Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meaning is not obvious from the individual words and must be learned as a whole. People use them to make their everyday language more colorful, expressive, and fun. In this article, you will learn fifty idioms related to having no money, being broke, and financial hardship.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean broke, penniless, and out of cash. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for No Money
1. Flat broke
Definition: Having completely zero money left in your pockets or bank account.
Used in a Sentence: After buying the expensive concert ticket, he was flat broke and could not afford a snack. / She checked her wallet and realized she was flat broke until her next allowance.
Similar Expressions: Completely penniless / Out of funds
2. Not a penny to your name
Definition: Possessing absolutely no financial resources or wealth whatsoever.
Used in a Sentence: When he lost his wallet at the amusement park, he found himself not a penny to his name. / She moved to the city with big dreams and not a penny to her name.
Similar Expressions: Destitute / Totally broke
3. Skint
Definition: A casual way to describe having no spare cash left over for fun activities.
Used in a Sentence: He wanted to go to the arcade with his friends, but he was too skint this week. / She couldn’t buy the new comic book because her allowance left her skint.
Similar Expressions: Short of cash / Low on funds
4. On a shoestring
Definition: Operating or living with an extremely tiny and restricted amount of money.
Used in a Sentence: The school club planned their entire autumn festival on a shoestring budget. / Traveling across the country on a shoestring meant they had to camp instead of staying in hotels.
Similar Expressions: Tight budget / Very cheap
5. Penny-pinching
Definition: Being extremely careful and frugal with every single cent you spend.
Used in a Sentence: Years of penny-pinching allowed them to save enough money for a family vacation. / She was tired of penny-pinching just to buy basic school supplies.
Similar Expressions: Frugal spending / Saving cents
6. In the red
Definition: Having a negative bank balance or owing more money than you actually possess.
Used in a Sentence: After purchasing all the lab equipment, the club account went deep in the red. / He had to work extra chores to get his allowance budget out of the red.
Similar Expressions: Owing money / Negative balance
7. Break the bank
Definition: To cost an excessive amount of money that drains all your savings.
Used in a Sentence: Buying a simple notebook shouldn’t break the bank when you go shopping. / He wanted a high-end bicycle, but it would completely break the bank.
Similar Expressions: Cost a fortune / Very expensive
8. Tighten your belt
Definition: To spend less money and cut back on your lifestyle because funds are low.
Used in a Sentence: When allowance was delayed, the siblings had to tighten their belts on buying snacks. / The family had to tighten their belts to save up for a new computer.
Similar Expressions: Cut expenses / Spend less
9. Hard up
Definition: Experiencing a temporary period of severe financial shortage.
Used in a Sentence: He was feeling a bit hard up after buying birthday gifts for all his friends. / She lent him some change because he was hard up for bus fare.
Similar Expressions: Short of money / Financially stressed
10. Pass the hat
Definition: To collect small amounts of money from a group to help pay for something.
Used in a Sentence: The club members had to pass the hat around to buy replacement art supplies. / When the team needed new jerseys, they decided to pass the hat among supporters.
Similar Expressions: Collect donations / Pool money
11. Living hand to mouth
Definition: Spending every dollar you earn immediately just to cover basic daily needs.
Used in a Sentence: During his first year living away at college, he felt like he was living hand to mouth. / Buying groceries on a tight budget meant living hand to mouth each week.
Similar Expressions: Barely surviving / Spending as you earn
12. Not worth a plugged nickel
Definition: Something that has absolutely zero financial value or usefulness.
Used in a Sentence: The broken plastic toy car he found in the dirt was not worth a plugged nickel. / He tried to sell his old calculator, but the store owner said it was not worth a plugged nickel.
Similar Expressions: Worthless / Zero value
13. Cleaned out
Definition: Having all your saved cash completely spent or taken away.
Used in a Sentence: Buying gifts for the holiday season completely cleaned out his allowance savings. / After paying for the school trip, her wallet was totally cleaned out.
Similar Expressions: Out of cash / Drained dry
14. Out of pocket
Definition: Having to pay for expenses using your own personal money that won’t be repaid.
Used in a Sentence: Buying extra poster boards for the group project left him out of pocket ten dollars. / The club leader was out of pocket for the missing supplies.
Similar Expressions: Personal expense / Out of funds
15. Count your pennies
Definition: To manage small amounts of money very carefully because you have so little.
Used in a Sentence: While saving up for a new skateboard, he had to count his pennies every afternoon. / She spent the morning counting her pennies to see if she could afford a milkshake.
Similar Expressions: Being frugal / Watching expenses
16. On hard times
Definition: Experiencing an ongoing period of financial struggle and poverty.
Used in a Sentence: The small neighborhood bakery fell on hard times and had to close its doors. / When his parents lost their jobs, the family went through hard times.
SimilarExpressions: Financial struggle / Tough period
17. Barely scraping by
Definition: Managing to survive financially with just enough money for essentials.
Used in a Sentence: With rising costs, his part-time job left him barely scraping by each month. / The student budget meant she was barely scraping by until payday.
Similar Expressions: Surviving on little / Minimal living
18. Tightwad
Definition: A humorous term for someone who hates spending money even when they have it.
Used in a Sentence: He wouldn’t even chip in fifty cents for pizza, acting like a total tightwad. / Don’t be such a tightwad and share some popcorn with your friends.
Similar Expressions: Frugal person / Stingy spender
19. Pauper
Definition: A very old-fashioned term for someone living in extreme poverty without money.
Used in a Sentence: After losing his allowance on a bad trade, he joked that he felt like a medieval pauper. / The story featured a prince who traded places with a poor pauper.
Similar Expressions: Poor person / Destitute individual
20. Out of funds
Definition: Having completely exhausted the money allocated for a specific purpose.
Used in a Sentence: The art project had to pause because the classroom was out of funds for paint. / He checked his digital account and saw he was out of funds.
Similar Expressions: Zero balance / Money exhausted
21. Hit rock bottom financially
Definition: Reaching the absolute lowest possible point of financial trouble.
Used in a Sentence: Spending his last dollar on a bus ticket meant he had hit rock bottom financially. / After losing his job, he felt he had hit rock bottom financially.
Similar Expressions: Reached the bottom / Worst financial state
22. Penniless
Definition: Having literally zero coins or currency to your name.
Used in a Sentence: The traveler arrived in the town square tired and completely penniless. / She didn’t want to ask her parents for help, even though she was penniless.
Similar Expressions: Broke / Destitute
23. Empty-handed
Definition: Leaving a store or marketplace because you couldn’t afford to buy anything.
Used in a Sentence: He browsed the toy shop shelves for an hour, but left empty-handed due to high prices. / She checked the clearance rack and walked away empty-handed.
Similar Expressions: Buying nothing / Leaving with zero
24. Broke as a joke
Definition: A playful slang phrase meaning you have absolutely no money left.
Used in a Sentence: He laughed and told his friends he was broke as a joke until Friday. / After buying video game add-ons, she was broke as a joke.
Similar Expressions: Totally broke / Out of cash
25. Living on a shoestring budget
Definition: Managing everyday life with the absolute minimum amount of money possible.
Used in a Sentence: College students often find themselves living on a shoestring budget. / They rented a tiny apartment and lived on a shoestring budget for a year.
Similar Expressions: Extreme frugality / Minimal spending
26. Not have a leg to stand on financially
Definition: Lacking the financial means or evidence to support a purchase or claim.
Used in a Sentence: Without an allowance, he didn’t have a leg to stand on when asking to buy a new game. / She didn’t have a financial leg to stand on for the trip.
Similar Expressions: Financially weak / Unsupported
27. On the breadline
Definition: Living in extreme poverty where getting basic food is a daily struggle.
Used in a Sentence: Families on the breadline rely heavily on community food pantries for meals. / The charity worked to help people living right on the breadline.
Similar Expressions: Extreme poverty / Struggling for food
28. Tight budget
Definition: A financial plan that allows for zero extra spending beyond essentials.
Used in a Sentence: We had to stick to a tight budget during our school supply shopping trip. / Operating on a tight budget meant no extra treats at the movies.
Similar Expressions: Restricted funds / Careful spending
29. Strapped for cash
Definition: Needing money urgently but having none readily available in your wallet.
Used in a Sentence: He was strapped for cash and had to wait until Saturday to wash cars for money. / She couldn’t join the restaurant outing because she was strapped for cash.
Similar Expressions: Short on money / Needing cash
30. Out of commission financially
Definition: Being unable to buy anything because your money is completely gone.
Used in a Sentence: With his wallet lost, he was out of commission financially until his parents helped. / Her debit card was frozen, leaving her out of commission financially.
Similar Expressions: Temporarily broke / Unable to spend
31. Couldn’t buy your way out of trouble
Definition: Being so broke that you couldn’t even use money to solve a minor problem.
Used in a Sentence: He had lost all his allowance and joked he couldn’t buy his way out of trouble. / She was so broke she couldn’t buy her way out of a paper bag.
Similar Expressions: Totally broke / Zero resources
32. Pay through the nose
Definition: The opposite of saving money, meaning you are forced to spend way too much.
Used in a Sentence: He had to pay through the nose to get his broken bicycle fixed on a Sunday. / Buying replacement textbook copies made us pay through the nose.
Similar Expressions: Overpay / Cost a fortune
33. Raking in zero
Definition: Earning no income or allowance from chores or jobs.
Used in a Sentence: Without doing extra yard work, his weekly allowance was raking in zero. / She checked her savings log and saw she was raking in zero dollars.
Similar Expressions: Zero earnings / Making nothing
34. Broke to the bone
Definition: An emphatic way to say you are completely out of money.
Used in a Sentence: After buying school uniforms, his parents felt broke to the bone. / She spent her last coins on art pencils and was broke to the bone.
Similar Expressions: Fully broke / Drained out
35. Rob Peter to pay Paul
Definition: Borrowing money from one source to pay off another debt because you are broke.
Used in a Sentence: He had to rob Peter to pay Paul by borrowing from savings to cover lunch money. / Shuffling allowance funds around felt like robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Similar Expressions: Shuffling debt / Borrowing to pay
36. Not a red cent
Definition: Possessing zero money, emphasizing the complete absence of even small coins.
Used in a Sentence: He checked his pockets for arcade tokens, but found not a red cent. / She offered to help with the bake sale, even though she had not a red cent to donate.
Similar Expressions: Zero money / Not a penny
37. On the rocks financially
Definition: A financial situation that is failing, collapsing, or out of money.
Used in a Sentence: The school club treasury was on the rocks after the failed fundraiser. / His personal budget was on the rocks after buying too many snacks.
Similar Expressions: Failing budget / Financial collapse
38. Down to your last dime
Definition: Having only a single coin left before you are completely out of money.
Used in a Sentence: After paying for the bus ride home, he was down to his last dime. / She checked her piggy bank and realized she was down to her last dime.
#Similar Expressions: Last coin / Almost broke
39. Broke as a church mouse
Definition: A classic expression comparing your poverty to a mouse living in an empty building.
Used in a Sentence: He couldn’t afford a movie ticket this weekend because he was broke as a church mouse. / She felt broke as a church mouse when shopping for winter boots.
Similar Expressions: Very poor / Totally broke
40. Out of cash
Definition: Having no paper bills or coins available in your physical wallet.
Used in a Sentence: The parking meter only took coins, but he was completely out of cash. / She had to use a card at the bookstore because she was out of cash.
Similar Expressions: No paper money / Cashless
41. A dry spell
Definition: A temporary period where you earn no money or allowance.
Used in a Sentence: Because neighbors didn’t need lawns mowed in winter, he went through a dry spell of earning money. / The freelance artist experienced a dry spell of sales.
Similar Expressions: Earning slump / Money drought
42. In debt
Definition: Owing money to someone else that you have not yet paid back.
Used in a Sentence: He borrowed five dollars from his sister for lunch and was currently in debt. / The club went into debt to buy new sports equipment.
Similar Expressions: Owing cash / Financial debt
43. Cleaned dry
Definition: Having every single dollar removed from your savings account.
Used in a Sentence: The unexpected car repair bill left their family savings cleaned dry. / His wallet was cleaned dry after the amusement park visit.
Similar Expressions: Drained savings / Empty account
44. Hard cash shortage
Definition: A lack of physical paper currency and coins available for spending.
Used in a Sentence: The garage sale didn’t accept cards, and we suffered from a hard cash shortage. / He had to run to the ATM because of a hard cash shortage.
Similar Expressions: Coin shortage / Lacking currency
45. Living on nickels and dimes
Definition: Surviving on tiny, insignificant amounts of loose change.
Used in a Sentence: He checked the couch cushions, living on nickels and dimes for the snack machine. / She funded her bus ride by living on nickels and dimes found in her bag.
Similar Expressions: Using loose change / Tiny funds
46. Broke flat out
Definition: A direct way of stating you have zero financial resources remaining.
Used in a Sentence: When asked to join the group for ice cream, he admitted he was broke flat out. / She checked her bank app and saw she was broke flat out.
Similar Expressions: Completely broke / Out of funds
47. On thin ice financially
Definition: Having so little money that any unexpected expense will ruin your budget.
Used in a Sentence: With only two dollars left in his account, he was walking on thin ice financially. / Her budget was on thin ice after buying the extra textbook.
Similar Expressions: Risky budget / Financial danger
48. Skimpy funds
Definition: An inadequate, very small amount of money for a project.
Used in a Sentence: The club president complained about the skimpy funds available for decorations. / They had to make do with skimpy funds for the science fair display.
Similar Expressions: Meager money / Low budget
49. Out of the running to buy
Definition: Being unable to purchase a desired item because of a lack of money.
Used in a Sentence: Because the video game cost sixty dollars, he was out of the running to buy it. / Her low allowance put her out of the running to buy the designer jacket.
Similar Expressions: Cannot afford / Outpriced
50. Zero dollars and zero cents
Definition: A literal numerical way to describe having no money in your possession.
Used in a Sentence: He looked at his empty piggy bank, counting zero dollars and zero cents. / Her bank statement showed zero dollars and zero cents until payday.
#Similar Expressions: Completely empty / Nothing left
Exercise to Practice
- After buying the expensive concert ticket, he was flat broke and could not afford a snack.
- When he lost his wallet at the amusement park, he found himself not a penny to his name while driving a sports car.
- The school club planned their entire autumn festival on a shoestring budget.
- Years of penny-pinching allowed them to save enough money for a family vacation.
- After purchasing all the lab equipment, the club account went deep in the red and bought a mansion.
- Buying a simple notebook shouldn’t break the bank when you go shopping.
- When allowance was delayed, the siblings had to tighten their belts on buying snacks.
- He was feeling a bit hard up after buying birthday gifts for all his friends.
- The club members had to pass the hat around to buy replacement art supplies while throwing confetti.
- During his first year living away at college, he felt like he was living hand to mouth.
- The broken plastic toy car he found in the dirt was not worth a plugged nickel.
- Buying gifts for the holiday season completely cleaned out his allowance savings and made him a millionaire.
- Buying extra poster boards for the group project left him out of pocket ten dollars.
- While saving up for a new skateboard, he had to count his pennies every afternoon.
- The small neighborhood bakery fell on hard times and had to close its doors.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps us understand how people creatively describe having no money, being broke, and financial hardship. Exploring these helpful expressions makes talking about budgets and saving much more expressive and relatable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for having no money?
Common idioms often describe being broke using phrases like flat broke, not a penny to your name, in the red, or living hand to mouth. Examples include being flat broke after shopping, having not a penny to your name, or living hand to mouth. These expressions highlight zero cash, financial stress, and tight budgets.
Why do people use idioms to describe being broke?
People use idioms because abstract financial struggles can be made much more colorful with creative comparisons. Saying someone is flat broke gives readers an instant mental picture of an empty wallet. This makes personal storytelling much more engaging.
How can I use these no money idioms in creative writing?
You can use these idioms in stories or personal essays to show how a character manages a tight budget or faces a financial setback. For instance, describing a character saving up coins as counting their pennies builds strong frugal imagery. It helps readers visualize their careful spending.
Are no money idioms used in everyday conversations?
Speakers frequently use phrases like flat broke or tight budget in daily life to describe personal savings or shopping limits. These colorful expressions make routine updates sound more expressive and relatable. They add flavor and clarity to casual talks.
Where can I find more idioms for everyday situations?
Our website features many lists of idioms, metaphors, and similes covering everyday situations, emotions, and school topics. You can browse our collection anytime to expand your vocabulary and improve your creative writing skills.
