a big change or improvement. The new CEO promised to make a clean sweep of the company.
Worth a pretty penny Expensive or valuable. That antique vase is worth a pretty penny.
Money makes the world go round Money is essential for economic activity and human affairs. It’s often said that money makes the world go round.
Pay your dues To earn something through hard work and perseverance. He had to pay his dues before becoming a successful actor.
Be flush with cash To have plenty of money. They are flush with cash after selling their business.
Be made of money To be very rich. They must be made of money to afford that mansion.
Be rolling in dough To be very rich. Ever since he won the lottery, he’s been rolling in dough.
Be sitting pretty To be in a comfortable or advantageous position, often financially. They are sitting pretty after investing in real estate.
Be up to your eyeballs in something To be deeply involved or overwhelmed, often with financial matters. They are up to their eyeballs in debt.
Cash-strapped Having little money. Many students are cash-strapped during the summer.
Gravy train A situation where someone can make a lot of money easily. Those consultants are on the gravy train, charging exorbitant fees.
Money is the root of all evil Money is the primary cause of many problems. Some people believe that money is the root of all evil.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be Avoid borrowing or lending money to maintain good relationships. It’s best to follow the advice: neither a borrower nor a lender be.
Pass the buck To avoid responsibility by passing it on to someone else. They always pass the buck when it comes to financial decisions.
Put your money where your mouth is To support your words with action, especially with money. If you believe in the project, put your money where your mouth is.
Shake the money tree To try to get money from someone or something. They are trying to shake the money tree to fund their project.

Leave a Comment