ðerz noʊ sʌtʃ θɪŋ æz ə friː lʌntʃ
Money & Finance
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- Free lunches don't exist
What does "there's no such thing as a free lunch" mean?
- Nothing is truly free; there's always a cost
- You can't get something for nothing
Examples
- That deal sounds too good—there's no such thing as a free lunch.
- Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
- He learned that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Origin
From 19th-century American saloons that offered 'free' lunches to attract drinking customers—the food was paid for through drink purchases.
How to use it
Skeptical warning about hidden costs. Common in economics and business.
Similar expressions
nothing is free
there's always a catch
you pay one way or another
Opposites
no strings attached
truly free
Related idioms
- pay an arm and a leg
To pay an extremely high price
- make ends meet
To earn just enough money to cover basic expenses
- cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive
- money doesn't grow on trees
Money is not easily acquired; it must be earned
- break the bank
To cost too much money
- hit the jackpot
To achieve great success or win something valuable
Use it in a practice answer
Try "there's no such thing as a free lunch" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.