Money is an important part of life, and we use many special phrases to talk about it. In English, there are many Money Idioms that can help you sound more natural. Have you heard phrases like “time is money” or “break the bank”? These are examples of Idioms about Money that people use every day. In this article, you will learn 80 common money idioms with their meanings, examples, and fun exercises. Keep reading to improve your English and use these idioms with confidence!
80 Money Idioms You Need to Know
- Time is Money
Meaning: Time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
Example: I try to finish my work quickly because time is money.
- Cash Cow
Meaning: A business or investment that generates a steady profit.
Example: Their online store has become a real cash cow.
- Break the Bank
Meaning: To spend too much money or use up all your savings.
Example: Buying a new car will break the bank, so I’ll wait a bit longer.
- Money Talks
Meaning: Money has influence and power.
Example: He got the VIP treatment because money talks.
- A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted
Meaning: Someone who spends money carelessly will lose it quickly.
Example: He spent his entire paycheck on gambling—a fool and his money are soon parted.
- Make Ends Meet
Meaning: To have just enough money to cover your expenses.
Example: With rising costs, it’s becoming harder to make ends meet.
- Pay Through the Nose
Meaning: To pay an excessive amount of money for something.
Example: We had to pay through the nose for those concert tickets.
- Penny for Your Thoughts
Meaning: Asking someone what they are thinking about.
Example: You’ve been quiet—a penny for your thoughts?
- Dirt Cheap
Meaning: Extremely inexpensive.
Example: I got this designer jacket dirt cheap at the sale.
- Rolling in Money
Meaning: Having a lot of money.
Example: Ever since she launched her business, she’s been rolling in money.
- Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
Meaning: Money is limited and must be spent wisely.
Example: Stop wasting money—money doesn’t grow on trees!
- Live from Hand to Mouth
Meaning: To barely have enough money to survive.
Example: Many freelancers live from hand to mouth before making it big.
- Easy Money
Meaning: Money earned with little effort.
Example: He thought gambling was easy money, but he lost everything.
- Save for a Rainy Day
Meaning: To save money for emergencies.
Example: I always save for a rainy day in case of unexpected expenses.
- Born with a Silver Spoon in One’s Mouth
Meaning: Born into a wealthy family.
Example: He never had to work hard because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Read this article: 90 Animal Idioms Explained: Meanings, Examples, and Exercises Included.
- Throw Money Down the Drain
Meaning: To waste money.
Example: Buying a luxury car when you’re in debt is like throwing money down the drain.
- The Penny Drops
Meaning: To finally understand something.
Example: After reading the instructions twice, the penny dropped.
- Foot the Bill
Meaning: To pay for something, often reluctantly.
Example: The company footed the bill for the entire conference.
- Not Worth a Dime
Meaning: Something that has no value.
Example: That fake watch isn’t worth a dime.
- Midas Touch
Meaning: The ability to make money easily.
Example: Everything he invests in succeeds—he has the Midas touch.
- Bring Home the Bacon
Meaning: To earn money to support a family.
Example: She works hard to bring home the bacon.
- Born with a Penny in One’s Pocket
Meaning: To be born poor.
Example: Unlike his wealthy friends, he was born with a penny in his pocket.
- A Pretty Penny
Meaning: A large amount of money.
Example: That designer bag cost a pretty penny.
- Sell Like Hotcakes
Meaning: To sell quickly and in large quantities.
Example: The new smartphone is selling like hotcakes.
- Cut One’s Losses
Meaning: To stop an unprofitable venture before losing more money.
Example: After months of losses, we decided to cut our losses and close the store.
- Filthy Rich
Meaning: Extremely wealthy.
Example: He inherited a fortune and is now filthy rich.
- Grease Someone’s Palm
Meaning: To bribe someone.
Example: He had to grease the official’s palm to get the permit.
- Money Burns a Hole in One’s Pocket
Meaning: Someone who spends money quickly.
Example: As soon as he gets paid, he spends it—money burns a hole in his pocket.
- Put One’s Money Where One’s Mouth Is
Meaning: To support claims with financial action.
Example: If you believe in the project, put your money where your mouth is.
- Cash-Strapped
Meaning: Lacking money.
Example: After paying rent, I’m completely cash-strapped.
- Live Like a King
Meaning: To live luxuriously.
Example: After winning the lottery, he started to live like a king.
- Nest Egg
Meaning: Savings set aside for the future.
Example: She has a good nest egg for retirement.
- Penny Pincher
Meaning: A person who is very frugal.
Example: He never eats out because he’s a penny pincher.
- Throw Good Money After Bad
Meaning: To keep investing in something unprofitable.
Example: Continuing to repair that old car is throwing good money after bad.
- Bet One’s Bottom Dollar
Meaning: To be very sure of something.
Example: I’d bet my bottom dollar that he’ll be late.
- Chicken Feed
Meaning: A small amount of money.
Example: They pay me chicken feed compared to my workload.
- Golden Handshake
Meaning: A large payment to an employee leaving a company.
Example: The CEO retired with a golden handshake.
- Strike It Rich
Meaning: To suddenly become wealthy.
Example: He struck it rich with his real estate investments.
- Throw in the Towel
Meaning: To give up on a money-making venture.
Example: After losing money for years, they threw in the towel.
- Flat Broke
Meaning: Completely out of money.
Example: I can’t go out tonight—I’m flat broke.
Read this article: 100 Tasty Food Idioms with Meanings and Examples.
- Cold Hard Cash
Meaning: Physical money, as opposed to credit or checks.
Example: He insisted on paying in cold hard cash.
- Live on a Shoestring
Meaning: To live with very little money.
Example: When I was in college, I had to live on a shoestring.
- Cost an Arm and a Leg
Meaning: To be very expensive.
Example: That luxury watch costs an arm and a leg.
- Money for Old Rope
Meaning: Easy money for little effort.
Example: Selling digital products is money for old rope.
- Feather One’s Nest
Meaning: To accumulate wealth, often selfishly.
Example: The corrupt politician was secretly feathering his nest.
- Cash in One’s Chips
Meaning: To cash out or take financial gains.
Example: He decided to cash in his chips and retire early.
- Pay the Piper
Meaning: To face the consequences of spending or debt.
Example: After years of reckless spending, he finally had to pay the piper.
- Golden Opportunity
Meaning: A chance to make a lot of money.
Example: Investing early in tech stocks was a golden opportunity.
- Money to Burn
Meaning: Having excess money to spend freely.
Example: With his new promotion, he now has money to burn.
- Two Cents Worth
Meaning: Giving an opinion, even if not asked.
Example: Let me add my two cents worth—I think we should invest elsewhere.
- Filthy Lucre
Meaning: Money gained dishonestly.
Example: The gang made a fortune in filthy lucre.
- Pay Dirt
Meaning: A sudden financial success.
Example: His invention finally hit pay dirt.
- Blood Money
Meaning: Money earned through unethical means.
Example: He refused to accept blood money from illegal activities.
- Take Someone to the Cleaners
Meaning: To swindle or rob someone financially.
Example: The scammer took him to the cleaners.
- A Grand
Meaning: Slang for one thousand dollars.
Example: That watch cost me a grand.
- Get One’s Money’s Worth
Meaning: To receive good value for money spent.
Example: This laptop is high quality—I really got my money’s worth.
- Highway Robbery
Meaning: An extremely high price.
Example: The price of gas is highway robbery!
- Loaded
Meaning: Having a lot of money.
Example: Ever since his startup succeeded, he’s loaded.
- Pick Up the Tab
Meaning: To pay the bill for a group.
Example: Don’t worry, I’ll pick up the tab for dinner.
- Money Spinner
Meaning: A business or product that generates great profit.
Example: That game app became a money spinner overnight.
- Nest Egg
Meaning: Savings set aside for the future.
Example: She’s been building a nest egg for retirement.
- On the House
Meaning: Free of charge.
Example: The drinks are on the house tonight.
- Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
Meaning: Being careful with small expenses but wasteful with large ones.
Example: Buying cheap tires to save money is penny wise, pound foolish.
- Put in One’s Two Cents
Meaning: To share an opinion.
Example: Let me put in my two cents—I think we should wait.
- Scrape By
Meaning: To manage with little money.
Example: He’s barely scraping by on his salary.
- Sell One’s Soul for Money
Meaning: To do anything for financial gain.
Example: He sold his soul for money by joining a corrupt firm.
- Sitting on a Fortune
Meaning: Owning something valuable but not using it.
Example: That old painting could be worth millions—you’re sitting on a fortune!
- Smart Money
Meaning: Investments made by knowledgeable people.
Example: Smart money is going into renewable energy now.
- Strike While the Iron is Hot
Meaning: To act quickly on a financial opportunity.
Example: The stock is rising fast, so strike while the iron is hot.
- A Taste of One’s Own Medicine
Meaning: To experience negative consequences of one’s own actions.
Example: The greedy investor got a taste of his own medicine when he lost everything.
- Throw a Penny to a Beggar
Meaning: To give a small, meaningless amount of money.
Example: His donation was so small, it was like throwing a penny to a beggar.
- Top Dollar
Meaning: The highest price for something.
Example: He paid top dollar for that rare collectible.
- Turn Up Like a Bad Penny
Meaning: Someone or something unwanted that keeps appearing.
Example: Every time I start a new business, old debt collectors turn up like a bad penny.
- Wheeling and Dealing
Meaning: Making aggressive business deals.
Example: He made his fortune by wheeling and dealing in real estate.
- Work for Peanuts
Meaning: To earn a very small salary.
Example: I’m overworked and working for peanuts.
- A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
Meaning: Saving money is as good as earning it.
Example: I always budget carefully because a penny saved is a penny earned.
- Tighten One’s Belt
Meaning: To cut back on expenses.
Example: After losing my job, I had to tighten my belt.
- Easy Come, Easy Go
Meaning: Money that is quickly earned is also quickly spent.
Example: He lost his lottery winnings—easy come, easy go.
- Money Can’t Buy Happiness
Meaning: Wealth does not guarantee happiness.
Example: He’s rich but miserable—money can’t buy happiness.
- On a Shoestring Budget
Meaning: Operating with very little money.
Example: We traveled across Europe on a shoestring budget.
Exercises about Money Idioms
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the correct money idiom from the list below:
(Cash cow, Break the bank, Money talks, Nest egg, Pay through the nose, Tighten one’s belt, Filthy rich, Rolling in money, Penny for your thoughts, On the house)
- That restaurant is so expensive! We had to ______ for just a simple meal.
- I love this brand, but their products are overpriced. Buying a single item will ______.
- Ever since she launched her fashion business, she has been ______.
- The boss paid for everyone’s drinks. Everything was ______!
- We need to save more for the future, so let’s ______ and cut back on expenses.
- Their new software product is a ______; it generates millions in revenue.
- The politician got special treatment because ______.
- He may not have a high-paying job, but he’s been building a solid ______ for retirement.
- You’ve been silent for a while. ______?
- That tech entrepreneur is ______ after selling his company for billions.
Exercise 2: Match the Idiom with Its Meaning
Match each money idiom to its correct meaning.
| Idioms | Meanings |
|---|---|
| 1. Make ends meet | A. To be extremely wealthy |
| 2. Money doesn’t grow on trees | B. Spending very little money |
| 3. Live on a shoestring | C. Money must be used wisely |
| 4. Filthy rich | D. To earn just enough to cover expenses |
| 5. Throw money down the drain | E. To waste money |
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Idiom
Select the most appropriate idiom to complete the dialogue.
A: I just spent $500 on dinner at a fancy restaurant.
B: Wow! That’s crazy. You really had to (a) pay dirt / (b) pay through the nose / (c) throw good money after bad for that meal.
A: My grandfather left me a large sum of money in his will.
B: That’s amazing! Now you have a solid (a) nest egg / (b) penny for your thoughts / (c) two cents worth for the future.
A: The stock market is unpredictable. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
B: That’s true! It’s all (a) easy come, easy go / (b) wheeling and dealing / (c) foot the bill in the world of investments.
Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences Using Money Idioms
Rewrite the sentences below using appropriate money idioms.
The new gadget is selling extremely fast. (Hint: Selling like hotcakes)
He is very careful about spending small amounts of money but wastes large sums on unnecessary things. (Hint: Penny wise, pound foolish)
She earns money easily because every business she starts becomes successful. (Hint: Midas touch)
We had to reduce our expenses because of financial problems. (Hint: Tighten one’s belt)
They paid a ridiculously high price for that house. (Hint: Pay through the nose)
Money Idioms Exercises Answers
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
- Pay through the nose
- Break the bank
- Rolling in money
- On the house
- Tighten one’s belt
- Cash cow
- Money talks
- Nest egg
- Penny for your thoughts
- Filthy rich
Exercise 2: Match the Idiom with Its Meaning
1 → D
2 → C
3 → B
4 → A
5 → E
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Idiom
- (b) Pay through the nose
- (a) Nest egg
- (a) Easy come, easy go
Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences
Selling like hotcakes
Penny wise, pound foolish
Midas touch
Tighten one’s belt
Pay through the nose
Conclusion
Now you know 80 useful Money Idioms and how to use them in real life! Learning Idioms about Money can help you understand English better and make your speech more natural. Try using these idioms in your conversations, and don’t forget to practice with the exercises. The more you use them, the easier they will become!
