pay for itself
idiom
: to save as much money over a period of time as something costs initially
windows that pay for themselves within five years by saving on heating costs
Examples of pay for itself in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike the rest of the Met's curatorial areas, the fashion department must pay for itself — and last year, the gala raised some $22 million.
—
NPR, 6 May 2024
With its exclusive, mostly under-wraps guest list of 400, the Met Gala aims to raise money for the Met’s Costume Institute, which is the only department at the museum required to pay for itself, according to the Associated Press.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
For example, a too-large system costs more to install and can take a significant amount of time to pay for itself.
—Tyler Shepherd, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Because of the high costs of replacing good workers and the benefits of productivity, a company could make a child care benefit pay for itself by retaining just 1% of workers who would otherwise have left, according to BCG.
—Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024
Given that, the system would pay for itself in about 17 years and net more than $14,000 in energy cost savings after a quarter-century, for an annual rate of return of around 2 percent on our initial investment.
—Tik Root, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2024
Whether that means hiring a designer for a full plan set or even just hiring a designer for a consult, hiring a professional who is well versed in climate-appropriate gardens will pay for itself.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
Its proposition was that spreading dignity, promoting equity, inspiring pride in its residents — all this would pay for itself in the long run.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
Backed by a coalition of economists and former city officials, the group has argued previously that a reduction in tax revenue would pay for itself by attracting more homeowners and developers to the city.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024
NPR, 6 May 2024
With its exclusive, mostly under-wraps guest list of 400, the Met Gala aims to raise money for the Met’s Costume Institute, which is the only department at the museum required to pay for itself, according to the Associated Press.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
For example, a too-large system costs more to install and can take a significant amount of time to pay for itself.
—Tyler Shepherd, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Because of the high costs of replacing good workers and the benefits of productivity, a company could make a child care benefit pay for itself by retaining just 1% of workers who would otherwise have left, according to BCG.
—Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024
Given that, the system would pay for itself in about 17 years and net more than $14,000 in energy cost savings after a quarter-century, for an annual rate of return of around 2 percent on our initial investment.
—Tik Root, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2024
Whether that means hiring a designer for a full plan set or even just hiring a designer for a consult, hiring a professional who is well versed in climate-appropriate gardens will pay for itself.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
Its proposition was that spreading dignity, promoting equity, inspiring pride in its residents — all this would pay for itself in the long run.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
Backed by a coalition of economists and former city officials, the group has argued previously that a reduction in tax revenue would pay for itself by attracting more homeowners and developers to the city.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pay for itself.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pay for itself
Cite this Entry
“Pay for itself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20for%20itself. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
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