🎯 B1–B2
⏱️ 5 min
💬 The idiom that got me the tip: A regular at the bar I worked at in Sydney once said: “You really know how to make every penny count.” I understood it — barely. I smiled and said: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” He left an enormous tip. Money idioms pay.
English Idioms About Money 💰
cost a fortune / cost an arm and a leg
That holiday cost a fortune.
= very expensive
That holiday cost a fortune.
= very expensive
on a shoestring
We travelled on a shoestring.
= with very little money
We travelled on a shoestring.
= with very little money
break the bank
It won’t break the bank.
= be too expensive
It won’t break the bank.
= be too expensive
make ends meet
It’s hard to make ends meet.
= have enough money to live
It’s hard to make ends meet.
= have enough money to live
penny-pinching
He’s a bit penny-pinching.
= very reluctant to spend money
He’s a bit penny-pinching.
= very reluctant to spend money
splash out
We splashed out on a nice dinner.
= spend a lot on something special
We splashed out on a nice dinner.
= spend a lot on something special
in the red / in the black
The company is finally in the black.
= in debt / profitable
The company is finally in the black.
= in debt / profitable
tighten your belt
We all had to tighten our belts.
= spend less, reduce spending
We all had to tighten our belts.
= spend less, reduce spending
🎯 Quick Practice — Fill the Idiom
- The new car ___ ___ ___. It was €80,000!
- After losing his job, he had to ___ ___ ___.
- We went to Paris ___ ___ ___. Hostels and cheap trains.
- She ___ ___ on her birthday — best restaurant in town.
Reveal Answers ▼
- cost an arm and a leg
- tighten his belt
- on a shoestring
- splashed out
✅ Takeaway: Money idioms appear constantly in business, news, and conversation. Learn them in context — with the feeling, not just the definition.
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