“Money does not grow on trees”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase means that money is not easy to come by and must be earned through hard work. It emphasizes the importance of being careful with how money is spent because it is not freely available.
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Where it comes from
The phrase is thought to have originated from the simple fact that, unlike fruit or leaves, money is not a natural product that can be easily obtained from nature, representing the necessity to work and save for financial stability.
Examples
- You should consider saving some of your paycheck because money does not grow on trees.
- I can’t keep giving you money to spend frivolously, remember, money does not grow on trees.
- Mom always reminds us that money does not grow on trees, so we should budget wisely.
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