Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a completely different meaning than what the individual words mean on their own. People use them every day to make their conversations more colorful, fun, and expressive. In this article, you will learn many interesting idioms that people use when they want to talk about being broke, having very little cash, or having no money at all.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for no money that mean being broke or having no money. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for No Money
1. Flat broke
Meaning: Having completely zero money left in your pocket or bank account.
For Example: After buying a new video game, he was flat broke until his allowance day. / I wanted to buy an ice cream cone, but I was flat broke.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Out of cash
2. Penniless
Meaning: Having absolutely no money or coins left at all.
For Example: The character in the story became penniless after losing his job. / She checked her piggy bank and found she was completely penniless.
Other Ways to Say: Without a cent / Destitute
3. Broke as a joke
Meaning: A fun, casual way to say you have no money left.
For Example: He could not go to the movie theater because he was broke as a joke. / We laughed when we realized we were both broke as a joke.
Other Ways to Say: Completely out of cash / Having no money
4. Not a red cent
Meaning: Having no money at all, not even a single small coin.
For Example: I looked everywhere in my backpack, but I did not have a red cent left. / He refused to lend any cash because he did not have a red cent.
Other Ways to Say: Not a penny / Zero cash
5. On a shoestring
Meaning: Trying to do something using a very small amount of money.
For Example: The family traveled across the country on a shoestring budget. / We decorated our clubhouse on a shoestring using recycled cardboard.
Other Ways to Say: On a tight budget / Spending very little
6. Living hand to mouth
Meaning: Spending every bit of money as soon as you get it just to get by.
For Example: When they first started their business, they were living hand to mouth. / Saving money is hard when you are living hand to mouth.
Other Ways to Say: Barely surviving / Spending as you earn
7. Tighten your belt
Meaning: To spend less money and live more carefully because funds are low.
For Example: We have to tighten our belt this month after buying our new bicycles. / The club had to tighten its belt to save up for party snacks.
Other Ways to Say: Spend less / Cut expenses
8. Hard up
Meaning: Experiencing a temporary shortage of money or cash.
For Example: He was feeling a bit hard up until his birthday money arrived. / When you are hard up, you learn not to waste things.
Other Ways to Say: Short on cash / Low on funds
9. Out of pocket
Meaning: Having spent all your personal money on a specific purchase.
For Example: I am completely out of pocket after buying supplies for the science project. / She was out of pocket after paying for the group snacks.
Other Ways to Say: Spent out / Out of funds
10. Empty pockets
Meaning: Having no coins or paper money left in your clothes.
For Example: He turned his jacket inside out to show his empty pockets. / After paying for the comic book, I was left with empty pockets.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Cashless
11. Without a pot to piss in
Meaning: A funny, old fashioned way to say someone is extremely poor.
For Example: The character started his business when he was without a pot to piss in. / He joked that he was currently without a pot to piss in.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely poor / Very broke
12. Poor as a church mouse
Meaning: Having very little money or worldly possessions.
For Example: The little mouse in the story lived in a house where the family was poor as a church mouse. / He felt poor as a church mouse when looking at the expensive toys.
Other Ways to Say: Very poor / Destitute
13. Skint
Meaning: A casual word used to describe having no money left.
For Example: I cannot join you at the arcade because I am completely skint. / He spent his allowance early and was skint by Tuesday.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Out of money
14. Broken piggy bank
Meaning: Having spent all the coins saved up over a long time.
For Example: My room looks like a broken piggy bank because I spent every coin on candy. / Her savings are gone like a broken piggy bank.
Other Ways to Say: Spent savings / Empty bank
15. Cleaned out
Meaning: Having lost or spent every single dollar you owned.
For Example: Buying those trading cards completely cleaned out my wallet. / The trip to the amusement park left us cleaned out.
Other Ways to Say: Broke out / Depleted cash
16. Out of funds
Meaning: Having no money left in an account or budget.
For Example: The school club was out of funds for new art supplies. / We are out of funds until our next allowance day.
Other Ways to Say: Zero balance / Financially drained
17. Broke down
Meaning: Having no cash resources left to spend on fun things.
For Example: We were broke down after paying for our tickets. / He felt broke down when he could not buy the snack.
Other Ways to Say: Out of money / Cashless
18. Penniless wanderer
Meaning: Someone traveling around with no money or home.
For Example: The adventure book featured a penniless wanderer finding a magic map. / He walked through town like a penniless wanderer looking for work.
Other Ways to Say: Homeless traveler / Broke explorer
19. Cash strapped
Meaning: Having very limited money for a short period of time.
For Example: The sports team was cash strapped for new uniforms this season. / We were cash strapped until our parents paid us for chores.
Other Ways to Say: Short of cash / Financially squeezed
20. Broke to the wide
Meaning: Having absolutely no money left at all.
For Example: After buying video game add ons, he was broke to the wide. / She realized she was broke to the wide when paying for lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Out of funds
21. Without a penny
Meaning: Lacking even the smallest amount of financial resource.
For Example: He walked into the store without a penny in his pocket. / She was left without a penny after paying the fee.
Other Ways to Say: Penniless / Broke
22. Out of money
Meaning: A direct way to say you have spent all your cash.
For Example: I am out of money, so I cannot buy any more stickers. / The vending machine took my last dollar, and now I am out of money.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Cashless
23. Zero balance
Meaning: Having no funds remaining in a bank account or card.
For Example: Checking my account showed a zero balance after shopping. / He tried to buy a game online, but his card had a zero balance.
Other Ways to Say: No funds / Empty account
24. Out of cash
Meaning: Having no paper bills or coins available to spend.
For Example: The farmer’s market stall only took paper bills, and I was out of cash. / He wanted to buy a soda, but he was out of cash.
Other Ways to Say: Cashless / Broke
25. Broke flat
Meaning: Having zero dollars remaining after a large purchase.
For Example: She bought a gift for her friend and ended up broke flat. / We were broke flat after paying for the movie tickets.
Other Ways to Say: Totally broke / Out of money
26. Hard times
Meaning: A period of life when money and resources are very scarce.
For Example: Our family went through hard times last winter, but we shared everything. / Reading about history helped us understand how people survived hard times.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult period / Financial struggle
27. Bottom of the barrel
Meaning: Using the very last bits of resources because nothing else is left.
For Example: We were scraping the bottom of the barrel to find spare change for gum. / His savings were at the bottom of the barrel.
Other Ways to Say: Last resources / Running out
28. Bare cupboards
Meaning: Having no food or money left in the kitchen.
For Example: The story described the poor family with bare cupboards. / We had to go grocery shopping because we had bare cupboards.
Other Ways to Say: Empty pantry / No food
29. Out of funds entirely
Meaning: Having completely exhausted all available money.
For Example: The project stopped because we were out of funds entirely. / He checked his wallet and found he was out of funds entirely.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Financially empty
30. Not a penny to your name
Meaning: Possessing zero money or wealth anywhere in the world.
For Example: He lost his wallet and suddenly did not have a penny to his name. / It is scary to think of being stranded without a penny to your name.
Other Ways to Say: Totally broke / Penniless
31. Broke as can be
Meaning: Being as financially empty as a person could possibly be.
For Example: After buying shoes, my older brother was broke as can be. / We laughed because we were both broke as can be.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely broke / Out of cash
32. Financial ruin
Meaning: Losing all your money and becoming completely broke.
For Example: Making bad trades in the board game led to his financial ruin. / The silly mistake almost caused financial ruin for our club.
Other Ways to Say: Bankruptcy / Losing everything
33. Out of greenbacks
Meaning: Having no paper money left in your wallet.
For Example: Grandpa checked his old wallet and said he was out of greenbacks. / I wanted to buy a comic book, but I was out of greenbacks.
Other Ways to Say: Out of cash / Broke
34. Pocket lint only
Meaning: Finding nothing in your pockets except dust and lint instead of money.
For Example: I reached for my coin to buy a snack, but found pocket lint only. / His pockets had pocket lint only after the trip.
Other Ways to Say: Empty pockets / No money
35. Broke to pieces
Meaning: A playful way to say your budget is totally shattered.
For Example: Buying the giant lego set left my savings broke to pieces. / Our party budget was broke to pieces after buying extra pizza.
Other Ways to Say: Out of cash / Budget broken
36. Out of coins
Meaning: Having no metal money left for parking meters or vending machines.
For Example: I wanted to play the arcade game, but I was out of coins. / He checked his coin pouch and found he was out of coins.
Other Ways to Say: No change / Cashless
37. Empty wallet
Meaning: A billfold that contains no money inside.
For Example: Opening his leather wallet revealed an empty wallet. / She dropped her empty wallet on the kitchen table.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Cashless wallet
38. Bank account empty
Meaning: Having no money saved in the bank.
For Example: Checking his phone app showed his bank account empty. / The purchase left his bank account empty until next payday.
Other Ways to Say: Zero balance / No savings
39. Broke status
Meaning: Being in a condition of having zero money.
For Example: He updated his friends on his broke status after the mall trip. / My brother reached broke status by the middle of the month.
Other Ways to Say: Being broke / Out of funds
40. Out of commission financially
Meaning: Unable to buy anything because funds are gone.
For Example: I am out of commission financially until my birthday next week. / Our team fund was out of commission financially.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Out of cash
41. Without a dollar
Meaning: Lacking even a single dollar bill.
For Example: He stood at the snack bar without a dollar to his name. / I arrived at the book fair without a dollar.
Other Ways to Say: Penniless / Broke
42. Out of currency
Meaning: Having no legal tender or money to spend.
For Example: The traveler found himself out of currency in a new town. / We were out of currency for the vending machine.
Other Ways to Say: Cashless / Out of cash
43. Financial drought
Meaning: A long period where no money is coming in.
For Example: The club experienced a financial drought during the winter months. / Saving money helped us survive the financial drought.
Other Ways to Say: Money shortage / Dry spell
44. Broke and busted
Meaning: Having no money left and feeling defeated by costs.
For Example: After fixing his bicycle and buying snacks, he was broke and busted. / The expensive trip left us broke and busted.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Out of cash
45. Out of the money race
Meaning: Having lost all financial ability to keep buying things.
For Example: Buying the big toy put me out of the money race for the month. / He was out of the money race after spending his allowance.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Out of cash
46. Destitute
Meaning: Extremely poor and lacking the means to provide for basic needs.
For Example: The stray puppy in the story was rescued from a destitute neighborhood. / The old book told tales of destitute travelers.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely poor / Penniless
47. Impoverished
Meaning: Made very poor or lacking financial resources.
For Example: The charity worked hard to help impoverished families in the town. / He learned about impoverished regions in his geography class.
Other Ways to Say: Very poor / Needy
48. Needy
Meaning: Lacking the financial resources for basic comforts.
For Example: We collected canned goods to help needy families during the holidays. / The community center supports needy children with school supplies.
Other Ways to Say: Poor / Underprivileged
49. In the red
Meaning: Owing money or having a negative balance in accounts.
For Example: Our class project was in the red after buying too many decorations. / He worked extra chores to get his budget out of the red.
Other Ways to Say: In debt / Negative balance
50. Broke clean
Meaning: Having spent every single cent available.
For Example: The video game purchase left him broke clean until next month. / We spent our last coins and were broke clean.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Out of cash
51. Out of dough
Meaning: A slang expression meaning you have no money left.
For Example: I would love to grab a pizza, but I am totally out of dough. / He checked his pockets and announced he was out of dough.
Other Ways to Say: Out of cash / Broke
52. Out of bucks
Meaning: Having no dollars or cash remaining.
For Example: We wanted to ride the Ferris wheel again, but we were out of bucks. / He checked his wallet and found he was out of bucks.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Cashless
53. Out of coin
Meaning: Lacking any coins or money to pay for small items.
For Example: The parking meter needed change, but I was out of coin. / He could not buy the sticker because he was out of coin.
Other Ways to Say: No change / Broke
54. Broke to the bone
Meaning: A dramatic way to say you are completely out of money.
For Example: After buying holiday gifts for everyone, she was broke to the bone. / We felt broke to the bone after the big shopping trip.
Other Ways to Say: Totally broke / Out of cash
55. Without a dime
Meaning: Having zero dimes or money left to spend.
For Example: He walked away from the arcade machine without a dime left. / She could not buy the pencil because she was without a dime.
Other Ways to Say: Penniless / Broke
56. Broke as a pauper
Meaning: Having as little money as a poor person in a story.
For Example: He spent all his savings on cards and became broke as a pauper. / We felt broke as a pauper after paying for our tickets.
Other Ways to Say: Very poor / Completely broke
57. Out of funds entirely
Meaning: Having zero money left in any account or pocket.
For Example: The school club was out of funds entirely for the party. / He checked his digital wallet and was out of funds entirely.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Zero balance
58. Penniless and proud
Meaning: Having no money but still keeping your spirits high.
For Example: The funny street musician joked about being penniless and proud. / Even when broke, he stayed penniless and proud.
Other Ways to Say: Broke and happy / Poor but cheerful
59. Broke and busted wallet
Meaning: A wallet containing no money and feeling completely empty.
For Example: He opened his broke and busted wallet and sighed. / Her backpack held only a broke and busted wallet.
Other Ways to Say: Empty wallet / Broke
60. Zero dollars left
Meaning: A clear mathematical statement that you have no money.
For Example: Checking my piggy bank revealed zero dollars left. / After paying for my lunch, I had zero dollars left.
Other Ways to Say: Out of cash / Completely broke
Exercise to Practice
- After buying a new video game, he was ________ until his allowance day.
- The character in the story became ________ after losing his job.
- He could not go to the movie theater because he was ________.
- I looked everywhere in my backpack, but I did not have a ________ left.
- The family traveled across the country on a ________ budget.
- When they first started their business, they were living ________.
- We have to ________ this month after buying our new bicycles.
- He was feeling a bit ________ until his birthday money arrived.
- I am completely ________ after buying supplies for the science project.
- He turned his jacket inside out to show his ________.
- Buying those trading cards completely ________ my wallet.
- The school club was ________ for new art supplies.
- He checked his old wallet and said he was out of ________.
- I would love to grab a pizza, but I am totally ________.
- He walked away from the arcade machine without a ________ left.
Answer Key
- flat broke
- penniless
- broke as a joke
- red cent
- shoestring
- hand to mouth
- tighten our belt
- hard up
- out of pocket
- empty pockets
- cleaned out
- out of funds
- greenbacks
- out of dough
- dime
Conclusion
Learning these idioms is a wonderful way to understand how people talk about having no money, being broke, or managing tight budgets in everyday conversation. They help you express your financial situations creatively and add humor to your stories.
Try using a few of these expressions the next time you talk about saving your allowance or waiting for payday. You will love how much personality and fun they bring to your everyday chats!
