# Money & Success Upper Intermediate

https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/idioms-expressions-b2-money-and-success-vocab

- CEFR: B2 (Upper-intermediate)
- Theme: Idioms & Expressions
- Words: 16
- Premium: no
- Locked: no

Money and success idioms for describing budgeting and spending, with phrases like break even, tighten your belt and keep the wolf from the door.

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## Word list

* **money doesn't grow on trees**: A reminder that funds are limited and must be earned, not assumed to appear easily. — “Stop asking for expensive gifts — **money doesn't grow on trees**.”
* **born with a silver spoon in your mouth**: Having started life in a wealthy family, with an easy and privileged upbringing from the very beginning. — “He was **born with a silver spoon in his mouth** and never had to work.”
* **pinch pennies**: To be extremely careful with even small amounts of money. — “During the recession, everyone had to **pinch pennies**.”
* **keep the wolf from the door**: To earn just enough to avoid serious poverty or hunger. — “The extra shift each week helped **keep the wolf from the door**.”
* **tighten your belt**: To spend less money and live more carefully than before. — “We had to **tighten our belts** after the pay cut.”
* **live from paycheck to paycheck**: To spend all your earnings before the next payment arrives, with nothing left over. — “Millions of workers **live from paycheck to paycheck**.”
* **in the money**: Having a lot of extra cash, especially after some sudden good luck. — “After the bonus, we felt **in the money** for once.”
* **penny wise, pound foolish**: Careful about saving small amounts while wasting much larger amounts. — “Buying cheap tools that break fast is **penny wise, pound foolish**.”
* **cost a pretty penny**: To be very expensive. — “That watch must have **cost a pretty penny**.”
* **break even**: To end with the same amount you started with, neither gaining nor losing. — “The shop finally **broke even** after a slow first year.”
* **throw good money after bad**: To spend more on something that has already failed. — “Repairing it again is just to **throw good money after bad**.”
* **pay top dollar**: To pay the highest price for something. — “You **pay top dollar** for anything sold at the airport.”
* **the going rate**: The usual price being paid for something at the time. — “Nobody pays **the going rate** for that work any more.”
* **corner the market**: To gain control of the supply of something. — “One firm managed to **corner the market** in a single winter.”
* **a false economy**: A saving that ends up costing more later. — “Cheap boots are **a false economy** if you walk to work.”
* **have deep pockets**: To have a great deal of money available. — “The buyer clearly has **have deep pockets** and no hurry.”

## Related

- Vocabulary library: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary
- Section guide: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/llms.txt