Similes are fun figures of speech that compare two different things using the words like or as. People use them to make their writing and speaking much more descriptive and exciting to read. In this article, you are going to learn sixty wonderful similes that describe being broke, having no money, or facing empty pockets.
In this lesson, we’ll look at similes for being broke that mean empty-handed, poor, and penniless. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Similes for Being Broke
1. As empty as a ghost town
Meaning: This means having zero money left in your wallet or savings jar.
For Example: When he opened his wallet to pay for the comic book, it was as empty as a ghost town. / Her piggy bank was as empty as a ghost town after buying the toys.
Other Ways to Say: Totally empty / Zero cash
2. Like a church mouse
Description: This describes someone who is extremely poor and has very little money to spend.
For Example: After paying for his school supplies, he was as poor as a church mouse. / She saved every penny because her allowance left her like a church mouse.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely poor / Penniless state
3. As dry as a bone
Meaning: This means bank accounts or wallets that have completely dried up of cash.
For Example: His savings account was as dry as a bone before payday arrived. / Her coin purse felt as dry as a bone when she wanted a snack.
Other Ways to Say: Dried up / Cashless vault
4. Like a deflated balloon
Description: This describes a budget or wallet that has lost all its volume and funds.
For Example: His allowance shrunk down after buying the video game like a deflated balloon. / Her savings dropped fast like a deflated balloon.
Other Ways to Say: Flat wallet / Shrunken funds
5. As bare as winter trees
Meaning: This means having no extra cash or financial backup left at all.
For Example: His bank account looked as bare as winter trees at the end of the month. / Her wallet was as bare as winter trees when she went shopping.
Other Ways to Say: Completely bare / No backup
6. Like a beggar on the street corner
Description: This describes someone who has run out of all funds and must ask for help.
For Example: After spending all his birthday money, he felt like a beggar on the street corner. / She had to ask her parents for lunch money, feeling like a beggar on the street corner.
Other Ways to Say: Out of funds / Penniless state
7. As light as a feather
Meaning: This means a wallet or pocket that weighs nothing because there are no coins inside.
For Example: When he checked his jeans pocket for lunch change, it felt as light as a feather. / Her coin pouch was as light as a feather after the arcade visit.
Other Ways to Say: Weightless purse / Coinless pocket
8. Like a dry well
Description: This describes a source of money that has completely run dry.
For Example: Asking his parents for more allowance was like dipping into a dry well. / Her savings account was like a dry well when rent was due.
Other Ways to Say: Run dry / Empty source
9. As clean as a whistle
Meaning: This means a bank account or wallet completely wiped clean of all dollars.
For Example: His checking account was as clean as a whistle after the concert tickets. / Her piggy bank was as clean as a whistle after breaking it open.
Other Ways to Say: Wiped clean / Totally cleared
10. Like a desert wasteland
Description: This describes a financial situation completely devoid of any money or resources.
For Example: Looking at his bank balance felt like staring across a desert wasteland. / Her budget spreadsheet looked like a desert wasteland after the holiday shopping.
Other Ways to Say: Barren budget / Empty plains
11. As poor as Job
Meaning: This means facing a sudden loss of all wealth and having nothing left.
For Example: After losing his job, he found himself as poor as Job. / She felt as poor as Job when her savings ran out unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Totally broke / Destitute state
12. Like a punctured tire
Description: This describes financial security losing all its air and collapsing rapidly.
For Example: His savings account went flat like a punctured tire when the car broke down. / Her budget leaked money like a punctured tire.
Other Ways to Say: Flat funds / Collapsed budget
13. As bare as a newborn chick
Meaning: This means having zero clothes, items, or money to your name.
For Example: He spent every dollar on his hobby until his bank account was as bare as a newborn chick. / Her finances were left as bare as a newborn chick.
Other Ways to Say: Totally exposed / Completely broke
14. Like an empty snail shell
Description: This describes a wallet that holds nothing inside except emptiness.
For Example: He opened his leather billfold to find it like an empty snail shell. / Her coin pouch sat on the counter like an empty snail shell.
Other Ways to Say: Hollow wallet / Empty case
15. As flat as a pancake
Meaning: This means a wallet or budget that has been flattened out by zero cash.
For Example: His wallet was as flat as a pancake after paying for the textbooks. / Her savings account sat as flat as a pancake.
Other Ways to Say: Flattened purse / Zero dollars
16. Like a bottomless pit
Description: This describes expenses that swallow up all your money until you are broke.
For Example: Fixing the old car acted like a bottomless pit for his savings. / Her shopping habit drained her money like a bottomless pit.
Other Ways to Say: Money drain / Endless hole
17. As quiet as an empty vault
Meaning: This means a bank account balance that makes no sound because there is nothing in it.
For Example: Checking his account online was as quiet as an empty vault. / Her savings app showed a balance as quiet as an empty vault.
Other Ways to Say: Silent balance / Zero funds
18. Like a burnt-out match
Description: This describes financial resources that flared up briefly and then disappeared.
For Example: His paycheck vanished like a burnt-out match over the weekend. / Her allowance burned out like a burnt-out match on video games.
Other Ways to Say: Gone fast / Burned cash
19. As scarce as hen’s teeth
Meaning: This means dollar bills are extremely hard to find in your pockets.
For Example: Finding a stray five-dollar bill in his jacket was as scarce as hen’s teeth. / Cash in her wallet was as scarce as hen’s teeth by Thursday.
Other Ways to Say: Hard to find / Rare cash
20. Like a sinking ship
Description: This describes personal finances going down fast into bankruptcy or debt.
For Example: His spending habits caused his bank account to sink like a sinking ship. / Her budget went down like a sinking ship after impulsive buys.
Other Ways to Say: Going under / Sinking fast
21. As open as a cave
Meaning: This means an empty wallet with nothing inside to hide or protect.
For Example: His billfold stood open and empty as a cave on payday eve. / Her coin pocket was as open as a cave.
Other Ways to Say: Wide open / Empty space
22. Like a torn net
Description: This describes money slipping right through your fingers without staying in your pocket.
For Example: His money leaked out of his savings like a torn net. / Her weekly earnings fell through her fingers like a torn net.
Other Ways to Say: Leaking funds / Slipping cash
23. As bare as a peeled twig
Meaning: This means having no extra cash reserves or safety net left.
For Example: His emergency fund was left as bare as a peeled twig after the repairs. / Her wallet was as bare as a peeled twig.
Other Ways to Say: Stripped bare / No reserves
24. Like a dry sponge
Description: This describes expenses soaking up every single dollar until nothing is left.
For Example: The grocery bill absorbed his paycheck like a dry sponge. / Her shopping spree soaked up her savings like a dry sponge.
Other Ways to Say: Money absorbent / Cash soak
25. As blank as a white sheet
Meaning: This means a bank statement showing zero dollars and cents.
For Example: His ATM receipt came out as blank as a white sheet regarding cash. / Her account balance line was as blank as a white sheet.
Other Ways to Say: Blank balance / Zero line
26. Like water running through a sieve
Description: This describes money disappearing instantly the moment you earn it.
For Example: His weekly paycheck passed through his hands like water running through a sieve. / Her allowance drained like water running through a sieve.
Other Ways to Say: Fast drain / Slippery cash
27. As poor as a church rat
Meaning: This means having no money for food, fun, or extra treats.
For Example: After buying his new bicycle, he was as poor as a church rat. / She lived on instant noodles because she was as poor as a church rat.
Other Ways to Say: Destitute mouse / Very poor
28. Like a withered leaf
Description: This describes a tiny, shrunken budget that has lost all its value.
For Example: His remaining cash pile looked like a withered leaf on the sidewalk. / Her savings shrank down like a withered leaf.
Other Ways to Say: Shriveled funds / Tiny budget
29. As smooth as a polished stone
Meaning: This means pockets that contain zero crinkly paper bills or coins.
For Example: His uniform pockets felt as smooth as a polished stone with no coins inside. / Her coin pouch felt as smooth as a polished stone.
Other Ways to Say: Coinless pocket / Smooth feel
30. Like an unplugged machine
Description: This describes financial activity coming to a complete stop because funds ran out.
For Example: His spending stopped dead like an unplugged machine when his card declined. / Her shopping spree halted like an unplugged machine.
Other Ways to Say: Power cut / Stopped cash
31. As bare as an autumn branch
Meaning: This means financial holdings stripped clean of all leaves and currency.
For Example: His investment portfolio was as bare as an autumn branch. / Her bank book balance was as bare as an autumn branch.
Other Ways to Say: Stripped branch / Empty tree
32. Like a dried-up riverbed
Description: This describes an income stream that has stopped flowing completely.
For Example: His freelance earnings dried up like a dried-up riverbed over the winter. / Her allowance stream looked like a dried-up riverbed.
Other Ways to Say: Flow stopped / Dry stream
33. As hollow as a drum
Meaning: This means a wallet that makes a hollow sound because there is nothing inside.
For Example: When he tapped his leather billfold against the desk, it sounded as hollow as a drum. / Her metal coin box sounded as hollow as a drum.
Other Ways to Say: Hollow sound / Empty case
34. Like smoke vanishing in the wind
Description: This describes money disappearing into thin air right after you get paid.
For Example: His bonus check vanished like smoke vanishing in the wind on video games. / Her cash disappeared like smoke vanishing in the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Gone in smoke / Vanished cash
35. As poor as Lazarus
Meaning: This means experiencing extreme poverty and hardship without funds.
For Example: He lived through the winter months as poor as Lazarus. / She felt destitute and as poor as Lazarus after losing her wallet.
Other Ways to Say: Deep poverty / Destitute life
36. Like a shattered mirror
Description: This describes a broken budget that cannot be put back together easily.
For Example: His financial plans cracked apart like a shattered mirror after the emergency fee. / Her budget scattered like a shattered mirror.
Other Ways to Say: Broken budget / Shattered plans
37. As thin as a wafer
Meaning: This means a wallet or bank statement reduced to almost nothing.
For Example: His wallet grew as thin as a wafer after paying all the monthly bills. / Her cash reserve was as thin as a wafer.
Other Ways to Say: Thin wallet / Slender funds
38. Like a fallen tree trunk
Description: This describes a heavy financial crash that leaves you immobilized.
For Example: The unexpected bill hit his finances like a fallen tree trunk across a road. / Her budget crashed down like a fallen tree trunk.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy crash / Blocked funds
39. As bare as a skeleton
Meaning: This means finances reduced down to the absolute bare bones with zero fat.
For Example: His monthly budget was as bare as a skeleton after grocery shopping. / Her savings account looked as bare as a skeleton.
Other Ways to Say: Bare bones / Skeleton funds
40. Like a candle burning down to the wick
Description: This describes money dwindling away slowly until the very last cent is gone.
For Example: His vacation budget burned down like a candle burning down to the wick. / Her coin pouch burned down like a candle burning down to the wick by trip’s end.
Other Ways to Say: Last cent / Dwindling cash
41. As clear as a clear sky
Meaning: This means a bank balance that is transparently showing zero dollars.
For Example: His account readout showed zero, looking as clear as a clear sky. / Her remaining funds were as clear as a clear sky, meaning none.
Other Ways to Say: Zero balance / Clear view
42. Like a deflated football
Description: This describes a monetary fund that lost all its bounce and substance.
For Example: His savings account went soft like a deflated football after the tuition payment. / Her budget collapsed like a deflated football.
Other Ways to Say: Soft funds / Flat money
43. As empty as a beggar’s cup
Meaning: This means having a container that holds absolutely nothing inside.
For Example: His coin cup on the desk was as empty as a beggar’s cup. / Her pockets were as empty as a beggar’s cup.
Other Ways to Say: Beggar’s cup / Empty container
44. Like a moth eaten sweater
Description: This describes a tattered, ruined budget full of holes and leaks.
For Example: His financial plan had holes in it like a moth eaten sweater. / Her budget was full of gaps like a moth eaten sweater.
Other Ways to Say: Hole-filled budget / Ruined funds
45. As light as a soap bubble
Meaning: This means having money that pops and disappears into nothingness.
For Example: His paycheck felt as light as a soap bubble because it vanished instantly. / Her savings floated away as light as a soap bubble.
Other Ways to Say: Pop and gone / Airy cash
46. Like an unseeded garden
Description: This describes financial soil that yields no harvest or income.
For Example: His bank account yielded no growth, looking like an unseeded garden. / Her income sources sat barren like an unseeded garden.
Other Ways to Say: Barren soil / No harvest
47. As dry as dust
Meaning: This means financial reserves completely lacking any liquid cash.
For Example: His liquid assets were as dry as dust when he needed cash. / Her wallet content was as dry as dust.
Other Ways to Say: Parched funds / Liquid dry
48. Like a cracked clay pot
Description: This describes a financial vessel that cannot hold water or money safely.
For Example: His savings leaked out like a cracked clay pot. / Her budget broke apart like a cracked clay pot under pressure.
Other Ways to Say: Leaking pot / Broken vessel
49. As bare as a plucked chicken
Meaning: This means being stripped of all cash and valuables entirely.
For Example: After paying taxes, his bank account was as bare as a plucked chicken. / Her funds were left as bare as a plucked chicken.
Other Ways to Say: Stripped clean / Plucked clean
50. Like a ghost town saloon
Description: This describes a wallet or account where nobody is home and nothing is inside.
For Example: His coin pocket looked like a ghost town saloon with zero activity. / Her digital bank account app looked like a ghost town saloon.
Other Ways to Say: Empty saloon / No activity
51. As quiet as a desert night
Meaning: This means zero transactions or deposits happening in an empty account.
For Example: His bank app notifications were as quiet as a desert night. / Her financial life was as quiet as a desert night with no paychecks coming.
Other Ways to Say: Silent night / No transactions
52. Like a dry twig snapping
Description: This describes financial limits breaking instantly under stress.
For Example: His credit card limit snapped like a dry twig under too many purchases. / Her budget broke like a dry twig.
Other Ways to Say: Snapped limit / Broken budget
53. As flat as a tabletop
Meaning: This means a bank balance line that stays flat at zero with no growth.
For Example: His savings graph remained as flat as a tabletop all year. / Her account line stayed as flat as a tabletop.
Other Ways to Say: Flat line / Zero growth
54. Like an abandoned bird nest
Description: This describes a wallet left empty and forgotten after all cash flew away.
For Example: His old wallet sat in the drawer like an abandoned bird nest. / Her purse compartment was empty like an abandoned bird nest.
Other Ways to Say: Empty nest / Abandoned purse
55. As poor as a church pauper
Meaning: This means experiencing absolute pennilessness with no financial help.
For Example: He started his business venture as poor as a church pauper. / She felt as poor as a church pauper between paychecks.
Other Ways to Say: Church pauper / Absolute poor
56. Like a rusted-out car in a yard
Description: This describes a broken financial situation that cannot move forward.
For Example: His debt sat heavy like a rusted-out car in a yard. / Her budget stalled out like a rusted-out car in a yard.
Other Ways to Say: Rusted ride / Stalled funds
57. As thin as a razor blade
Meaning: This means profit margins or remaining cash reduced to a razor-thin edge.
For Example: His bank account buffer was as thin as a razor blade. / Her cash margin was as thin as a razor blade before payday.
Other Ways to Say: Razor thin / Slender margin
58. Like a stone dropping in a well
Description: This describes money plummeting straight down to zero instantly.
For Example: His bank balance dropped like a stone dropping in a well after the purchase. / Her savings plummeted like a stone dropping in a well.
Other Ways to Say: Fast drop / Plummeting cash
59. As bare as a winter branch
Meaning: This means financial holdings stripped of all green leaves and dollar bills.
For Example: His wallet was as bare as a winter branch after buying gifts. / Her savings account was as bare as a winter branch.
Other Ways to Say: Winter branch / Bare funds
60. Like a dry leaf falling to earth
Description: This describes the final, gentle descent of your last remaining dollar leaving your pocket.
For Example: His final coin dropped out of his pocket like a dry leaf falling to earth. / Her last dollar drifted away like a dry leaf falling to earth.
Other Ways to Say: Last dollar / Final drop
Exercise to Practice
- When he opened his wallet to pay for the comic book, it was ________.
- After paying for his school supplies, he was as poor as ________.
- His savings account was ________ before payday arrived.
- His allowance shrunk down after buying the video game like ________.
- His bank account looked ________ at the end of the month.
- After spending all his birthday money, he felt like ________.
- When he checked his jeans pocket for lunch change, it felt ________.
- Asking his parents for more allowance was like dipping into ________.
- His checking account was ________ after the concert tickets.
- Looking at his bank balance felt like staring across ________.
- After losing his job, he found himself as poor as ________.
- His savings account went flat like ________ when the car broke down.
- He spent every dollar on his hobby until his bank account was ________.
- He opened his leather billfold to find it like ________.
- His wallet was ________ after paying for the textbooks.
Answer Key
- as empty as a ghost town
- a church mouse
- as dry as a bone
- a deflated balloon
- as bare as winter trees
- a beggar on the street corner
- as light as a feather
- a dry well
- as clean as a whistle
- a desert wasteland
- Job
- a punctured tire
- as bare as a newborn chick
- an empty snail shell
- as flat as a pancake
Conclusion
Learning these fun similes helps you describe being broke and having no money in much more creative ways. Instead of using plain words, you can paint a vivid picture in your reader’s mind.
Try using some of these expressions the next time you write a funny story about saving allowance or talk about budgeting with your friends. You will sound like a true vocabulary expert and make your writing much more fun to read!
