to vote with one's wallet
1
6.2
- idiom
:
votar con la billetera
- Many consumers are choosing to vote with their wallets by supporting businesses that align with their values.
- people vote with their wallets
Examples
-
We love just trying to make the best product in the world for people, and having them tell us by how they vote with their wallets whether we're on track or not.
Blog text (14) -
You are 100% right, and those who do lie and treat their customers poorly lose business and their jobs as customers vote with their wallets.
Blog text (18) -
And, as a result, the American people, I think, will vote with their wallets.
Blog text (6) -
Bottom line, people vote with their wallets.
Blog text (18) -
CEOs have freedom of speech, and I have the freedom to vote with my wallet.
Blog text (2) -
I would implore you to simply vote with your wallet.
Blog text (18) -
It's time you vote with your wallet and quit being a kid in a candy store that can't say no.
Blog text (20) -
The second, well, they'll smile and thank you for the show, but they'll vote with their wallets.
-
Instead of the "pay to hope" model behind subscription plans, SOE is going with the idea that players will vote with their wallets and that if SOE creates great content with a variety of options, players will be willing to pay for it and stick around longer as well.
Blog text (20) -
iPhone upgrade ennui seemed to be sweeping the nation, a sentiment that appeared to quickly dissipate when it came time for people to vote with their wallets.
Blog text (12)
Synonyms
8
6.5
To support your words by giving money or doing work
How Direct
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase links the literal verb 'vote' and the noun 'wallet' via a clear metaphor: spending choices function like ballots. A B1 learner who knows the constituents can often infer this extended meaning, but it requires a metaphorical mapping (voting → expressing preference) rather than purely literal composition, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Vote with one's wallet comes from the idea of using money like a vote: when you buy from a company your wallet is voting for it, and when you refuse to buy you are voting against it. That's why it means 'to show your choice or support by how you spend your money'.