Money vocabulary 146

Expensive or cheap

Expensive
to cost a fortune. "to be extremely expensive"

...I can't afford that dress, it costs a fortune!
...The repair work cost an arm and a leg/a small fortune (= was very expensive).
...I'd love to buy a Rolls-Royce, but they cost an arm and a leg.

extortionate: "extremely expensive"

I can't believe you paid that much just for a bag. That's extortionate!
The price of books nowadays is extortionate.
First-class travel is extortionately expensive

Cheap
cheap as chips

...These shoes were cheap as chips in the sale.

a bargain
"something on sale at a lower price than its true value"

...She got a real bargain on that flight because she booked it so far in advance
...This coat was half-price - a real bargain.
...The airline regularly offers last-minute bookings at bargain prices.
...The sales had started and the bargain hunters (= people looking for things at a low price) were out in force.
...We got tickets to the show at half-price, a real bargain.
...Farmers bought up the land at bargain-basement (= extremely low) prices

Rich or poor

Rich
be rolling in it [extremely rich]
(ALSO rolling in money) INFORMAL
If money rolls in, it arrives in large amounts

...He's rolling in it. He's got four sports cars.
...Business was great and the money was rolling in.
...If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.

be stinking rich
to be extremely rich

...Most of us are stinking rich compared to the average citizen in the Third World.
...Palm Beach has the highest concentration of filthy rich folk in the world.
...They won the lottery and are stinking rich now.

be made of money
to be rich

...Do you think I'm made of money? Of course we can't afford that!
...No you can't have another bike - I'm not made of money!


Poor
be as poor as a church mouse
to be very poor

...He's been unemployed for years and now he's as poor as a church mouse
...When we first got married, we were as poor as church mice.

to not have a penny to your name
to be very poor (not have two pennies to rub together/not have two nickels to rub together)

...I don't have a penny to my name. I don't know how I'll manage until pay day next week
...She's been out of work for months and doesn't have two pennies to rub together.

Easy or difficult ways to make money

Easy
money for old rope {informal / be money for jam}
"if a job is money for old rope, it is an easy way of earning money"
money you get for doing something very easy

...She loves animals so working in a pet shop is like money for old rope for her.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children go to sleep early.
...Most people think being a professional footballer is money for jam.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children don't wake up.


a licence to print money
people become very rich without having to make much effort (or by doing something that's very easy for them)["if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it causes people to become very rich without having to make any effort "

...These shopping channels are just a licence to print money.
...The Rolling Stones are going on tour again. I think it's just a licence for them to print money when they do those huge stadium concerts.


Difficult
Money doesn't grow on trees[there's no such thing as a free lunch]
[something that you say which means you should be careful how much money you spend because there is only a limited amount ]

...No, you can't have any more shoes. I bought you a pair just last week. Money doesn't grow on tree
...'Dad, can I have a new bike?' 'We can't afford one. Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.'
...Mum, I'd like a new bike." "I'll have to think about it - money doesn't grow on trees, you know!"
..."I get to travel with my job but the downside is I have to give talks." "Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch [said to emphasize that you cannot get something for nothing]
....something that you say which means that if someone gives you something, they always expect you to give them something or to do something for them [He offered me a room in his house, but he seems to expect me to do all the housework. I should have known there's no such thing as a free lunch]


Time is money
You shouldn't waste time, because you could be using it to earn money

...OK, enough of this chit-chat and coffee drinking. Time is money, you know. Let's get to work!

Vocabulary

to cramp your style
to stop you doing something fun because someone interrupts you or wants to join you in what you're doing.-"to prevent someone from enjoying themselves as much as they would like, especially by going somewhere with them "

...Are you sure you don't mind your old mother coming along with you? I'd hate to cramp your style.
...Like more and more women, she believes marriage would cramp her style.
...shyness will cramp their style
...its cramps my style to have you watching over me all the time.
...he hate playing golf in rainy weather, its cramps his style.


some strings attached -OPPOSITE- no strings (attached)
some conditions or things you must do so that you can get something else (here, Helen has to work hard to get a trip to China)-"If something such as an agreement has strings attached, it involves special demands or limitations"

...Most of these so-called special offers come with strings attached.
...The bank's agreed to lend me £1000, no strings attached.
...It's very rare that you get a loan that size with no strings attached.
...The donation has no strings attached, so the charity is free to use it for whatever purpose it chooses
...Most of their so-called 'special offers' come with strings attached, so beware

gets down to some serious work
starts working hard

fare
money you pay for a journey on a plane, bus or train

...Train fares are going up again
...We shared a taxi and split the fare

a reasonable arrangement
a fair agreement -"based on or using good judgment and therefore fair and practical"

...If you tell him what happened, I'm sure he'll understand - he's a reasonable man.
...He went free because the jury decided there was a reasonable doubt about his guilt.