Part 1: Money Collocations
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Master these to talk about money like a native!
Verbs + Money
| Collocation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| save money | "I'm trying to save money for a holiday." | Keep money for future use |
| spend money | "Don't spend all your money at once!" | Use money to buy things |
| waste money | "You're wasting money on that!" | Spend money foolishly |
| borrow money | "Can I borrow some money?" | Get money temporarily |
| lend money | "I'll lend you some money." | Give money temporarily |
| earn money | "I earn good money at my job." | Get money from work |
| make money | "He makes a lot of money." | Earn or profit |
| owe money | "I owe him money." | Need to pay someone back |
Adjectives + Money
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| pocket money | "My kids get pocket money every week." |
| spare money | "I don't have any spare money right now." |
| easy money | "There's no such thing as easy money!" |
| hard-earned money | "Don't waste your hard-earned money." |
| big money | "He's making big money now." |
Practice: Collocations
Exercise 1: Complete the collocations
1. I'm trying to money for a car.
2. Can I some money from you?
3. Don't your money on that!
4. I him £50.
5. She good money at her job.
Part 2: Money Idioms
Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. These money idioms are super common!
Common Money Idioms:
- Cost an arm and a leg - Very expensive
"That car cost me an arm and a leg!" - Break the bank - Cost too much money
"This holiday will break the bank." - Money doesn't grow on trees - Money is limited
"You can't have everything! Money doesn't grow on trees." - Make ends meet - Have enough money to live
"It's hard to make ends meet these days." - Tighten your belt - Spend less money
"We need to tighten our belts this month." - Pay through the nose - Pay too much
"I paid through the nose for that phone!" - A penny for your thoughts - What are you thinking?
"You look worried. A penny for your thoughts?" - In the red - In debt, losing money
"My account is in the red this month." - In the black - Making profit
"Finally, the business is in the black!"
Practice: Idioms
Exercise 2: Complete the idioms
1. That watch cost an arm and a !
2. Money doesn't grow on .
3. We need to make ends .
4. Let's tighten our this month.
5. My account is in the .
Part 3: Money Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings!
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| pay back | Return borrowed money | "I'll pay you back tomorrow." |
| pay off | Finish paying debt | "I finally paid off my loan!" |
| save up | Save money for something | "I'm saving up for a new laptop." |
| put aside | Save money regularly | "Put aside £50 each month." |
| live on | Survive with certain income | "I can't live on this salary!" |
| get by | Manage with limited money | "We're getting by, but it's tough." |
| splash out | Spend a lot on something | "Let's splash out on dinner tonight!" |
| rip off | Charge too much | "They ripped me off!" |
Usage Tips:
Pay back vs Pay off - "Pay back" = return money to someone. "Pay off" = finish paying completely
Save up vs Put aside - Both mean save money, but "save up" focuses on the goal
Get by vs Live on - "Get by" = barely manage. "Live on" = survive with specific amount
Practice: Phrasal Verbs
Exercise 3: Complete with the correct phrasal verb
1. I'll you back tomorrow.
2. I'm up for a holiday.
3. Let's out on a nice meal!
4. I finally off my car loan!
5. We're just by this month.
Excellent! Now you can talk about money like a native speaker!