C2idiommoneyIELTS-friendly
hold the purse strings
USUK
to control how money is spent in a family or organisation
You can also 'tighten' or 'loosen the purse strings' (spend less or more). Vietnamese 'nắm hầu bao' is a close match.
In context
In our family, my mum has always held the purse strings.
The finance ministry holds the purse strings, so every project needs its approval.
More idioms about money
- a cash cowa product or business that steadily makes a lot of money
- a false economya way of saving money that ends up costing more later
- a gold minea business or thing that makes a lot of money, or a rich source of something
- a golden handshakea large sum of money paid to someone when they leave a job
- a money pitsomething, often a house or car, that costs you much more money than it is worth