control the purse strings

control the purse strings

To dictate the spending of a given group, such as a family, company, country, etc. After my dad's gambling problem came to light, my mother started to control the purse strings. The finance department controls the purse strings around here.
See also: control, purse, string
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

control the purse strings

 and hold the purse strings
Fig. to be in charge of the money in a business or a household. I control the purse strings at our house. Mr. Williams is the treasurer. He controls the purse strings.
See also: control, purse, string
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

control/hold the ˈpurse strings

(informal) be the person who controls the amount of money spent and the way in which it is spent: I’m the one who controls the purse strings in this office, and you must come to me if you want any more money.
See also: control, hold, purse, string
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • control/hold the purse strings
  • hold the purse strings
  • since when
  • Since when?
  • be out of fix
  • transit
  • in transit
  • by the numbers
  • out of fix
  • moral support
References in periodicals archive
"Councillor Tweed has also apparently forgotten that her SNP Government control the purse strings and they chose to cut council budgets after getting more money from Westminster.
They, in fact, are forced to be accountable to the US, the World Bank, the IMF and other powerful institutions which control the purse strings. Often, their interests conflict or compete with those of the populace.
"But I don't control the purse strings. If it's not to be and we can't do it then we'll have to move on and try and get someone else.
Woodward, and the Glazer family who control the purse strings, have always insisted the money is there for Mourinho to spend on the players he wants, with the PS89m and PS75m outlays on Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku respectively proof of that commitment.
"Furthermore, the evidence suggests that the NHS is remarkably impervious to change - clinicians who control the purse strings dislike it and carry on as normal - meaning there is very little evidence of real organisational transformation."
Northern politicians may control the purse strings, but they are not going to lead.
The owner ultimately control the purse strings and dictates what direction Newcastle United go in -- but these days his appears to be more of a hands-off presence.
I want to meet with members of Congress who control the purse strings in terms of what the Philippines is looking for, Del Rosario said.
Don't protest against Joe Anderson, protest against the Government, they are the ones who control the purse strings.
It would help greatly if you control the purse strings. In such a scenario, you can veto the idea of paying for an upgrade to the Fifa package.
Our quartet of young Latinas made it clear that they control the purse strings in their households.
Thus, it seems those who control the purse strings would prefer to dole out the money in aid and grants while extending Parliament's mandate.
The Eugene board's bottom line: If community members really want to have influence on school budget decisions, they should start lobbying state legislators who are working on the state budget and who largely control the purse strings.
It is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that it is heard by those who control the purse strings.