go to the expense

go to the expense

To do something that requires a significant amount of money, especially something unnecessary or done reluctantly. If this is truly the wedding dress of your dreams, then you'll have to go to the expense, I guess.
See also: expense, go
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

go to the expense (of doing something)

to pay the (large) cost of doing something. I hate to have to go to the expense of painting the house. It needs to be done, so you'll have to go to the expense.
See also: expense, go
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • a slew of (something)
  • a slue of (something)
  • a fast talker
  • a horse of another
  • a horse of another color
  • a horse of another colour
  • a/the feel of (something)
  • (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
  • a straw will show which way the wind blows
  • a crack at (someone or something)
References in classic literature
"It rests with you," he proceeded, "when you hear what I have to tell you, to say whether you will go to the expense of sending a man to New York, or not.
"It's wasting money," he said, "to go to the expense of taking
'Don't think, young man, that we go to the expense of flower of brimstone and molasses, just to purify them; because if you think we carry on the business in that way, you'll find yourself mistaken, and so I tell you plainly.'
Whatever weight I may derive from my position as a married girl not wholly devoid of attractions--used, as that position always shall be, to oppose that woman--I will bring to bear, you May depend upon it, on the head and false hair (for I am confident it's not all real, ugly as it is and unlikely as it appears that any One in their Senses would go to the expense of buying it) of Mrs General!' Little Dorrit received this counsel without venturing to oppose it but without giving Fanny any reason to believe that she intended to act upon it.
He said:"My car breaking down couldn't have come at a worse time, but the car club was there for me and I then decided not to go to the expense of fixing it when I could just use the car club instead.
"Access is free and we go to the expense and effort in support of the industry," Slome explains.
So why on earth go to the expense of putting these controls on crossings if they are defunct?
Nissan know how good the Sunderland workforce are, they are not going to go to the expense of dropping the Sunderland plant only to spend more money relocating and retraining - it wouldn't make much sense on any economic planet that some people seem to live on."
If you don't want to go to the expense of buying one, consider hiring one for the weekend.
Unless they are being bankrolled by somebody with financial resources with an axe to grind, I cannot understand why disgruntled supporters continue to attend matches and further contribute to Ashley's wealth and go to the expense of producing 30,000 placards and 100 flags.
In some situations, litigants write off the amount rather than go to the expense of seeking recovery but there are ways a return can be maximised."
"We go to the expense of printing and distributing leaflets only to either have our donations stolen, or find that thieves have just held a collection in our name in the same area," said James.
It would be cheaper to provide compensation for the far fewer losses due to foxes than to go to the expense of hunting them.
'My view is that we should have an English vote - otherwise we would have to go to the expense of another set of MPs,' he told a BBC Radio Five Live phone-in.