Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you say. People use them every day to make talking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms related to being poor, having little money, and living with scarce resources.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for poor that mean having no cash, living on a tight budget, and being broke. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Poor
1. Flat broke
Meaning: This idiom means having zero money left in your wallet or piggy bank.
For Example: After buying video games, he was completely flat broke until next week’s allowance. / Don’t spend all your coins or you will be flat broke.
Other Ways to Say: Out of money / Penniless
2. Living on a shoestring
Meaning: This idiom means living on a very tight and small budget with barely any money to spare.
For Example: During her first year away at college, she lived on a shoestring budget. / Saving every coin helps when your family is living on a shoestring.
Other Ways to Say: Living cheaply / On a tight budget
3. Penniless
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means having absolutely not a single penny of money left.
For Example: The character in the story spent all his coins and ended up penniless. / Saving your allowance stops you from becoming penniless.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Without money
4. Hard up
Meaning: This idiom means struggling and having a very short supply of money right now.
For Example: When allowance was delayed, we felt a bit hard up for buying snacks. / Families can sometimes feel hard up during slow work months.
Other Ways to Say: Short of cash / Needy
5. Down on your luck
Meaning: This idiom means experiencing a difficult period where things go wrong and money runs out.
For Example: He was down on his luck after losing his wallet, so his friends helped him out. / Helping neighbors who are down on their luck is a kind choice.
Other Ways to Say: Unfortunate / Struggling
6. Not have two pennies to rub together
Meaning: This idiom means being extremely poor with zero spare cash at all.
For Example: He spent all his savings on the broken bicycle and didn’t have two pennies to rub together. / Being careful with money keeps you from not having two pennies to rub together.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Penniless
7. Skint
Meaning: This idiom means having no money left in your pocket after spending it all.
For Example: After buying comic books, he was completely skint until payday. / Don’t spend all your cash or you will be skint.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Out of cash
8. Out of pocket
Meaning: This idiom can mean having spent your own money or being temporarily broke.
For Example: Buying the art supplies left him out of pocket for the rest of the week. / I am a bit out of pocket right now after paying for books.
Other Ways toSay: Broke / Lacking cash
9. On hard times
Meaning: This idiom describes a difficult period of poverty and financial struggle.
For Example: The small town fell on hard times when the local factory closed. / Supporting one another helps families get through on hard times.
Other Ways to Say: Facing poverty / Struggling
10. Barely making ends meet
Meaning: This idiom means earning just enough money to pay basic bills without any extra left over.
For Example: Working two jobs meant the family was barely making ends meet. / Saving allowance helps when you are barely making ends meet.
Other Ways to Say: Struggling to pay bills / Tight budget
11. Living hand to mouth
Meaning: This idiom means spending every coin you earn immediately just to buy basic food and shelter.
For Example: The family lived hand to mouth until dad found a steady job. / Saving coins stops you from living hand to mouth.
Other Ways to Say: Surviving day to day / Poor living
12. Pinching pennies
Meaning: This idiom means being extremely careful and thrifty with every tiny cent you spend.
For Example: Grandma spent the afternoon pinching pennies to afford new garden seeds. / Saving up for the bicycle requires pinching pennies.
Other Ways to Say: Being thrifty / Saving coins
13. Tightening your belt
Meaning: This idiom means cutting back on spending and living on less money during tough times.
For Example: When allowance was reduced, we had to tighten our belts and save coins. / Families tighten their belts when buying expensive items.
Other Ways to Say: Spend less / Save money
14. Striking out
Meaning: This idiom means failing to make money or missing financial opportunities.
For Example: Selling lemonade on a rainy day meant striking out completely. / Trying to find rare coins in the yard left him striking out.
Other Ways to Say: Fail / Make no profit
15. In the red
Meaning: This idiom means owing money or having a negative balance in your account.
For Example: Buying too many video games put his allowance account in the red. / Pay off debts to stay out of the red.
Other Ways to Say: In debt / Negative balance
16. Destitute
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means living in extreme poverty without food or shelter.
For Example: Charities work hard to help destitute families find warm housing. / The storm left many animals destitute of food.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely poor / Impoverished
17. Impoverished
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means made poor and lacking basic life resources.
For Example: The book described an impoverished village that needed community help. / Donating school supplies helps impoverished students.
Other Ways to Say: Poor / Needy
18. Pauper
Meaning: This idiom describes an extremely poor person who has no wealth or property.
For Example: The story character went from being a prince to living like a pauper. / Even a pauper can show great kindness.
Other Ways to Say: Poor person / Destitute individual
19. Rock bottom budget
Meaning: This idiom describes spending the absolute minimum amount of money possible.
For Example: We had to rely on a rock bottom budget during our camping trip. / Eating simple meals keeps you on a rock bottom budget.
Other Ways to Say: Minimal budget / Lowest spending
20. Broke as a joke
Meaning: This idiom playfully means having zero money left in your pocket.
For Example: After buying snacks at the park, he was broke as a joke. / Save your allowance so you don’t end up broke as a joke.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Penniless
21. Not a penny to your name
Meaning: This idiom means owning zero money or valuable possessions.
For Example: He lost his wallet and walked home with not a penny to his name. / Working hard ensures you never have not a penny to your name.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Penniless
22. In low water
Meaning: This idiom means experiencing a temporary shortage of money and resources.
For Example: Paying for bicycle repairs left him in low water until next week. / Saving coins prevents you from being in low water.
Other Ways to Say: Short of cash / Struggling
23. Behind the eight ball financially
Meaning: This idiom means being in a difficult, disadvantaged money situation.
For Example: Forgetting to save allowance left him behind the eight ball financially. / Planning ahead keeps you from getting behind the eight ball financially.
Other Ways to Say: At a disadvantage / Struggling with money
24. Out of funds
Meaning: This idiom means having completely used up all available money for a project.
For Example: The club was out of funds, so they paused buying art supplies. / Check your wallet before you are out of funds.
Other Ways to Say: No money left / Broke
25. Strapped for cash
Meaning: This idiom means needing money urgently because your wallet is nearly empty.
For Example: Because he spent his birthday money early, he was strapped for cash for the book fair. / Being strapped for cash means waiting for allowance day.
Other Ways to Say: Short of money / Needy
26. Short of change
Meaning: This idiom means not having enough small coins or cash to pay for an item.
For Example: He wanted to buy a candy bar, but he was short of change. / Check your pockets so you aren’t short of change at the store.
Other Ways toSay: Lacking coins / Need money
27. Penniless wanderer
Meaning: This idiom describes someone traveling with no money or home.
For Example: The story followed a penniless wanderer who found shelter in a barn. / Fables often feature a penniless wanderer seeking food.
Other Ways toSay: Homeless traveler / Poor wanderer
28. On lean rations
Meaning: This idiom means eating very little food because money and supplies are scarce.
For Example: During the winter storm, the farm animals were on lean rations. / Camping trips sometimes start with lean rations until supplies arrive.
Other Ways toSay: Sparse food / Limited supplies
29. Bare cupboards
Meaning: This idiom describes having no food left in the kitchen because of poverty.
For Example: Hard times left the family with bare cupboards until payday arrived. / Shopping early stops you from facing bare cupboards.
Other Ways toSay: Empty kitchen / No food
30. Empty pockets
Meaning: This idiom describes having no coins or bills left in your clothing.
For Example: He checked his jacket and found only empty pockets after the arcade trip. / Walking home with empty pockets taught him to save.
Other Ways toSay: No cash / Broke
31. Drained bank account
Meaning: This idiom describes having zero money left in a savings or piggy bank.
For Example: Buying expensive video games led to a drained bank account. / Avoid a drained bank account by saving coins.
Other Ways toSay: Empty savings / Zero balance
32. Penny-less existence
Meaning: This idiom describes living a life with constant financial struggle and no spare cash.
For Example: The novel described the character’s penny-less existence in the big city. / Working hard helps people escape a penny-less existence.
Other Ways to Say: Poor life / Financial struggle
33. Scrimping and saving
Meaning: This idiom means saving every tiny coin and spending as little as possible to survive.
For Example: Years of scrimping and saving allowed the family to buy their first home. / Scrimping and saving teaches the value of money.
Other Ways toSay: Saving thriftily / Being careful with cash
34. Living on crumbs
Meaning: This idiom means surviving on the absolute smallest amount of food or money.
For Example: Small woodland animals live on crumbs during freezing winter months. / Budgeting poorly leaves you living on crumbs at the end of the month.
Other Ways toSay: Surviving on little / Sparse living
35. Hard-up circumstances
Meaning: This idiom describes living in difficult financial conditions with little money.
For Example: Growing up in hard-up circumstances taught her how to budget carefully. / Assisting neighbors in hard-up circumstances is kind.
Other Ways toSay: Poor conditions / Financial struggle
36. Penny shortage
Meaning: This idiom describes running completely out of small coins for purchases.
For Example: The piggy bank hit a penny shortage after buying stickers. / Checking couch cushions solved our penny shortage.
Other Ways to Say: Lack of coins / Money shortage
37. On thin ice financially
Meaning: This idiom means having so little money that any small emergency could ruin your budget.
For Example: Spending all your savings puts you on thin ice financially. / Saving emergency cash stops you from being on thin ice financially.
Other Ways to Say: Financially risky / Unstable budget
38. Beggar
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means someone who asks people for money or food due to poverty.
For Example: The kind traveler shared his lunch with a hungry beggar on the street. / Helping a beggar shows true compassion.
Other Ways to Say: Impoverished person / Needy individual
39. Pauper’s grave
Meaning: This idiom describes a burial place for someone who died with zero money or property.
For Example: Historical stories sometimes mentioned characters ending up in a pauper’s grave. / Earning a living prevents falling into poverty.
Other Ways to Say: Poor burial / Destitute end
40. Out at the elbows
Meaning: This idiom describes wearing old, torn clothing because you are too poor to buy new ones.
For Example: The cartoon character wore an old sweater that was frayed out at the elbows. / Buying sturdy clothes stops them from looking out at the elbows.
Other Ways toSay: Ragged clothing / Worn out
41. Shabby
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word describes old, worn-out items or clothes caused by lack of money.
For Example: The old wooden school desk looked a bit shabby and needed paint. / Wearing shabby clothes didn’t stop him from being a great friend.
Other Ways to Say: Worn / Frayed
42. Frayed
Meaning: This idiom describes clothing or books that are worn out at the edges from old age.
For Example: The library book cover was torn and frayed after years of reading. / His jacket cuffs were frayed from everyday wear.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out / Tattered
43. Tattered
Meaning: This idiom describes old, torn, and ripped clothing or flags.
For Example: The scarecrow wore a tattered straw hat and old flannel shirt. / Repairing tattered clothes keeps them wearable.
Other Ways to Say: Torn / Ragged
44. Ragged
Meaning: This idiom describes wearing rough, torn clothes due to financial hardship.
For Example: The puppy played with a ragged old stuffed toy. / Wearing ragged clothes made him wish for a new sweater.
Other Ways to Say: Torn / Tattered
45. Penniless orphan
Meaning: This idiom describes a young child in stories who has no parents and zero money.
For Example: Classic adventure stories often feature a brave penniless orphan. / The kind townspeople helped the penniless orphan.
Other Ways to Say: Poor child / Destitute youth
46. Needy
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word describes people who lack basic food, money, and shelter.
For Example: Donating canned goods helps feed needy families in our community. / Volunteering time assists needy students.
Other Ways to Say: Poor / Impoverished
47. Indigent
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word is a formal term for someone living in poverty.
For Example: Legal aid programs provide support for indigent citizens in court. / The shelter offered food to indigent travelers.
Other Ways to Say: Impoverished / Needy
48. Badly off
Meaning: This idiom means being in a poor, difficult, or uncomfortable financial state.
For Example: Without warm coats during winter, the family was badly off. / Saving money keeps you from being badly off.
Other Ways toSay: Poor / Disadvantaged
49. Penurious
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means extremely poor or overly stingy with money.
For Example: The penurious character refused to spend a single coin on food. / Living a penurious life taught him resourcefulness.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely poor / Stingy
50. In straitened circumstances
Meaning: This idiom means living with strict financial limits caused by sudden poverty.
For Example: Losing his job put the family in straitened circumstances for months. / Budgeting carefully helps during straitened circumstances.
Other Ways to Say: Financial difficulty / Strict budget
51. Penny-less traveler
Meaning: This idiom describes someone exploring the world with zero money in their pocket.
For Example: The hiker journeyed across the hills like a penny-less traveler. / Stories love telling of a penny-less traveler finding luck.
Other Ways to Say: Poor traveler / Broke explorer
52. Broke to the wide
Meaning: This idiom means being completely, thoroughly, and totally out of money.
For Example: After paying for school books, he was broke to the wide. / Don’t spend your last dollar and go broke to the wide.
Other Ways to Say: Completely broke / Penniless
53. Without a bean
Meaning: This idiom means having zero money left in your possession.
For Example: He bought comic books until he was left without a bean. / Saving allowance stops you from being without a bean.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / Penniless
54. Not worth a plugged nickel
Meaning: This idiom describes something of zero financial value.
For Example: That broken plastic toy is not worth a plugged nickel. / Old scratched CDs are not worth a plugged nickel anymore.
Other Ways to Say: Worthless / Valueless
55. Hard times fund
Meaning: This idiom jokingly describes a tiny, empty jar meant for saving emergency coins.
For Example: He put three shiny dimes into his hard times fund. / Saving in a hard times fund helps during slow weeks.
Other Ways to Say: Emergency jar / Savings coin
56. Living on borrowed time and money
Meaning: This idiom means surviving while owing debts and having zero cash of your own.
For Example: Spending money you haven’t earned means living on borrowed time and money. / Pay off debts instead of living on borrowed time and money.
Other Ways to Say: In debt / Borrowed living
57. Zero balance savings
Meaning: This idiom describes having an empty bank account with no money saved.
For Example: Checking the toy store receipt left his account with a zero balance savings. / Save allowance to avoid zero balance savings.
Other Ways to Say: Empty account / No savings
58. Penny-pincher’s woe
Meaning: This idiom describes the sadness of having to save every tiny coin because you are poor.
For Example: Counting pennies carefully is just part of a penny-pincher’s woe. / Budgeting helps ease a penny-pincher’s woe.
Other Ways to Say: Thrifty struggle / Saving sadness
59. Empty piggy bank
Meaning: This idiom describes a child’s coin bank that has zero coins left inside.
For Example: Shaking the ceramic pig revealed an empty piggy bank after the toy store trip. / Saving coins keeps your piggy bank full instead of an empty piggy bank.
Other Ways to Say: Broke / No saved coins
60. Financial drought
Meaning: This idiom describes a long period where no money is earned or saved.
For Example: After buying holiday gifts, the family experienced a financial drought. / Saving emergency cash prepares you for a financial drought.
Other Ways to Say: Money shortage / Dry spell
Exercise to Practice
- After buying video games, he was completely ________ until next week’s allowance.
- During her first year away at college, she ________ budget.
- The character in the story spent all his coins and ended up ________.
- When allowance was delayed, we felt a bit ________ for buying snacks.
- He was ________ after losing his wallet, so his friends helped him out.
- He spent all his savings on the broken bicycle and didn’t ________.
- After buying comic books, he was completely ________ until payday.
- Buying the art supplies left him ________ for the rest of the week.
- The small town ________ when the local factory closed.
- Working two jobs meant the family was ________.
- The family ________ until dad found a steady job.
- Grandma spent the afternoon ________ to afford new garden seeds.
- When allowance was reduced, we had to ________ and save coins.
- Selling lemonade on a rainy day meant ________ completely.
- Buying too many video games put his allowance account ________.
Answer Key
- flat broke
- lived on a shoestring
- penniless
- hard up
- down on his luck
- have two pennies to rub together
- skint
- out of pocket
- fell on hard times
- barely making ends meet
- lived hand to mouth
- pinching pennies
- tighten our belts
- striking out
- in the red
Conclusion
Learning idioms for poor makes talking about financial struggles and tight budgets more descriptive and relatable. These expressions help you describe saving money and dealing with difficult situations clearly. They can make stories about financial challenges more interesting and engaging. Using these phrases allows you to express ideas about money in a creative way. Try using them when chatting with friends or writing stories at school. With practice, these idioms can make your everyday language more natural and expressive.
