Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the actual words inside them. People use them to make talking and writing more colorful and exciting. In this article, you will learn sixty helpful idioms that all describe earning, saving, or making money.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for making money that mean earning cash or building financial wealth. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Making Money
1. Bring home the bacon
Meaning: To earn money to support your family or household.
For Example: Dad worked extra hours at the store to bring home the bacon. / She got a great new job to help bring home the bacon.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a living / Support family
2. Make a killing
Meaning: To make a huge amount of money in a very short time.
For Example: The lemonade stand made a killing during the hot summer afternoon. / He made a killing selling his old video games at the yard sale.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a fortune / Make big bucks
3. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: To experience sudden and massive financial success or luck.
For Example: Finding that rare comic book in the attic felt like hitting the jackpot. / We hit the jackpot when our garage sale items sold out completely.
Other Ways to Say: Major win / Huge fortune
4. Strike gold
Meaning: To discover something extremely valuable or make a profitable business move.
For Example: The inventors knew they struck gold with their clever new toy idea. / Opening the ice cream shop on a hot day felt like we struck gold.
Other Ways to Say: Find treasure / Hit profit
5. Make a fast buck
Meaning: To earn money quickly, sometimes through easy or risky work.
For Example: He tried to make a fast buck by washing neighbor cars on Saturday. / Do not rush into risky jobs just to make a fast buck.
Other Ways to Say: Earn quick cash / Make easy money
6. Make ends meet
Meaning: To earn just enough money to pay your regular bills and expenses.
For Example: Working two part-time jobs helped the family make ends meet. / It can be tough to make ends meet when prices go up.
Other Ways to Say: Pay the bills / Cover expenses
7. Make a mint
Meaning: To earn a very large sum of money from a successful project.
For Example: The bakery made a mint selling cookies during the holiday festival. / She hoped to make a mint writing children’s adventure books.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a fortune / Make big money
8. Roll in dough
Meaning: To have a lot of money and live very comfortably.
For Example: After his business took off, he felt like he was rolling in dough. / The successful author was rolling in dough after her book became popular.
Other Ways to Say: Be wealthy / Have plenty of cash
9. Rake in the cash
Meaning: To collect a large amount of money quickly and easily.
For Example: The movie theater was raking in the cash during the opening weekend. / Our school club was raking in the cash at the bake sale.
Other Ways to Say: Earn heavily / Gather money
10. Coin it
Meaning: To make a lot of money rapidly through a busy business.
For Example: The ice cream truck parked at the park was really coin it in. / He started a lawn-mowing business and began to coin it.
Other Ways to Say: Make money fast / Earn well
11. Feather your nest
Meaning: To make a lot of money and save it for your future comfort.
For Example: He worked hard for years to feather his nest before retiring. / Saving your allowance helps feather your nest for college.
Other Ways to Say: Save money / Build wealth
12. Golden handshake
Meaning: A large sum of money given to someone when they leave a job.
For Example: The retiring manager received a generous golden handshake from the company. / He left his position with a nice golden handshake.
Other Ways to Say: Departure bonus / Large payout
13. Cash cow
Meaning: A business, product, or idea that constantly brings in steady money.
For Example: That popular board game became a real cash cow for the toy company. / The lemonade stand turned into a cash cow for our club.
Other Ways to Say: Steady earner / Profitable source
14. Print money
Meaning: To have a business or job that generates profit very easily.
For Example: Running a popular cafe near the school felt like you were print money. / He joked that his video game idea would print money.
Other Ways to Say: Easy profit / High earnings
15. Make a pile
Meaning: To accumulate a large amount of money over time.
For Example: He managed to make a pile by saving his allowance every week. / The successful entrepreneur made a pile in technology.
Other Ways to Say: Accumulate wealth / Build a fortune
16. Salt away money
Meaning: To save money carefully in a secure place for the future.
For Example: She decided to salt away money from her birthday gifts into a bank. / It is smart to salt away money for rainy days.
Other Ways to Say: Save cash / Store away funds
17. Save for a rainy day
Meaning: To set aside money for unexpected future expenses or trouble.
For Example: Mom always told us to save for a rainy day instead of spending it all. / He put half his earnings away to save for a rainy day.
Other Ways to Say: Save for future / Put money aside
18. Nest egg
Meaning: A sum of money saved up over a long period for a specific goal.
For Example: They built a nice nest egg to buy their first family home. / Saving your coins helps build a helpful nest egg.
Other Ways to Say: Savings fund / Stash of cash
19. Pay dirt
Meaning: Finding a source of great financial profit or success.
For Example: Searching for rare trading cards meant we finally hit pay dirt. / The inventors hit pay dirt when their design sold out.
Other Ways to Say: Find profit / Achieve success
20. Strike it rich
Meaning: To suddenly become wealthy through a lucky business or invention.
For Example: He hoped to strike it rich by creating a new video game. / The family struck it rich when their oil investment paid off.
Other Ways to Say: Become wealthy / Sudden fortune
21. Hit the big time
Meaning: To achieve major financial success and fame in your career.
For Example: The young singer hit the big time after her song went viral online. / Working hard in sports can help athletes hit the big time.
Other Ways to Say: Achieve fame / Major success
22. Make a tidy sum
Meaning: To earn a neat and satisfying amount of money.
For Example: She made a tidy sum selling handmade crafts at the fair. / He earned a tidy sum doing yard work all summer.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a profit / Nice earnings
23. Bring home the gold
Meaning: To win a top prize or earn significant money in a contest.
For Example: Our relay team practiced hard to bring home the gold. / He hoped to bring home the gold in the science fair.
Other Ways to Say: Win big / Earn prize money
24. Reap the rewards
Meaning: To receive financial benefits after working hard for a long time.
For Example: After studying all semester, she was ready to reap the rewards of her grades. / Farmers work hard all season to reap the rewards of their harvest.
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy benefits / Collect profits
25. Line your pockets
Meaning: To make money, sometimes dishonestly or greedily.
For Example: The dishonest manager tried to line his pockets with company funds. / Do not try to line your pockets by tricking your friends.
Other Ways to Say: Earn selfishly / Gather cash
26. Turn a profit
Meaning: To make more money from a business than you spent starting it.
For Example: Our school bake sale managed to turn a profit after paying for ingredients. / It took three months for the new shop to turn a profit.
Other Ways to Say: Make money / Become profitable
27. Be in the black
Meaning: A business or person having money left over with zero debt.
For Example: After a busy holiday season, the store was finally in the black. / Managing our budget carefully kept our family finances in the black.
Other Ways to Say: Profitable / Out of debt
28. Cash in
Meaning: To exchange something valuable for money or take profit.
For Example: He decided to cash in his savings bonds to buy a bike. / The winner went to the desk to cash in her raffle ticket.
Other Ways to Say: Redeem cash / Take profit
29. Pad your wallet
Meaning: To increase the amount of money you have saved or earned.
For Example: Taking on extra weekend chores helps pad your wallet. / He saved his allowance to pad his wallet for the trip.
Other Ways to Say: Increase cash / Grow savings
30. Build a fortune
Meaning: To gather a very large amount of money over many years.
For Example: Through smart investing, he managed to build a fortune. / Her hard work helped her build a fortune in real estate.
Other Ways to Say: Accumulate wealth / Make big money
31. Make a living
Meaning: To earn enough money to pay for basic life needs.
For Example: He worked as a carpenter to make a living for his family. / Writing stories can be a wonderful way to make a living.
Other Ways to Say: Earn income / Support oneself
32. Earn your keep
Meaning: To work hard enough to pay for your food, housing, or expenses.
For Example: The farm animals had to earn their keep by helping around the barn. / Doing chores around the house helps children earn their keep.
Other Ways to Say: Pay your way / Work for living
33. Butter your bread
Meaning: To earn money that provides for your daily needs and comfort.
For Example: He focused on his career to butter his bread for the future. / Doing quality work helps butter your bread in life.
Other Ways to Say: Earn income / Secure living
34. Bring home the dough
Meaning: A slang way to say you earn money for your household.
For Example: Dad worked late shifts to bring home the dough for groceries. / She got a weekend job to bring home the dough.
Other Ways to Say: Earn cash / Make money
35. Make bank
Meaning: To earn a very large amount of money quickly.
For Example: The popular food truck seemed to make bank every single weekend. / He wanted to learn computer coding so he could make bank.
Other Ways to Say: Earn big / Make a fortune
36. Bring in the sheaves
Meaning: To gather earnings or profits after a successful season.
For Example: The farmers worked hard to bring in the sheaves during autumn. / The store owners were happy to bring in the sheaves after the sale.
Other Ways to Say: Collect harvest / Gather profits
37. Clean up
Meaning: To make a large financial profit from a successful deal.
For Example: They managed to clean up by selling lemonade on a scorching day. / He hoped to clean up at the annual charity auction.
Other Ways to Say: Make big profit / Earn heavily
38. Strike pay dirt
Meaning: To find a profitable business idea or successful income source.
For Example: Our class project hit pay dirt when we sold all our handmade cards. / He struck pay dirt with his new lawn care business.
Other Ways to Say: Find profit / Succeed financially
39. Hit paydirt financially
Meaning: Achieving great financial success through a smart choice.
For Example: Investing in the local bookstore helped them hit paydirt financially. / She hit paydirt financially with her popular art channel.
Other Ways to Say: Financial success / Profitable win
40. Make hay while the sun shines
Meaning: To make money or take advantage of a good opportunity right away.
For Example: When the tourist season started, the shop owners made hay while the sun shines. / Finish your chores now and make hay while the sun shines.
Other Ways to Say: Seize opportunity / Act quickly
41. Sow and reap
Meaning: To work hard investing time or money to earn financial returns.
For Example: Starting a garden requires you to sow and reap the vegetable profits. / In business, you must sow and reap your financial gains.
Other Ways to Say: Work and earn / Invest and profit
42. Bring home the bread
Meaning: To earn the money needed to feed and house your family.
For Example: Mom worked hard at the hospital to bring home the bread. / He took pride in being able to bring home the bread.
Other Ways to Say: Earn income / Support family
43. Fill your pockets
Meaning: To gather a large amount of cash or earnings.
For Example: Winning the art contest allowed her to fill her pockets with prize money. / Successful merchants worked hard to fill their pockets.
Other Ways to Say: Earn cash / Gather wealth
44. Line your purse
Meaning: To earn and save money for personal financial security.
For Example: She worked part-time after school to line her purse for college. / Saving tips helped him line his purse over the year.
Other Ways to Say: Earn savings / Grow funds
45. Gather riches
Meaning: To accumulate a large collection of money and valuable assets.
For Example: Merchants traveled across the sea to gather riches in old tales. / He preferred helping people over trying to gather riches.
Other Ways to Say: Accumulate wealth / Collect money
46. Harvest profits
Meaning: To collect the financial gains from a successful business venture.
For Example: The company was ready to harvest profits after launching the new app. / Planting flowers early allowed them to harvest profits at the market.
Other Ways to Say: Collect gains / Earn returns
47. Strike it wealthy
Meaning: To transition from having little money to becoming very rich.
For Example: Winning the invention contest helped him strike it wealthy. / She dreamed of working hard to strike it wealthy one day.
Other Ways to Say: Become rich / Achieve great wealth
48. Accumulate wealth
Meaning: To steadily grow your total amount of money and assets over time.
For Example: Saving small amounts every week helps accumulate wealth. / Wisdom and hard work allow people to accumulate wealth safely.
Other Ways to Say: Grow money / Build fortune
49. Grow your money
Meaning: To invest or save funds so they increase in value.
For Example: Putting money into a savings account helps grow your money safely. / Learning about business teaches you how to grow your money.
Other Ways to Say: Increase funds / Invest wisely
50. Multiply your cash
Meaning: To turn a small amount of money into a much larger sum.
For Example: Smart business owners know how to multiply your cash through trade. / Planting seeds in business can help multiply your cash.
Other Ways to Say: Increase earnings / Expand profit
51. Reap financial gains
Meaning: To receive money earned from smart investments or work.
For Example: The investors were happy to reap financial gains from the project. / Working hard in school helps you reap financial gains later in life.
Other Ways to Say: Collect earnings / Get profits
52. Earn top dollar
Meaning: To receive the highest possible payment for work or items.
For Example: Rare comic books can help sellers earn top dollar at auctions. / Skilled workers deserve to earn top dollar for their craftsmanship.
Other Ways to Say: Get high pay / Earn maximum cash
53. Command a high price
Meaning: To be valuable enough to sell for a lot of money.
For Example: Antique furniture can command a high price at specialty shops. / Fresh organic fruit will command a high price at the market.
Other Ways to Say: Sell for much / Be expensive
54. Worth its weight in gold
Meaning: Something that is extremely valuable, useful, or profitable.
For Example: That map of the hiking trails was worth its weight in gold. / A good friend during hard times is worth its weight in gold.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely valuable / Very useful
55. Make money hand over fist
Meaning: To earn money very rapidly and in large quantities.
For Example: The popular toy store was making money hand over fist during December. / He started a tech company and began making money hand over fist.
Other Ways to Say: Earn rapidly / Make big profits
56. Money talks
Meaning: Having financial power can influence decisions or get things done.
For Example: People listened closely to his business proposal because money talks. / In the corporate world, they say money talks.
Other Ways to Say: Financial power / Wealth influences
57. Make a profit
Meaning: To earn more money than you spent on a project or item.
For Example: We sold our lemonade for more than we spent, making a profit. / Every business strives to make a profit each month.
Other Ways to Say: Earn gain / Turn profit
58. Cash in hand
Meaning: Having physical money ready to spend immediately.
For Example: He preferred to be paid with cash in hand after doing yard work. / Having cash in hand made it easy to buy the used bicycle.
Other Ways to Say: Ready money / Physical cash
59. Make a quick buck
Meaning: To earn money rapidly, often through simple or temporary tasks.
For Example: Shoveling snow in winter is a great way to make a quick buck. / Do not take shortcuts just to make a quick buck.
Other Ways to Say: Earn fast cash / Make easy money
60. Earn an honest penny
Meaning: To make money through fair, legal, and hard work.
For Example: Grandpa worked hard all his life to earn an honest penny. / Selling vegetables from his garden let him earn an honest penny.
Other Ways to Say: Work fairly / Earn clean cash
Exercise to Practice
- Dad worked extra hours at the store to bring home the ________.
- Finding that rare comic book in the attic felt like hitting the ________.
- He tried to make a fast ________ by washing neighbor cars on Saturday.
- Working two part-time jobs helped the family make ends ________.
- Saving your allowance helps feather your ________ for college.
- Mom always told us to save for a rainy ________ instead of spending it all.
- They built a nice nest ________ to buy their first family home.
- He hoped to strike it ________ by creating a new video game.
- After a busy holiday season, the store was finally in the ________.
- Taking on extra weekend chores helps pad your ________.
- Saving small amounts every week helps ________ wealth.
- Rare comic books can help sellers earn top ________ at auctions.
- That map of the hiking trails was worth its weight in ________.
- The popular toy store was making money hand over ________ during December.
- Grandpa worked hard all his life to earn an honest ________.
Answer Key
- bacon
- jackpot
- buck
- meet
- nest
- day
- egg
- rich
- black
- wallet
- accumulate
- dollar
- gold
- fist
- penny
Conclusion
Learning idioms about making money helps you describe financial earnings and savings in colorful ways. Instead of just saying someone earned cash, you can paint a picture with language by using these fun expressions. Try using a few of these idioms when you talk about business or write your next school story.
