save for a rainy day
To keep some money back for possible expensive problems in the future.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I put some money away to save for a rainy day.”
“She keeps a small portion of her salary in a separate account to save for a rainy day.”
“Despite the temptation to spend his bonus on luxuries, he chose to save for a rainy day, knowing that financial stability requires careful planning for future uncertainties.”
first recorded 16th c.
Attested since the 16th century — the comedy The Bugbears (c. 1565) has 'store up against a rainy day'.
- 01
a cold day in July
The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.
- 02
a day late and a dollar short
Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect.
- 03
a year and a day
A long time.
- 04
all one's born days
One's whole life.
- 05
as the day is long
Unceasingly; very; thoroughly; to a very high degree.
- 06
bad hair day
A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.
- 07
bad old days
The past, seen as a time when things were worse.
- 08
banyan day
In British naval tradition, a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.
Last updated August 10, 2026