Similes are fun word pictures that compare two different things using the words like or as to show a deeper truth. People use them to make writing and speaking more colorful, expressive, and easy to understand. In this guide, you will learn fifty different similes related to being broke, having no money, and financial struggles.
In this lesson, we’ll look at similes that mean having no money, empty pockets, and financial struggle. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Similes for Being Broke
1. As empty as a desert well
Definition: Completely devoid of funds or coins, leaving nothing left to spend.
Used in a Sentence: When he opened his wallet at the store register, it was as empty as a desert well. / Her savings account felt as empty as a desert well after paying the school fees.
Similar Expressions: Completely empty / Bone dry
2. Like a beggar on a street corner
Definition: Having zero personal wealth and relying entirely on spare change.
Used in a Sentence: After buying the expensive concert ticket, he felt like a beggar on a street corner. / She looked at her bank balance and felt like a beggar on a street corner.
Similar Expressions: Penniless person / Destitute soul
3. As flat as a pancake
Definition: Completely flattened financial resources with zero money left over.
Used in a Sentence: His wallet was as flat as a pancake when he checked it before lunch. / Her allowance money was spent and her purse was as flat as a pancake.
Similar Expressions: Totally flat / Deflated wallet
4. Like a dry riverbed in summer
Definition: Completely dried up of liquid cash and monetary resources.
Used in a Sentence: His checking account ran dry like a riverbed in summer after the holiday shopping. / Her budget stretched out thin and dry like a riverbed in summer.
Similar Expressions: Dried source / Parched channel
5. As broke as a cracked piggy bank
Definition: Utterly fractured financial health with no coins left inside to shake out.
Used in a Sentence: By the end of the month, his household budget was as broke as a cracked piggy bank. / She shook her ceramic container, finding it as broke as a cracked piggy bank.
Similar Expressions: Completely shattered / Utterly broke
6. Like a stripped gear in an old car
Definition: Unable to move forward or function because of a complete lack of financial power.
Used in a Sentence: Without a paycheck coming in, his weekend plans stalled like a stripped gear. / The small business sputtered out of cash like a stripped gear in an old car.
Similar Expressions: Stalled motor / Broken gear
7. As bare as winter branches
Definition: Stripped of all monetary leaves and financial coverings.
Used in a Sentence: His bank account looked as bare as winter branches after paying rent. / Her checking balance stood as bare as winter branches before payday.
Similar Expressions: Totally bare / Stripped clean
8. Like a church mouse in a pantry
Definition: Possessing absolutely nothing of value to eat or spend in the house.
Used in a Sentence: With no grocery money left, his kitchen cupboards were like a church mouse in a pantry. / She lived on plain rice, feeling like a church mouse in a pantry.
Similar Expressions: Destitute mouse / Starving rodent
9. As hollow as an empty drum
Definition: Making a loud sound of complaint about money while holding zero actual cash.
Used in a Sentence: His promises to pay back the loan later sounded as hollow as an empty drum. / Her wallet clicked shut, feeling as hollow as an empty drum.
Similar Expressions: Sounding empty / Hollow echo
10. Like a shipwrecked sailor on a raft
Definition: Stranded financially with no rescue or cash in sight.
Used in a Sentence: Waiting for his allowance felt like a shipwrecked sailor on a raft waiting for help. / She managed her tiny remaining coins like a shipwrecked sailor on a raft.
Similar Expressions: Stranded traveler / Marooned soul
11. As thin as a razor blade
Definition: A budget stretched to its absolute limit with no room for error.
Used in a Sentence: His monthly spending margin was as thin as a razor blade before payday. / Her wallet leather felt worn and as thin as a razor blade.
Similar Expressions: Razor thin / Stretched limit
12. Like a ghost in an empty castle
Definition: Wandering through expensive places while owning zero money yourself.
Used in a Sentence: Walking through the luxury mall with no cash made him feel like a ghost in a castle. / She window-shoed the high-end boutique like a ghost in an empty castle.
Similar Expressions: Penniless wanderer / Poor phantom
13. As silent as a locked vault
Definition: Completely devoid of any coin drops or cash rustling inside the purse.
Used in a Sentence: When he shook his coin pouch, it stayed as silent as a locked vault. / Her pocketbook remained as silent as a locked vault when asked to pay.
Similar Expressions: Soundless safe / Quiet pouch
14. Like a deflated balloon
Definition: Losing all financial inflation, energy, and purchasing power instantly.
Used in a Sentence: His excitement over the trip popped like a deflated balloon when he saw the price. / Her bank balance slumped downward like a deflated balloon.
Similar Expressions: Deflated pouch / Dropping fund
15. As dry as autumn dust
Definition: Completely lacking any liquid currency or spendable paper bills.
Used in a Sentence: His pockets were as dry as autumn dust after buying school supplies. / Her financial resources felt as dry as autumn dust before the weekend.
Similar Expressions: Parched pocket / Dusty cashbox
16. Like a pauper at a palace gate
Definition: Standing outside expensive places with no way to enter or afford anything.
Used in a Sentence: Looking at the fancy menu prices made him feel like a pauper at a palace gate. / She watched the luxury cars drive past feeling like a pauper at a gate.
Similar Expressions: Poor outsider / Destitute watcher
17. As poor as a church mouse
Definition: Having minimal wealth and living on the absolute cheapest essentials.
Used in a Sentence: He shared an apartment with three roommates, living as poor as a church mouse. / Her student budget kept her as poor as a church mouse all year.
Similar Expressions: Very poor / Destitute mouse
18. Like a torn pocket leaking coins
Definition: Losing track of money as fast as it comes in until nothing remains.
Used in a Sentence: His earnings slipped through his fingers like a torn pocket leaking coins. / She watched her savings drain away like a torn pocket leaking coins.
Similar Expressions: Leaking purse / Spilling cash
19. As light as a feather
Definition: Weighing nothing because there are no heavy coins or cash bills inside.
Used in a Sentence: He lifted his leather billfold, finding it as light as a feather. / Her purse felt as light as a feather because she spent her allowance.
Similar Expressions: Feather light / Weightless bag
20. Like a burned-out candle
Definition: Having spent all financial fuel and energy down to the bare wick.
Used in a Sentence: His paycheck burned bright for one day before flickering out like a spent candle. / Her monthly funds melted away like a burned-out candle.
Similar Expressions: Spent flame / Burned wax
21. As bare as a plucked chicken
Definition: Stripped of all monetary feathers and savings down to the skin.
Used in a Sentence: After paying all the monthly utility bills, his wallet was as bare as a plucked chicken. / Her emergency fund looked as bare as a plucked chicken.
Similar Expressions: Totally stripped / Cleaned out
22. Like an unmoored boat adrift at sea
Definition: Floating through the month without any financial anchor or safety net.
Used in a Sentence: Without a steady job, he drifted through the rent cycle like an unmoored boat. / Her budget floated without direction like an unmoored boat adrift at sea.
Similar Expressions: Drifting vessel / Stranded craft
23. As clear as glass
Definition: Being able to see right through your finances because nothing is inside.
Used in a Sentence: His bank account statement was as clear as glass, showing a zero balance. / Her spending history looked as clear as glass with no hidden funds.
Similar Expressions: Transparent account / Clear zero
24. Like a beggar asking for crumbs
Definition: Pleading for tiny financial favors because of absolute poverty.
Used in a Sentence: He asked his older brother for a small loan like a beggar asking for crumbs. / She scrolled through job boards, feeling like a beggar asking for crumbs.
Similar Expressions: Pleading pauper / Humble asker
25. As broke as an old antique
Definition: Damaged, worn out, and completely non-functional in the financial department.
Used in a Sentence: His credit card machine declined because his account was as broke as an old antique. / Her piggy bank shattered, leaving her as broke as an old antique.
Similar Expressions: Broken coin / Worn finance
26. Like a bird with broken wings
Definition: Unable to fly or travel anywhere because of a lack of travel money.
Used in a Sentence: Staying home for spring break made him feel like a bird with broken wings. / Her vacation dreams clipped her wings like a bird unable to afford tickets.
Similar Expressions: Grounded flyer / Trapped bird
27. As poor as Job
Definition: Experiencing an extreme loss of wealth and worldly possessions.
Used in a Sentence: After the unexpected car repair bill, he felt as poor as Job. / Her financial woes made her feel as poor as Job during hard times.
Similar Expressions: Biblical poor / Destitute soul
28. Like a dry sponge
Definition: Having absorbed every last drop of available cash and currency.
Used in a Sentence: His paycheck soaked into his bills immediately like a dry sponge. / Her bank account absorbed tuition fees like a dry sponge soaking water.
Similar Expressions: Quick absorber / Dry cloth
29. As smooth as a polished pebble
Definition: Having zero ridges, bumps, or extra paper bills left in your wallet.
Used in a Sentence: His leather billfold interior felt as smooth as a polished pebble. / Her purse lining was as smooth as a polished pebble with no cash left.
Similar Expressions: Clean slide / Flawless empty
30. Like a lost wanderer in a desert
Definition: Searching desperately for monetary relief across a barren financial landscape.
Used in a Sentence: Scrolling through discount grocery apps made him feel like a wanderer in a desert. / She searched for a cheap meal like a lost wanderer in a desert.
Similar Expressions: Desert traveler / Lost seeker
31. As dead as a doornail
Definition: A financial account or budget that shows zero signs of life or cash.
Used in a Sentence: His checking account balance was as dead as a doornail until payday. / Her credit card limit was as dead as a doornail after the shopping spree.
Similar Expressions: Completely dead / Flat zero
32. Like a hollowed-out tree trunk
Definition: Having an outer appearance of normalcy while being completely empty inside.
Used in a Sentence: His expensive jacket hid the fact that his pockets were like a hollowed-out tree. / Her budget looked solid on paper, but inside it was like a hollow trunk.
Similar Expressions: Empty shell / Hollow core
33. As bare as a newborn babe
Definition: Possessing zero worldly goods, money, or property to your name.
Used in a Sentence: Moving into his first unfurnished apartment left him as bare as a newborn babe. / Her savings started from scratch, as bare as a newborn babe.
Similar Expressions: Totally bare / Fresh start
34. Like a kite with no wind
Definition: Unable to rise or elevate your lifestyle because of missing financial lift.
Used in a Sentence: His business plans stayed grounded like a kite with no wind due to no capital. / Her dreams of buying a car hung like a kite with no wind.
Similar Expressions: Grounded flyer / Lifeless toy
35. As stark as a winter landscape
Definition: Showing a cold, empty financial reality without any green cash leaves.
Used in a Sentence: His monthly financial report looked as stark as a winter landscape. / Her empty coin jar appeared as stark as a winter landscape.
Similar Expressions: Cold reality / Stark empty
36. Like a beggar at the feast
Definition: Looking at expensive things you cannot afford to taste or buy.
Used in a Sentence: Staring at the bakery window with no money felt like a beggar at the feast. / She attended the high-end gala feeling like a beggar at the feast.
Similar Expressions: Poor onlooker / Hungry watcher
37. As thin as a winter shadow
Definition: A financial safety net so faint and small that it barely exists.
Used in a Sentence: His emergency fund was as thin as a winter shadow before the car broke down. / Her bank cushion remained as thin as a winter shadow.
Similar Expressions: Shadow thin / Faint trace
38. Like a dry twig ready to snap
Definition: A delicate financial situation about to break under the slightest bill.
Used in a Sentence: His monthly budget snapped like a dry twig when the electricity bill arrived. / Her patience with her empty wallet felt like a dry twig.
Similar Expressions: Snapping branch / Fragile budget
39. As bare as a stripped bone
Definition: Cleaned out of every single penny of discretionary spending money.
Used in a Sentence: The holiday shopping season left his bank account as bare as a stripped bone. / Her student loan refund vanished, leaving her account as bare as a bone.
Similar Expressions: Totally stripped / Cleaned out
40. Like a clock with no hands
Definition: Unable to tell when financial relief or payday is ever going to arrive.
Used in a Sentence: Waiting for the next monthly paycheck felt like watching a clock with no hands. / Her timeline for paying off debt felt motionless like a handless clock.
Similar Expressions: Stopped clock / Motionless time
41. As poor as a beggar
Definition: Possessing no money, assets, or valuable property to exchange.
Used in a Sentence: After losing his wallet, he felt as poor as a beggar on the sidewalk. / Her expensive tuition left her living as poor as a beggar all semester.
Similar Expressions: Destitute person / Poor individual
42. Like a ghost town main street
Definition: Completely devoid of active currency circulation or spending power.
Used in a Sentence: His wallet looked like a ghost town main street with zero dollar bills inside. / Her savings account resembled a ghost town main street on a Tuesday.
Similar Expressions: Empty street / Deserted town
43. As flat as roadkill
Definition: Flattened completely by unexpected expenses and financial emergencies.
Used in a Sentence: His monthly savings balance was as flat as roadkill after the medical bill. / Her budget was crushed flat like roadkill by the sudden repair costs.
Similar Expressions: Crushed flat / Totally flattened
44. Like an empty snail shell
Definition: A portable container that once held value but is now totally vacant inside.
Used in a Sentence: His leather coin purse sat on the dresser like an empty snail shell. / She checked her old wallet, finding it like an empty snail shell.
Similar Expressions: Vacant shell / Empty pod
45. As dry as old parchment
Definition: Crisp, aged, and completely devoid of any liquid cash value.
Used in a Sentence: His old bank passbook felt as dry as old parchment with its zero balance. / Her financial records showed pages as dry as old parchment.
Similar Expressions: Dry paper / Aged scroll
46. Like a candle in a gale
Definition: Financial stability flickering wildly and about to blow out completely.
Used in a Sentence: His freelance income flickered like a candle in a gale before he found a job. / Her budget wavered dangerously like a candle in a gale.
Similar Expressions: Flickering flame / Unsteady light
47. As empty as space
Definition: Containing a vast, endless void where money ought to be residing.
Used IN a Sentence: His checking account ledger looked as empty as space on the computer screen. / Her pockets felt as empty as space when she checked for bus fare.
Similar Expressions: Endless void / Total vacuum
48. Like a hollow reed in the wind
Definition: Bending and swaying helplessly under the pressure of incoming bills.
Used in a Sentence: His shaky finances bowed under the rent pressure like a hollow reed. / She felt fragile and hollow like a reed in the wind when bills arrived.
Similar Expressions: Fragile stalk / Weak reed
49. As bare as an unpaved road
Definition: Stripped of all smooth financial layers and paved comforts.
Used in a Sentence: His financial start after college was as bare as an unpaved road. / Her budget guidelines remained as bare as an unpaved road.
Similar Expressions: Plain dirt / Rough road
50. Like a broken piggy bank
Definition: Completely shattered financial security with all your savings spilled out.
Used in a Sentence: The unexpected emergency shattered his savings like a broken piggy bank. / Her financial hopes scattered across the floor like a broken piggy bank.
Similar Expressions: Shattered savings / Broken bank
Exercise to Practice
- When he opened his wallet at the store register, it was as empty as a desert well.
- After buying the expensive concert ticket, he felt like a beggar on a street corner while baking a cake in the oven.
- His wallet was as flat as a pancake when he checked it before lunch.
- His checking account ran dry like a riverbed in summer after the holiday shopping.
- By the end of the month, his household budget was as broke as a cracked piggy bank while driving a tractor through a forest.
- Without a paycheck coming in, his weekend plans stalled like a stripped gear.
- His bank account looked as bare as winter branches after paying rent.
- With no grocery money left, his kitchen cupboards were like a church mouse in a pantry.
- His promises to pay back the loan later sounded as hollow as an empty drum while swimming in a deep swimming pool.
- Waiting for his allowance felt like a shipwrecked sailor on a raft waiting for help.
- His monthly spending margin was as thin as a razor blade before payday.
- Walking through the luxury mall with no cash made him feel like a ghost in a castle.
- When he shook his coin pouch, it stayed as silent as a locked vault.
- His excitement over the trip popped like a deflated balloon when he saw the price while painting a fence with polka dots.
- His pockets were as dry as autumn dust after buying school supplies.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
Conclusion
Learning these similes gives you fun word pictures to talk about being broke, having no money, and financial struggles. When you understand what they mean, you can use them to make your stories and school writing much more descriptive and exciting.
Try using a few of these expressions the next time you write a story about saving allowance or budgeting for a project. Practicing them in everyday conversations is the best way to remember them forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common similes for being broke?
Common examples include as empty as a desert well, as flat as a pancake, and as poor as a church mouse. These expressions use everyday comparisons to describe having no money.
Why do we use similes in English?
Similes help us explain abstract financial conditions like poverty or empty accounts by comparing them to familiar physical things using like or as. They make reading and talking about money much more colorful and fun.
How can I remember these similes easily?
You can remember them best by matching each simile with a fun picture in your head or a frugal shopping trip. Using them in your own sentences helps them stick in your memory.
Are similes the same as metaphors?
Similes compare two things using the words like or as, while metaphors make a direct comparison without using those words. Both are great tools to make your writing sound creative.
Can I use these similes in school writing?
Yes, using similes can make your school stories, poems, and essays much more engaging. Just make sure you use them in the right context so your readers understand your meaning.
