Money, the lifeblood of commerce and a universal pursuit, is a topic that idioms capture with vivid, figurative expressions, adding a layer of wit and relatability to conversations about wealth, spending, and financial struggles. These phrases use metaphors, similes, and colorful imagery to describe the earning, saving, losing, or valuing of money, making discussions about finances more engaging, humorous, and insightful. In this wealth-inspired listicle, we’ll explore 42 idioms related to money, unpack their meanings, and illustrate how they can infuse your conversations about cash with flair and wisdom. Let’s dive into this rich collection of idioms and discover the many ways we talk about money!
What is an Idiom for Money?
Idioms for money are figurative expressions that creatively describe the concepts of wealth, spending, saving, or financial situations, using imagery and metaphor to convey meaning beyond literal transactions. These phrases make conversations about budgets, investments, or financial challenges more expressive, relatable, and often laced with humor or irony, whether you’re celebrating a windfall or lamenting an empty wallet. Each idiom below is explained with its meaning and brought to life with a long, illustrative sentence to show its use in context:
Idioms for Money
1. Break the Bank
Meaning: To use up all of one’s money or exceed financial limits.
In a Sentence: She wanted to buy the designer dress, but its exorbitant price would break the bank, forcing her to reconsider her budget and opt for a more affordable option instead.
2. Penny Pincher
Meaning: Someone who is extremely frugal or stingy with money.
In a Sentence: Known as a penny pincher, he meticulously tracked every expense, refusing to spend even a small amount on luxuries, which allowed him to save significantly for his future goals.
3. Cash Cow
Meaning: A reliable source of income or profit.
In a Sentence: The small bakery became a cash cow for the family, generating steady money from its popular pastries, which funded their expansion into a second location downtown.
4. Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
Meaning: Money is not easy to come by and must be earned.
In a Sentence: When her son asked for an expensive gadget, she reminded him that money doesn’t grow on trees, encouraging him to save his allowance to appreciate the value of hard-earned cash.
5. In the Red
Meaning: To be in debt or financially losing money.
In a Sentence: After overspending on renovations, the company found itself in the red, struggling to balance its books until a new contract brought in much-needed money to stabilize their finances.
6. In the Black
Meaning: To be financially profitable or solvent.
In a Sentence: Thanks to a successful marketing campaign, the startup was finally in the black, with enough money in the bank to invest in new projects and reward their dedicated team.
7. Make a Mint
Meaning: To earn a large amount of money.
In a Sentence: By launching a viral app, the young entrepreneur made a mint, amassing enough money to fund her dream of traveling the world while working remotely on new ventures.
8. Born with a Silver Spoon
Meaning: To be born into a wealthy family.
In a Sentence: Growing up born with a silver spoon, she never worried about money, enjoying a life of privilege that included private schools and luxurious vacations funded by her family’s wealth.
9. Money Talks
Meaning: Money can influence decisions or outcomes.
In a Sentence: In the competitive bidding war, money talked, and the highest offer secured the prime real estate, proving that financial power often sways even the toughest negotiations.
10. Throw Money Down the Drain
Meaning: To waste money on something useless.
In a Sentence: Investing in the faulty equipment was like throwing money down the drain, as it broke within weeks, leaving the business with no return and a significant financial loss.
11. Rags to Riches
Meaning: Going from poverty to wealth.
In a Sentence: Her rags to riches story inspired many, as she rose from a struggling artist with no money to a celebrated designer whose creations earned her millions and global acclaim.
12. Tighten Your Belt
Meaning: To spend less money due to financial constraints.
In a Sentence: After losing his job, he had to tighten his belt, cutting back on dining out and entertainment to ensure his limited money lasted until he found new employment.
13. Money Burns a Hole in Your Pocket
Meaning: A strong urge to spend money quickly.
In a Sentence: With her bonus check in hand, money burned a hole in her pocket, tempting her to splurge on a new wardrobe instead of saving for her planned home renovation project.
14. Pay Through the Nose
Meaning: To pay an excessively high price for something.
In a Sentence: They paid through the nose for the concert tickets, spending far more money than expected to secure front-row seats for their favorite band’s sold-out performance.
15. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
Meaning: Saving money is as valuable as earning it.
In a Sentence: Following her grandmother’s advice that a penny saved is a penny earned, she diligently set aside small amounts of money each month, eventually amassing enough for a down payment on a car.
16. Cash on the Barrel
Meaning: Immediate payment in full.
In a Sentence: The contractor demanded cash on the barrel before starting the job, requiring all money upfront to ensure he was paid promptly for his labor and materials.
17. Cost an Arm and a Leg
Meaning: To be extremely expensive.
In a Sentence: The luxurious vacation package cost an arm and a leg, draining their savings but providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience that they felt was worth every bit of money spent.
18. Cook the Books
Meaning: To manipulate financial records dishonestly.
In a Sentence: The accountant was caught cooking the books, falsifying money transactions to hide losses, which led to a scandal that nearly bankrupted the company and ruined its reputation.
19. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
Meaning: To diversify investments to reduce financial risk.
In a Sentence: He wisely didn’t put all his eggs in one basket, spreading his money across stocks, bonds, and real estate to protect his wealth from market fluctuations and unexpected downturns.
20. Money for Old Rope
Meaning: Easy money earned for little effort.
In a Sentence: Selling her old crafts online was money for old rope, as she earned a surprising amount of money for items she had made years ago with minimal additional work.
21. Live Within Your Means
Meaning: To spend only what you can afford.
In a Sentence: By choosing to live within their means, the couple avoided debt, carefully budgeting their money to enjoy a comfortable life without the stress of financial overextension.
22. Make Ends Meet
Meaning: To have just enough money to cover expenses.
In a Sentence: Working two jobs to make ends meet, she stretched every dollar of her money to pay bills and provide for her family, despite the constant challenge of rising costs.
23. On a Shoestring
Meaning: Operating with a very limited budget.
In a Sentence: The startup was launched on a shoestring, with minimal money invested in basic equipment, yet their creativity and hustle turned it into a thriving business over time.
24. Pinch Pennies
Meaning: To be very frugal or careful with money.
In a Sentence: To afford her dream trip, she pinched pennies for years, saving money by skipping small luxuries like coffee shop visits and cooking all her meals at home.
25. Rolling in Dough
Meaning: To have a lot of money or be very wealthy.
In a Sentence: After his tech company went public, he was rolling in dough, with enough money to buy a mansion, luxury cars, and still invest in new ventures without worry.
26. Foot the Bill
Meaning: To pay for something, often reluctantly.
In a Sentence: He had to foot the bill for the team’s dinner, grumbling as he handed over his money to cover the unexpectedly high cost of their celebratory meal at the upscale restaurant.
27. Money to Burn
Meaning: Having more money than needed, often spent recklessly.
In a Sentence: With money to burn after her big promotion, she indulged in lavish shopping sprees, spending freely on designer clothes and exotic vacations without a second thought.
28. Bring Home the Bacon
Meaning: To earn money to support a household.
In a Sentence: Working overtime to bring home the bacon, he ensured his family had enough money for their needs, sacrificing leisure time to provide a stable and comfortable life.
29. Grease Someone’s Palm
Meaning: To bribe someone with money.
In a Sentence: To expedite the permit process, he greased the official’s palm, discreetly slipping money into their hand to ensure his application was approved without delays.
30. Hit the Jackpot
Meaning: To gain a large amount of money unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: She hit the jackpot with her startup’s acquisition, receiving a massive payout of money that transformed her modest savings into a substantial nest egg overnight.
31. Flat Broke
Meaning: To have no money at all.
In a Sentence: After months of unemployment, he was flat broke, with no money left to cover even basic expenses, forcing him to rely on friends until he found a new job.
32. Nickel and Dime
Meaning: To charge or spend small amounts repeatedly.
In a Sentence: The subscription service nickeled and dimed her with hidden fees, draining her money with small charges that added up to a surprisingly large total over time.
33. Cash In On
Meaning: To profit or make money from an opportunity.
In a Sentence: She cashed in on the trend for eco-friendly products, launching a line that earned substantial money as consumers flocked to support sustainable businesses.
34. Cheap Skate
Meaning: A person who avoids spending money, often unfairly.
In a Sentence: Known as a cheap skate, he always dodged paying his share of group expenses, frustrating his friends who ended up covering his portion with their own money.
35. Money Laundering
Meaning: To conceal the origins of illegally obtained money.
In a Sentence: The criminal ring was involved in money laundering, funneling illicit money through fake businesses to make it appear legitimate, until authorities uncovered their scheme.
36. A Dime a Dozen
Meaning: Something common and of little value, often applied to money-making schemes.
In a Sentence: Get-rich-quick scams were a dime a dozen online, promising easy money but delivering nothing but disappointment to those who invested their hard-earned cash.
37. Time is Money
Meaning: Time is valuable and equates to potential earnings.
In a Sentence: Understanding that time is money, she streamlined her workflow to maximize efficiency, ensuring she could earn more by completing tasks quickly without wasting resources.
38. Bet Your Bottom Dollar
Meaning: To be absolutely certain, often about a financial outcome.
In a Sentence: You can bet your bottom dollar that the new product will sell out, as its innovative design and affordability are sure to attract customers with money to spend.
39. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Meaning: To back up words with financial action.
In a Sentence: He claimed to support the cause, but when asked to put his money where his mouth is, he hesitated, revealing his reluctance to commit actual funds to the initiative.
40. Worth Its Weight in Gold
Meaning: Extremely valuable, like money.
In a Sentence: The financial advice she received was worth its weight in gold, saving her thousands of dollars and guiding her to make smart investments that grew her money steadily.
41. Bleeding Money
Meaning: Losing money rapidly, often uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: The failing business was bleeding money, with expenses far outpacing revenue, forcing the owners to make tough decisions to avoid losing all their invested capital.
42. Money Can’t Buy Happiness
Meaning: Wealth alone cannot guarantee emotional fulfillment.
In a Sentence: Despite his vast fortune, he learned that money can’t buy happiness, as his loneliness persisted until he found joy in meaningful relationships rather than his bank account.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Break the Bank
What does the idiom “Break the bank” mean?
a) To save a lot of money
b) To use up all of one’s money or exceed financial limits
c) To earn a fortune
d) To share wealth
Quiz 2: Cash Cow
What is the meaning of “Cash cow”?
a) A financial loss
b) A reliable source of income or profit
c) A risky investment
d) A small expense
Quiz 3: In the Red
When someone says, “In the red,” what are they emphasizing?
a) Being financially profitable
b) Being in debt or losing money
c) Having extra funds
d) Avoiding expenses
Quiz 4: Make a Mint
What does the idiom “Make a mint” suggest?
a) Losing money
b) Earning a large amount of money
c) Saving small amounts
d) Spending recklessly
Quiz 5: Pay Through the Nose
What situation is described by the idiom “Pay through the nose”?
a) Paying a fair price
b) Paying an excessively high price
c) Avoiding payment
d) Sharing costs
Quiz 6: Rags to Riches
If someone goes “rags to riches,” what does it mean?
a) Losing all their money
b) Going from poverty to wealth
c) Spending recklessly
d) Saving cautiously
Quiz 7: A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
What does the expression “A penny saved is a penny earned” imply?
a) Spending is better than saving
b) Saving money is as valuable as earning it
c) Money is easy to earn
d) Saving is unnecessary
Quiz 8: Money for Old Rope
When is it appropriate to say, “Money for old rope”?
a) When money is hard to earn
b) When money is earned easily for little effort
c) When money is lost
d) When money is saved
Quiz 9: Rolling in Dough
What is the meaning of “Rolling in dough”?
a) Having little money
b) Having a lot of money or being very wealthy
c) Spending cautiously
d) Losing money
Quiz 10: Time is Money
When someone says “Time is money,” what are they encouraging?
a) Wasting time
b) Valuing time as equivalent to potential earnings
c) Ignoring deadlines
d) Spending freely
Answers:
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
Conclusion
Idioms for money are like coins in a treasure chest, each one sparkling with insight, humor, or wisdom about the complex world of finances, from wealth and spending to frugality and loss. Whether you’re breaking the bank, pinching pennies, or rolling in dough, these expressions add a rich layer of meaning to conversations about money’s role in our lives. So, the next time you’re discussing budgets, investments, or financial dreams, sprinkle in a few of these idioms to make your words as valuable and memorable as the money they describe!