60+ Idioms About Money with Meanings and Examples
Money makes the world go round, and our language is full of colorful expressions about it! Whether you’re learning English or just want to enrich your vocabulary, understanding money idioms will help you communicate more naturally and effectively.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore over 60 popular idioms about money, complete with meanings, real-life examples, and alternative ways to express the same idea.
Why Learn Money Idioms?
Money idioms are used everywhere, in business meetings, casual conversations, movies, and books. Mastering these expressions will:
- Help you understand native speakers better
- Make your English sound more natural and fluent
- Improve your reading and listening comprehension
- Give you confidence in professional and social settings
Let’s dive into the fascinating world of money idioms!
1. A Penny for Your Thoughts
Meaning: A way to ask someone what they’re thinking about
In a Sentence:
- You’ve been quiet all evening. A penny for your thoughts?
- She looked worried, so I asked, “A penny for your thoughts?”
Other Ways to Say: What’s on your mind? | Tell me what you’re thinking
2. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
Meaning: Saving money is just as valuable as earning money
In a Sentence:
- My grandmother always said, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” so I always look for discounts.
- Instead of buying coffee every day, I make it at home—a penny saved is a penny earned!
Other Ways to Say: Saving is as good as earning | Money saved is money made
3. Break the Bank
Meaning: To cost too much money or use up all your savings
In a Sentence:
- That new car is beautiful, but it would break the bank for me right now.
- We had a lovely vacation that didn’t break the bank.
Other Ways to Say: Cost a fortune | Be too expensive
4. Bring Home the Bacon
Meaning: To earn money to support your family
In a Sentence:
- My father worked two jobs to bring home the bacon for our family.
- She’s the one who brings home the bacon while her husband takes care of the kids.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a living | Provide for the family
5. Cash Cow
Meaning: A business or product that consistently generates good profit
In a Sentence:
- Their mobile app has become a real cash cow for the company.
- The new product line is our cash cow—it pays for all our other operations.
Other Ways to Say: Money maker | Profitable venture
6. Cheapskate
Meaning: A person who is unwilling to spend money
In a Sentence:
- Don’t be such a cheapskate—it’s your friend’s birthday, buy them a nice gift!
- He’s such a cheapskate that he never leaves a tip at restaurants.
Other Ways to Say: Tightwad | Penny pincher
7. Cost an Arm and a Leg
Meaning: To be extremely expensive
In a Sentence:
- That designer handbag costs an arm and a leg, but she bought it anyway.
- College tuition costs an arm and a leg these days.
Other Ways to Say: Cost a fortune | Be very expensive
8. Cut Corners
Meaning: To do something cheaply or incompletely to save money
In a Sentence:
- The construction company cut corners, and now the building has problems.
- Don’t cut corners on safety equipment—it’s not worth the risk.
Other Ways to Say: Skimp on quality | Take shortcuts
9. Dime a Dozen
Meaning: Something very common and not valuable
In a Sentence:
- Good workers are hard to find, but complainers are a dime a dozen.
- Those types of phones are a dime a dozen now that newer models are out.
Other Ways to Say: Very common | Easy to find
10. Easy Money
Meaning: Money earned without much effort
In a Sentence:
- Selling my old furniture online was easy money.
- Be careful—there’s no such thing as easy money, especially online.
Other Ways to Say: Quick money | Money for nothing
11. Feather Your Nest
Meaning: To make money for yourself, often in a dishonest way
In a Sentence:
- The politician used his position to feather his nest instead of helping the public.
- She feathered her nest by investing wisely in her youth.
Other Ways to Say: Line your pockets | Enrich yourself
12. Feel Like a Million Bucks
Meaning: To feel wonderful, healthy, or confident
In a Sentence:
- After my spa day, I felt like a million bucks!
- Getting eight hours of sleep made me feel like a million bucks this morning.
Other Ways to Say: Feel amazing | Feel fantastic
13. Flat Broke
Meaning: Having absolutely no money
In a Sentence:
- I can’t go out tonight—I’m flat broke until payday.
- After paying all my bills, I was flat broke.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke | Penniless
14. Foot the Bill
Meaning: To pay for something, especially when it’s expensive
In a Sentence:
- My parents footed the bill for my wedding.
- The company will foot the bill for your hotel and travel expenses.
Other Ways to Say: Pay the cost | Cover the expenses
15. Fork Out
Meaning: To pay money for something, usually reluctantly
In a Sentence:
- I had to fork out $500 to fix my car.
- We forked out a lot of money for concert tickets, but it was worth it.
Other Ways to Say: Pay up | Shell out
16. Get a Bang for Your Buck
Meaning: To get good value for the money you spend
In a Sentence:
- Shopping at that store really gives you a bang for your buck.
- This smartphone gives you the most bang for your buck compared to expensive brands.
Other Ways to Say: Get good value | Get your money’s worth
17. Go Dutch
Meaning: To split the bill equally among everyone
In a Sentence:
- Let’s go Dutch on dinner tonight so it’s fair for everyone.
- We always go Dutch when we eat out as friends.
Other Ways to Say: Split the bill | Pay separately
18. Golden Handshake
Meaning: A large payment given to someone when they leave a company
In a Sentence:
- The CEO received a golden handshake worth millions when he retired.
- She got a golden handshake after 30 years with the company.
Other Ways to Say: Severance package | Retirement bonus
19. Gravy Train
Meaning: A situation where you can make money easily
In a Sentence:
- He’s been riding the gravy train with that consulting job for years.
- The gravy train ended when the company went bankrupt.
Other Ways to Say: Easy money situation | Profitable opportunity
20. Hand to Mouth
Meaning: Living with just enough money to survive, with no savings
In a Sentence:
- Many families are living hand to mouth after losing their jobs.
- Before I got promoted, I was living hand to mouth every month.
Other Ways to Say: Living paycheck to paycheck | Barely getting by
21. Have Money to Burn
Meaning: To have so much money that you can spend it carelessly
In a Sentence:
- He must have money to burn, buying expensive cars like that.
- I don’t have money to burn, so I budget carefully.
Other Ways to Say: Have money to spare | Be very wealthy
22. Highway Robbery
Meaning: An unreasonably high price for something
In a Sentence:
- Twenty dollars for a sandwich? That’s highway robbery!
- The parking fees at the airport are highway robbery.
Other Ways to Say: A rip-off | Extremely overpriced
23. Hit the Jackpot
Meaning: To suddenly get a large amount of money or have great success
In a Sentence:
- They hit the jackpot with their new business idea.
- I hit the jackpot when I found this apartment at such a low rent.
Other Ways to Say: Strike it rich | Win big
24. In the Black
Meaning: To be profitable or have money in your account
In a Sentence:
- After years of losses, the company is finally in the black.
- I’m happy to say that my account is in the black this month.
Other Ways to Say: Profitable | In the positive
25. In the Red
Meaning: To be in debt or losing money
In a Sentence:
- My credit card is in the red again—I need to stop shopping.
- The business has been in the red for three consecutive quarters.
Other Ways to Say: In debt | Operating at a loss
26. Keep Your Head Above Water
Meaning: To barely manage financially; to survive
In a Sentence:
- With all these bills, I’m just trying to keep my head above water.
- The small business is keeping its head above water during the recession.
Other Ways to Say: Stay afloat | Barely survive
27. Live Beyond Your Means
Meaning: To spend more money than you earn
In a Sentence:
- They’re living beyond their means with that expensive house and car.
- If you live beyond your means, you’ll end up in serious debt.
Other Ways to Say: Overspend | Spend more than you can afford
28. Live Within Your Means
Meaning: To spend only what you can afford
In a Sentence:
- My financial advisor told me to live within my means and save more.
- Living within your means is the key to financial stability.
Other Ways to Say: Spend wisely | Stick to your budget
29. Make a Bundle
Meaning: To make a lot of money
In a Sentence:
- He made a bundle selling his company to a larger corporation.
- They made a bundle from their real estate investments.
Other Ways to Say: Make a fortune | Earn big money
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30. Make a Killing
Meaning: To earn a large profit quickly
In a Sentence:
- She made a killing in the stock market last year.
- The store made a killing during the holiday sales.
Other Ways to Say: Make huge profits | Earn a fortune
31. Make Ends Meet
Meaning: To have just enough money to pay for basic needs
In a Sentence:
- With two jobs, she can barely make ends meet.
- It’s hard to make ends meet with the rising cost of living.
Other Ways to Say: Get by | Manage financially
32. Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
Meaning: Money is not easy to get and must be earned
In a Sentence:
- You can’t buy everything you want—money doesn’t grow on trees!
- My parents always reminded us that money doesn’t grow on trees.
Other Ways to Say: Money is limited | Money must be earned
33. Money Talks
Meaning: Wealthy people have power and influence
In a Sentence:
- In this town, money talks and everyone else listens.
- Unfortunately, money talks in politics.
Other Ways to Say: Wealth brings power | Money has influence
34. Money to Burn
Meaning: Having extra money to spend freely
In a Sentence:
- He acts like he has money to burn, always buying the latest gadgets.
- I don’t have money to burn, so I shop during sales.
Other Ways to Say: Extra money | Money to spare
35. Nest Egg
Meaning: Money saved for the future or for emergencies
In a Sentence:
- They’ve built up a nice nest egg for retirement.
- I’m starting a nest egg for my children’s education.
Other Ways to Say: Savings | Emergency fund
36. Not Worth a Dime
Meaning: Having no value or being worthless
In a Sentence:
- That old car isn’t worth a dime anymore.
- His promises aren’t worth a dime—he never follows through.
Other Ways to Say: Worthless | Of no value
37. On a Shoestring
Meaning: With very little money
In a Sentence:
- They started their business on a shoestring and grew it into a success.
- We’re traveling Europe on a shoestring budget.
Other Ways to Say: On a tight budget | With limited funds
38. Pay Through the Nose
Meaning: To pay an excessive amount for something
In a Sentence:
- We paid through the nose for those concert tickets.
- If you don’t book in advance, you’ll pay through the nose for hotels.
Other Ways to Say: Pay too much | Overpay
39. Penny Pincher
Meaning: Someone who is very careful with money or unwilling to spend
In a Sentence:
- My uncle is such a penny pincher—he saves every receipt.
- You don’t have to be a penny pincher, but you should budget wisely.
Other Ways to Say: Cheapskate | Frugal person
40. Pinch Pennies
Meaning: To be very careful about spending money
In a Sentence:
- We had to pinch pennies when I was in college.
- If we pinch pennies now, we can afford a vacation next year.
Other Ways to Say: Save money | Be frugal
41. Pony Up
Meaning: To pay money that is owed or required
In a Sentence:
- It’s time to pony up for your share of the rent.
- Everyone needs to pony up $20 for the gift.
Other Ways to Say: Pay up | Hand over the money
42. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Meaning: To support your words with action or money
In a Sentence:
- If you really believe in this project, put your money where your mouth is.
- He talks about investing, but he never puts his money where his mouth is.
Other Ways to Say: Back up your words | Prove your commitment
43. Rags to Riches
Meaning: Going from being poor to becoming wealthy
In a Sentence:
- Her story is a true rags to riches tale—she started with nothing.
- The founder’s rags to riches journey inspired many entrepreneurs.
Other Ways to Say: From poverty to wealth | Success story
44. Rolling in Dough
Meaning: Having a lot of money
In a Sentence:
- After selling his startup, he’s rolling in dough.
- They’re rolling in dough with both of them having high-paying jobs.
Other Ways to Say: Very wealthy | Rich
45. Run Up a Tab
Meaning: To accumulate charges that will be paid later
In a Sentence:
- They ran up a huge tab at the bar last night.
- Don’t run up a tab on your credit card that you can’t pay off.
Other Ways to Say: Accumulate debt | Build up charges
46. Salt Away
Meaning: To save money for future use
In a Sentence:
- She salted away a portion of every paycheck for retirement.
- It’s wise to salt away some money for emergencies.
Other Ways to Say: Save | Put aside money
47. Scrape Together
Meaning: To gather money with difficulty
In a Sentence:
- We scraped together enough money for a down payment.
- I’m trying to scrape together the funds for a new laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Gather with difficulty | Collect barely enough
48. Shell Out
Meaning: To pay money for something, especially unwillingly
In a Sentence:
- I had to shell out $300 for car repairs.
- Parents shell out thousands for their children’s education.
Other Ways to Say: Pay out | Fork over
49. Strapped for Cash
Meaning: Having very little money available
In a Sentence:
- I can’t go to the movies tonight—I’m strapped for cash.
- The company is strapped for cash and can’t hire new employees.
Other Ways to Say: Short on money | Low on funds
50. Strike It Rich
Meaning: To suddenly become wealthy
In a Sentence:
- He struck it rich when his invention was sold to a major company.
- Many people dream of striking it rich, but few actually do.
Other Ways to Say: Become wealthy | Make it big
51. Take a Bath
Meaning: To lose a lot of money on an investment
In a Sentence:
- He took a bath on that stock investment.
- The company took a bath when the product failed to sell.
Other Ways to Say: Suffer a big loss | Lose money
52. Tight-Fisted
Meaning: Unwilling to spend money; stingy
In a Sentence:
- My boss is so tight-fisted that he won’t even buy office supplies.
- Don’t be tight-fisted—treat yourself once in a while.
Other Ways to Say: Stingy | Miserly
53. Tighten Your Belt
Meaning: To spend less money and live more economically
In a Sentence:
- With the pay cut, we’ll need to tighten our belts for a few months.
- The company is tightening its belt by reducing unnecessary expenses.
Other Ways to Say: Cut back on spending | Be more frugal
54. Time is Money
Meaning: Time is valuable and shouldn’t be wasted
In a Sentence:
- We need to finish this project quickly—time is money!
- In business, remember that time is money, so be efficient.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t waste time | Time is valuable
55. Turn a Profit
Meaning: To make money from a business
In a Sentence:
- It took three years, but the restaurant finally turned a profit.
- The goal this quarter is to turn a profit for the first time.
Other Ways to Say: Make a profit | Earn money
56. Well-Heeled
Meaning: Wealthy; having plenty of money
In a Sentence:
- The neighborhood is full of well-heeled professionals.
- Only well-heeled customers can afford items in that boutique.
Other Ways to Say: Wealthy | Affluent
57. Worth Your Weight in Gold
Meaning: Very valuable or useful
In a Sentence:
- A good assistant is worth their weight in gold.
- Your advice has been worth its weight in gold during this difficult time.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely valuable | Priceless
58. You Can’t Take It With You
Meaning: You can’t keep your money after you die, so enjoy it while you’re alive
In a Sentence:
- My grandfather always said, “You can’t take it with you,” so he enjoyed life.
- Stop hoarding money—you can’t take it with you!
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy life now | Spend and enjoy
59. Pay Dirt
Meaning: To find something valuable or to succeed financially
In a Sentence:
- The company hit pay dirt with their new app.
- After years of research, the scientist finally struck pay dirt with a breakthrough discovery.
Other Ways to Say: Strike it rich | Find success
60. Born with a Silver Spoon in Your Mouth
Meaning: To be born into a wealthy family
In a Sentence:
- He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to work hard.
- Unlike her, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth—I earned everything.
Other Ways to Say: Born wealthy | Born privileged
61. Money Pit
Meaning: Something that costs a lot of money to maintain or fix
In a Sentence:
- That old house is a money pit—there’s always something that needs repairs.
- Buying a boat can be a money pit if you’re not prepared for maintenance costs.
Other Ways to Say: Expensive burden | Costly investment
62. At All Costs
Meaning: Regardless of the expense or effort required
In a Sentence:
- We must finish this project on time at all costs.
- She was determined to succeed at all costs.
Other Ways to Say: No matter what | Whatever it takes
63. Bet Your Bottom Dollar
Meaning: To be absolutely certain about something
In a Sentence:
- You can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll be late again.
- I’d bet my bottom dollar she’ll get the promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Be completely sure | Be certain
Frequently Asked Questions
What are idioms about money with meaning?
Idioms about money are common expressions that explain earning, spending, or saving money in a figurative way, not literally. Each idiom has a simple meaning used in daily English.
Are there idioms about money and happiness?
Yes, many idioms connect money with happiness, like “money can’t buy happiness,” showing that wealth does not always bring real joy or satisfaction.
What are some common idioms about saving money?
Popular idioms about saving money include “save for a rainy day,” “tighten your belt,” and “penny pincher.” These are often used when talking about careful spending.
What is an idioms about money worksheet used for?
An idioms about money worksheet helps students practice meanings, sentences, and usage of money idioms in an easy and interactive way.
What does monkey wrench mean in money idioms?
Monkey wrench means something that causes problems or stops plans, often used when a financial issue suddenly creates trouble.
Conclusion
Understanding money idioms enriches your English vocabulary and helps you communicate more effectively in both casual and professional settings. These 60+ expressions show how deeply money is woven into our everyday language and culture.
Whether you’re trying to describe someone who’s “rolling in dough” or explaining that you need to “tighten your belt,” these idioms will make your speech more colorful and natural. Remember, the best way to learn idioms is to use them in context, so start incorporating these into your daily conversations!
Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be using these money idioms like a native speaker. After all, practice makes perfect, and knowledge is wealth!
