“Skin in the game” is a great idiom we can use to show that we’re willing to take a financial risk. However, there are plenty of good alternatives out there that you might be interested in learning more about. This article will explore all the best ones for you.
What Can I Say Instead Of “Skin In The Game” In Investments?
You should check out one of the following to see which one you think makes the most sense for your writing:
- Piece of the action
- Money on the line
- A big risk
- Something to lose
- Stakeholder
- A lot at stake
- Put your money where your mouth is
- Horse in the race
- Dog in the fight
- Finger in the pie
The preferred version is “piece of the action.” It works well to show that someone wants to get in on the ground floor of an investment. However, they also accept that they might end up losing money with the investment if they’re not careful.
Piece Of The Action
“Piece of the action” is a great way to show that someone wants to get involved with an investment. We can give them a “piece” when they invest their money, and the “action” refers to whatever the investment is going to give them.
Here are a few ways we can make this one work:
- I’m going to take a piece of the action on this one because I can see it getting me a great return.
- You should get a piece of the action as soon as you have the money for it!
- I need a piece of the action, and I’m going to take it as soon as my monthly payslip comes through!
Money On The Line
“Money on the line” is a great way to show that you’ve put your money out there for investment. When it is “on the line,” it means that it is liable to fall off the line at any moment (which implies that you have lost all the money you put toward something).
Check out some of these examples to see how we can make it work:
- They both have money on the line for this sale, and I think you owe it to them to tell them now that it fell through.
- I put a lot of money on the line for this one, but you’re now telling me I wasted it!
- She put a lot of money on the line in this one, and I don’t have the heart to tell her it’s all gone!
A Big Risk
“A big risk” shows that someone has put a lot of time or money into something. However, it also means they’ve invested a relatively large amount compared with their overall capital, which leads to a “big risk” should the deal or investment fail.
Here are a few ways we can get this one to work:
- I have taken a big risk with this investment, but I’m sure it’ll pay off in just a few short months!
- We have all taken a big risk together, and we’ll all find a way to work together to make sure we recover from our losses.
- Please don’t take too big of a risk. It could be dangerous if you end up losing all that money!
Something To Lose
“Something to lose” shows that you have put a great deal of money into a project or investment. That means that you believe in it and hope that it doesn’t fall through. However, you know that you will “lose” your investment if the project ends up failing.
Check out some of these examples to see how it works:
- She has something to lose with this new merger, which is why she’s paying such close attention to it.
- I have something to lose with this business, and I need to make sure that the inspectors don’t find a single flaw!
- You all have something to lose now, and I hope we can work together to make sure that doesn’t happen!
Stakeholder
“Stakeholder” is a simple way to show that someone has a “stake” in a business or investment. It shows that they have put money into whatever they have a “stake” in and that they own a certain amount of it (unless the business or investment implodes).
Here are some ways we can get this one to work:
- I am a stakeholder at my local store, and I think we’re in a bit of financial trouble.
- It pays to be a stakeholder, and I’ve managed to get my money back twice over, which I’m grateful for.
- You should look into being a stakeholder for them. It’ll get you a lot more out of your investment than you realize.
A Lot At Stake
“A lot at stake” shows that someone has put a lot of money forward. Usually, they have invested in something that would destroy them financially if it were to fail. However, they are usually much more confident that they will succeed in these cases.
Since you will have a lot to lose if you have “a lot at stake,” it’s liable to make people a little crazy. If you’re too worried about the loss you might take, you might have made too large an investment for what you could handle!
Check out these examples to see it in action:
- He has a lot at stake right now, and I’m not entirely sure he’ll be able to recover if this deal falls through.
- I have a lot at stake here, so I need to focus all my attention on making sure that we succeed!
- They have a lot at stake on the market, and it could mean the end of their company if they don’t play their cards right.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
“Put your money where your mouth is” is an idiom we can use to challenge someone’s commitment to an investment. We can use it to show that they have not put enough money forward yet and they are not taking enough of a risk.
We can also swap the pronouns if we need to and refer to ourselves.
- Put my money where my mouth is.
As you can see, “my” and “your” are interchangeable depending on whether you’re talking about yourself or talking to someone else.
Here are a few ways you can get it to work:
- Put your money where your mouth is, then. You always talk a big game, but I’ve never seen you commit.
- Why don’t you all put your money where your mouth is? Then maybe you’d find out what you can get out of this.
- I need to put my money where my mouth is more often. It’s time to take a big risk in my life!
Horse In The Race
“Horse in the race” is a similar idiom to “skin in the game.” We can use it to refer to horseracing, where you can place money on a horse to try and win the race for you. Of course, if the horse were to lose, you would not see your money again.
The same idea can be referred to when making financial investments. While we’re happy to take a risk on our “horse,” we do also understand something might happen that means the “horse” will not end up winning the “race” as we planned.
Here are some examples of how it works:
- I have a horse in the race with this investment, but I’m happy to lay my claim.
- They all have horses in this race, and I’m not sure I have it in my heart to tell them that the deal fell through.
- We need to put a horse in the race if we’re going to get enough money to buy this company from them!
Dog In The Fight
“Dog in the fight” follows the same idea as above. While dog fighting is a more old-fashioned idea (and typically banned in most countries), it is still a sport in history that people used to bet money on. While the sport is dead, the idiom lives on.
Here are a few ways we can use this gambling-related phrase to our advantage:
- I’m not sure how many of you have a dog in this fight, but I can assure you that we’re all going to be made very rich from it.
- I would like to put a dog in the fight to make sure that I have something to look forward to if we win.
- I’m afraid you’ll need to put a larger dog in the fight if you want to do something to save this company.
Finger In The Pie
“Finger in the pie” is a similar idiom to above. However, this time we do not refer to a gambling sport. Instead, we simply say that someone has put their “finger” into a “pie” that someone has baked, hoping to get first dibs on it when it’s cut up.
Check out these examples to see how we can get it to work:
- I need to get my finger in the pie early; otherwise, I’m going to be strong-armed out of my claim!
- You should have put your finger in the pie long before this, Stuart. Now you won’t get any of the action.
- How much is it going to cost me to put my finger in the pie, do you think?
You may also like: “Skin In The Game” – Meaning & Origin (With Examples)