One day, Al scraped together a few dollars for a lottery ticket. He thought he would never "strike it rich" -- or gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his combination of numbers was chosen and he won the lottery. He "hit the jackpot" -- he won a great deal of money.
Al was so excited. The first thing he did was buy a costly new car -- he splurged on the one thing that he normally would not buy. Then he started spending money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it. It was like he had "money to burn." He had more money than he needed and it was "burning a hole in his pocket," so he spent it quickly.
When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al paid every time. He would always "foot the bill" -- and pick up the tab. He told me the money made him feel like a million dollars. He was very happy.
But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was "down and out" again. He had no money left. He was back to being "strapped for cash." He had spent his "bottom dollar" -- his very last amount. He did not even "build up a nest egg" -- he had not saved any of the money.
I admit I do feel sorry for my friend. He had enough money to "live like a king." Instead, he is back to "living on a shoestring" -- a very low budget. Some might say he is "penny-wise and pound foolish" -- he was wise about small things, but not about important things.
Words and Their Stories, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
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2013-11-25
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2013-11-25