Money, Money phrases and words in English

The everyday English of cash, broke weeks and big-spender energy — the idioms people actually use to talk about money at the dinner table, in the group chat, and on payday. Far more fun than just 'expensive' and 'cheap'.

23 phrases · meanings & example sentences

“Ballin'”

Slang from basketball (a baller = a star player) that came to mean living large and spending freely without worrying about it. Said with swagger, sometimes ironically when you're NOT actually rich. 'Ballin' on a budget' is a popular twist.

We're staying in a five-star hotel for the conference, absolutely ballin' this week
He bought the whole table a round of drinks, ballin' as usual
Ramen for dinner again — ballin' on a budget, you know how it is

“Break the bank”

To cost so much that it empties your funds. Almost always used in the negative — 'it won't break the bank' — to reassure someone a price is actually affordable.

Go ahead and order the dessert, one tiramisu won't break the bank
We found a flat in a nice area that doesn't break the bank
A weekend in Lisbon won't break the bank if you book the flights early

“Cost an arm and a leg”

A vivid idiom for something extremely expensive — as if you'd have to pay with body parts. Great for complaining about prices in a way that sounds natural and a little dramatic.

Concert tickets cost an arm and a leg now, I paid two hundred for the cheap seats
Childcare costs an arm and a leg in this city
That repair cost me an arm and a leg, the mechanic saw me coming

“Bring home the bacon”

To earn the money that supports a household. The image comes from country fairs where catching a greased pig won you the bacon. Often used for whoever is the main earner in a home.

She's been bringing home the bacon while he finishes his degree
Somebody's got to bring home the bacon, so I took the night shifts
New job, bigger paycheck — I'm officially bringing home the bacon now

“Rolling in it”

Short for 'rolling in money' or 'rolling in dough' — to be seriously rich, with the image of someone literally rolling around in a pile of cash. Often used enviously or sarcastically.

His startup got acquired, he's absolutely rolling in it now
They act like they're rolling in it but they're up to their ears in debt
I'm not exactly rolling in it this month, can we do something cheap?

“Loaded”

Casual slang for being very wealthy. One of the most common ways to say someone is rich — works as a standalone adjective and can refer to a person or a place.

His parents are loaded — they sent him to boarding school and now he drives a Porsche
That neighbourhood is full of loaded tech workers who moved in during the pandemic
We weren't loaded back then, but we never went without

“Penny-pincher”

A person who hates spending money and counts every coin. 'Pinch pennies' is the verb. Mildly insulting, but you can wear it proudly when you're saving for something big.

My dad's such a penny-pincher he reuses teabags twice
We had to pinch pennies for a year to afford the wedding
I'm being a penny-pincher this month because I'm saving for a flight home

“Splurge”

To spend a lot of money in one go on something indulgent — usually as a treat rather than a necessity. The fun opposite of pinching pennies; it carries a little thrill of guilt.

I splurged on noise-cancelling headphones and I have zero regrets
Let's splurge on a nice dinner for your birthday
She saved all year so she could splurge on a proper holiday

“Foot the bill”

To pay for something, especially something big or shared — often on behalf of others. 'Foot' here means to add up and settle the total. The opposite of going Dutch.

The company footed the bill for the whole team's flights
Grandad insisted on footing the bill for Christmas dinner
If it breaks again, guess who has to foot the bill — me

“Living paycheck to paycheck”

Spending almost everything you earn before the next payday arrives, with no cushion left over. A very common, relatable phrase for tight finances with no savings buffer.

A lot of people are living paycheck to paycheck right now with rent so high
I was living paycheck to paycheck in my twenties, one flat tyre away from disaster
We finally stopped living paycheck to paycheck once we paid off the car

“Treat yourself”

An encouragement — often to yourself — to buy or do something nice without guilt, because you've earned it. Used both sincerely and humorously when justifying any small luxury.

You aced the exam, go on, treat yourself
It was a rough week so I treated myself to a fancy coffee and a pastry
Payday tomorrow — I'm treating myself to those trainers I've been eyeing

“Tighten your belt”

To spend less and live more frugally, usually because money is tight. The visual: pulling a belt tighter because you can't afford enough food to fill out your waist.

We had to tighten our belts after the rent went up
The company asked everyone to tighten their belts during the slow quarter
Tighten your belt this month and you can afford that trip next month

“Go Dutch”

When each person pays for their own share of the bill instead of one person covering everyone. A must-know for dining out or group trips — the opposite of someone footing the bill.

On the first date we both agreed to go Dutch — no awkwardness
The team went Dutch at lunch since nobody was expensing it
Going Dutch works best when you order very different things

“On the house”

Something provided for free by a business — usually a bar, café, or restaurant. 'The house' is the establishment itself. A phrase worth knowing every time you order a drink.

The bartender brought us a round of shots — said it was on the house
Because we waited so long, they said the dessert was on the house
Welcome drinks are on the house at this hotel for every new guest

“In the red”

Having a negative balance — spending more than you have. From bank ledgers where debts were written in red ink. The opposite, 'in the black', means profitable or positive.

We're still in the red this month, the car repair wiped us out
The business ran in the red for two years before it turned a profit
Don't let your account go in the red — the overdraft fees are brutal

“Worth every penny”

Said about something expensive that fully justified its price through quality or experience. Almost always comes after spending — a retrospective verdict, not a prediction.

The business class upgrade was worth every penny after that twelve-hour flight
Expensive course, but I landed a job straight after — worth every penny
The mattress cost a fortune but I sleep eight hours solid now, worth every penny

“Make ends meet”

To barely manage to cover all your expenses with the money you have. Implies things are tight, but you're just about getting by — nothing left over.

With rent this high it's hard to make ends meet on one salary
She took on a second job just to make ends meet
We made ends meet that year by cutting out restaurants and holidays

“Burning a hole in your pocket”

Money you're so eager to spend it feels like it's literally burning through your pocket. Used to describe the urge to splurge immediately rather than save — the opposite of penny-pinching.

I got paid this morning and the money is already burning a hole in my pocket
He walked past the shop three times, payday cash burning a hole in his pocket
Don't give a kid pocket money and then wonder why it burns a hole in their pocket

“Tapped out”

Completely out of money — nothing left in the tank. More immediate than 'broke'; implies you had funds and they are now gone. Common in casual American and British speech.

I'm tapped out until Friday, can you cover lunch?
After the holiday, the whole team was tapped out and begging for payday
We were tapped out by mid-trip and had to cut the Rome leg

“Splash out”

To spend generously and without holding back — often on something special or for other people. The British equivalent of 'splurge', slightly more social in feel, often said proudly.

We splashed out on a proper chef's tasting menu for her birthday
He never splashes out, so when he does, you know it's a big occasion
The company splashed out on new laptops for the whole team

“Windfall”

A sudden, unexpected gain of money you didn't plan for — an inheritance, a bonus, or a lucky break. From fruit falling off a tree in the wind, ready to collect without effort.

He got a windfall when his uncle left him a flat in the city and spent the first week in shock
The company had a windfall from the patent deal and invested it all back into R&D
Her tax refund was surprisingly large — a small windfall that paid for the whole holiday

“Nickel and dime”

To charge someone for every tiny thing, or to be petty about small amounts. Named after the smallest US coins, it implies unnecessary tightness over trivial sums.

The airline nickel-and-dimed them for everything — bag, seat, water, snacks
He nickel-and-dimed his flatmates over shared groceries until nobody wanted to live with him
Don't nickel and dime the client — it makes you look cheap and it's not worth the invoice hassle

“Throw money at it”

To try to solve a problem by spending rather than thinking — assuming cash will fix what actually needs a better idea or more effort. Usually said as a criticism.

The startup's answer to every bottleneck was to throw money at it and hire more people
You can't throw money at a relationship and expect it to get better
They threw money at the product without fixing the core issue, and users still left