💵 To save small amounts 🪙 Unimportant

to nickel-and-dime

1 7.9

To manage using only small amounts of money at a time

phrasal verb
/ˈnɪkəl ənd daɪm/

Informal

: ahorrar

I worked so hard saving up for my study abroad experience, working in a hotel for over two years, saving over $10,000 of my own money, and I had to budget every nickel and dime I had while living and traveling.

Examples

- He's nickel-and-diming us.

Cop Out (2010)
To save for her vacation, she started nickel-and-diming her expenses, cutting back on small purchases.
He was tired of nickel-and-diming every little expense when planning the project budget.
They decided to nickel-and-dime the renovation by focusing on small, cost-effective improvements each month.

Synonyms

to scrimp

vsto nickel-and-dime

8 7.4

Spend very little money by using only what you need

saves in small amounts rather than by harsh self-denial

to penny-pinch

vsto nickel-and-dime

Informal

1 7.7

Spend very little money and avoid buying things you do not need

focuses on small regular savings instead of general frugality

to skin a flint for a penny

vsto nickel-and-dime

Archaic

9.9

To be very unwilling to spend money, even small amounts

reduces amounts bit by bit rather than acting miserly

to play it cheap

vsto nickel-and-dime

Informal

8.2

Spend as little money as possible by buying low-quality things

focuses on small savings without implying poor quality choices

Antonyms

to overspend

7 4.4

To use more money than you can afford or planned to use

How Frugal

to scrimp

8 7.4

to nickel-and-dime

Informal

1 7.9

to save money

257 1.3

Surface Forms

nickel-and-dime infinitive

nickel-and-dimed past

nickel-and-dimed past participle

nickel-and-diming present participle

nickel-and-dimes third person singular

Morphology

nickel-and-dime = nickel + dime (semi-transparent) = nickel + and + dime

The verb derives from the idea of dealing in very small amounts, but its idiomatic uses (e.g., to cheat by small charges or to treat as insignificant) add pragmatic nuance that is not fully predictable from the components alone.

Etymology

Nickel-and-dime comes from the same coins nickel 'five cents' and dime 'ten cents', and it suggests dealing in very small amounts, so to 'nickel-and-dime' is to save, spend, or collect money bit by bit or to treat something cheaply.