money pit
Perpetual financial drain
A money pit is something that continuously drains financial resources without producing adequate returns.
The term evokes a bottomless hole into which money disappears: That old house turned out to be a money pit—every month brought new repairs.
Often applied to real estate, vehicles, or business ventures that require endless investment beyond initial expectations.
Below the surface
- negative equityOwing more than owned
- write-offRecorded value reduction
- sunk costUnrecoverable past outlay
- depreciationAsset value reduction over time
devaluation · financial ruin · red ink · deficit · shortfall · foreclosure · bankruptcy · insolvency
Property needing extensive renovation
- renovationRestoring to good condition
- repairsRestorative maintenance work
- restorationReturning something to condition
- upkeepOngoing preservation effort
maintenance · remodeling · overhaul · refurbishment · dilapidated · crumbling · run-down · decrepit
Underground collapse crater
- bottomlessHaving no base
- hemorrhageProfuse discharge of blood
- bleedLose vital fluid
- quagmireSoft, wet ground
outflow · leakage · squander · deplete · exhaust · fritter · overspend · wasteful
- 1986Four-digit date, eighties
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
- bathtubFixture for soaking
Steven Spielberg · mansion · slapstick · home renovation · chaos · disaster
underwater
Below the surface
- negative equityOwing more than owned
- write-offRecorded value reduction
- sunk costUnrecoverable past outlay
depreciation · devaluation · financial ruin · red ink · deficit · shortfall · foreclosure · bankruptcy · insolvency · fool's gold
fixer-upper
Property needing extensive renovation
- renovationRestoring to good condition
- repairsRestorative maintenance work
- restorationReturning something to condition
upkeep · maintenance · remodeling · overhaul · refurbishment · dilapidated · crumbling · run-down · decrepit · handyman special
sinkhole
Underground collapse crater
- bottomlessHaving no base
- hemorrhageProfuse discharge of blood
- bleedLose vital fluid
quagmire · outflow · leakage · squander · deplete · exhaust · fritter · overspend · wasteful · dissipation
Tom Hanks
- 1986Four-digit date, eighties
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
Steven Spielberg · bathtub · mansion · slapstick · home renovation · chaos · disaster
albatross
Long-winged oceanic bird
- millstoneGrain-crushing circular stone
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- encumbranceHindrance or legal claim
obligation · anchor · yoke · weight · strain · pressure · handicap · shackle · hindrance · impediment
- Fixer-Uppersfixer-upper, handyman special, needs work, distressed property, gut job
- loss-makers
- money idiomsarm and a leg, break the bank, penny pincher, cheapskate, tightwad
- Famous Failuresflop, bomb, dud, turkey, lemon
- financial failuresbankruptcy, insolvency, foreclosure, liquidation, default
- impracticalitiesimpracticality, pipe dream, pie in the sky, castle in the air, fool's errand
money pitcash cow
Dependable income source
gold mine · money maker · income property · profit center · revenue stream
money, moneyed, monetary, moneyless, moneybags, money box, bottomless pit, money tree, moneygrubber