Key takeaways
- English money idioms are used in everyday conversation, professional settings, and media at high frequency. Not knowing them means missing the meaning of common expressions even when every individual word is familiar.
- Many money idioms no longer have anything to do with literal money: “not worth a penny” is a statement about value, not currency; “time is money” is a claim about priorities.
- Money idioms in English often reflect cultural attitudes toward spending, saving, and wealth: penny wise, pound foolish encodes a specific view about prioritising small savings over large ones.
- These idioms appear in natural speech at normal speed, so hearing them in context (conversation, podcasts, films) alongside studying their meanings is the most effective way to build recognition.
English learners who know grammar and vocabulary still regularly miss the meaning of natural English speech when idiomatic expressions appear.
Money idioms are among the most common, appearing in business conversations, casual talk about daily expenses, news commentary, and negotiation contexts. Understanding them is part of functional fluency in any professional or social English setting.
This guide covers 12 high-frequency English money idioms grouped by theme, with clear meanings, example sentences, and notes on register and context.
The difference between knowing what an idiom means and being able to reach for it naturally in speech is the gap between recognition and production. An idiom used a fraction too literally or in the wrong context signals a non-native speaker immediately.
Closing that gap requires a teacher who uses idioms naturally and catches it when a learner misapplies one. With 10M+ learners served since 2007, italki connects learners with English teachers who build idiom fluency through real conversation rather than just vocabulary lists.
Find an English tutor and use idiom-based conversation as part of regular lessons.
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Idioms about spending and cost
1. break the bank
Meaning: To cost more money than someone can afford, or to be extremely expensive. Register: Informal to neutral; very common in everyday speech.
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Shopping | That jacket is nice but it would break the bank right now. |
| Eating out | We found a good restaurant that does not break the bank. |
| Travel | There are ways to travel Europe without breaking the bank. |
Often used in the negative to mean something is affordable: It does not have to break the bank.
2. foot the bill
Meaning: To pay for something, especially something expensive or on behalf of other people. Register: Informal to neutral.
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Social | He offered to foot the bill for the whole dinner. |
| Business | The company footed the bill for all travel expenses. |
| Sarcastic | Guess who had to foot the bill again. |
The origin is from the practice of signing your name at the foot (bottom) of a restaurant bill to confirm you are paying.
3. burn through money (burn a hole in your pocket)
Meaning: To spend money very quickly, often carelessly.
Burn through money describes the action of rapid spending. Money burns a hole in someone’s pocket means a person cannot resist spending money they have.
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| Burn through money | She burns through money faster than she earns it. |
| Burns a hole in your pocket | He got paid on Friday and the money was already burning a hole in his pocket. |
4. cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: To be extremely expensive. Register: Informal; very common in spoken English.
That repair is going to cost an arm and a leg. Flights during the school holidays cost an arm and a leg.
An English language tutor can use these idioms in natural conversation so learners hear them in the flow of real speech rather than encountering them only in isolation. italki has 30,000+ teachers across 150+ languages, including qualified English teachers with experience teaching idiom-rich professional and casual speech.
Idioms about wealth and success
5. make a killing
Meaning: To earn a very large amount of money quickly, especially from an investment or business deal. Register: Informal to neutral; used in business and casual conversation.
He made a killing when he sold his shares before the crash. The restaurant is packed every weekend. They must be making a killing.
6. strike it rich
Meaning: To suddenly become wealthy, often unexpectedly (an investment pays off, a business takes off, a lucky discovery). Register: Informal.
She struck it rich when her tech startup got acquired. They thought they would strike it rich mining for gold.
7. be rolling in it (rolling in money)
Meaning: To be very wealthy. Register: Informal; often used with slight exaggeration or humor.
After the IPO, the founders were rolling in it. He acts like he is rolling in money but he is actually in debt.
8. have deep pockets
Meaning: To have a lot of money available to spend; to be financially powerful. Register: Neutral to slightly formal; common in business contexts.
You need deep pockets to compete in the luxury car market. The campaign is being funded by donors with deep pockets.
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Idioms about saving and careful use
9. tighten your belt
Meaning: To reduce spending in response to having less money available. Register: Neutral; used in personal finance and economic discussions.
After losing his job, the whole family had to tighten their belts. Businesses are tightening their belts in response to the economic slowdown.
The metaphor comes from the idea of literally tightening a belt when you lose weight, here representing having less to go around.
10. penny wise, pound foolish
Meaning: Being careful about small expenditures while being wasteful or careless about larger ones. Register: Neutral to slightly formal; a proverb rather than a casual idiom.
Buying cheap tools that break after a few months is penny wise, pound foolish. Cutting the training budget to save money while losing skilled employees is penny wise, pound foolish.
This expression comes from British currency (pennies and pounds) but is widely used in American English as well.
Idioms about value and worth
11. not worth a penny / not worth a dime
Meaning: Having no value, or being worthless. Register: Informal.
That advice was not worth a penny. The car broke down two days after we bought it. It is not worth a dime.
Not worth a dime is more common in American English; not worth a penny is used across varieties.
12. penny for your thoughts
Meaning: An invitation to share what someone is thinking, usually when they seem quiet or preoccupied. Register: Informal; somewhat old-fashioned but still widely understood.
You have been quiet all evening. Penny for your thoughts. She looked lost in thought, so he offered a penny for her thoughts.
The expression comes from the idea that thoughts have a small monetary value, offered as encouragement to share them.
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Using money idioms naturally
The difference between knowing an idiom and being able to use it comes down to exposure and production. Learners who have heard break the bank and foot the bill used in real conversations can deploy them naturally; learners who only read them in a list tend to use them awkwardly or too literally.
For phrasal verbs that appear alongside idioms in natural English speech, the guide to phrasal verbs with “get” covers high-frequency constructions (get by, get ahead, get into) that pair commonly with the financial idioms in this guide.
italki has English teachers who incorporate idiom use into real conversation rather than treating them as vocabulary items to memorise. Book a trial lesson and ask the teacher to use money idioms naturally in the session, then flag when you hear one, explain it, and use it in your own sentence.
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FAQ
What is the most common English money idiom?
Break the bank and cost an arm and a leg are among the most frequently heard in everyday English, particularly in the context of consumer spending and personal finance. Foot the bill is extremely common in social situations.
Are money idioms used in professional English?
Yes, especially deep pockets, tighten your belt, make a killing, and penny wise, pound foolish. Business journalism and financial commentary use them frequently. Break the bank and not worth a penny are more casual.
What is the difference between “not worth a penny” and “not worth a dime”?
Both mean worthless. Not worth a dime is more specifically American English (a dime is a 10-cent US coin). Not worth a penny is used across all English varieties. Both are equally common in their respective contexts.
Can I use “penny wise, pound foolish” in American English?
Yes. Although the expression uses British currency terms (pennies and pounds), it is widely understood and used in American English without any need to change it to cents and dollars.
What does “rolling in it” mean exactly?
It is a short form of “rolling in money” and means being very wealthy. The image is of literally rolling around in piles of money. It is informal and often used with a slightly humorous or exaggerated tone.
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