What's up with the phrase 'hard earned money'?

[MacDeath]

I see it in post after post, no one complains that things cost to much. They say, 'It take's too much of my hard earned money. Is it a quote from a movie or something?

I don't have any 'hard earned money'. When I was working, I worked at what I loved to do AND I got paid for it! Yep, I earned my pay but it wasn't hard earned. Now that I'm retired, it would even more silly to refer to the money I spend on Defiance as 'hard earned'.

Can we ditch the theatrics?

[Muffins]

If it was hard earned money I wouldn't be using it on games for a start...

[Escyos]

I get money for nothing! So for me its very-lazy earned money.

[Blondin]

If it was hard earned money I wouldn't be using it on games for a start...

This, those ppl saying that Trion will not have or stole them their "hard earned money" are joke, they don't know the real value of money, and don't know what is to work hard to earn money, or they will not waste in video games!

[Ichidakiller]

Well....

Some people hate their jobs.
Some people break their backs at work.
Some people actually have hard jobs hard on the mind, body and sometimes their spirit and dream crushing.

So the term hard earned money fits.

Think about it 60$ to some people is more then a single days pay....

[sey]

Well....

Some people hate their jobs.
Some people break their backs at work.
Some people actually have hard jobs hard on the mind, body and sometimes their spirit and dream crushing.

So the term hard earned money fits.

Think about it 60$ to some people is more then a single days pay....

This.

Not everybody has the luxury of working a well-paying job doing something they love.

[marshy]

I get money for nothing! So for me its very-lazy earned money.

People spend hard earned money on things that they enjoy

[Ju99l3r]

This.

Not everybody has the luxury of working a well-paying job doing something they love.

This.

Gaming is a hobby I enjoy and I'm willing to spend what money I can spare on it. Also some development houses do contribute further to their product after launch and are deserving of being compensated for this.

[Saravind]

People spend hard earned money on things that they enjoy

spend on the things that they enjoy that take their mind off the only job that is available to do (united kingdom) cause there is no jobs hardly in their country

[Myria]

Can we ditch the theatrics?

You're complaining about an idiom used by people who are complaining?

Seriously?

What's up with the phrase "what's up"? Taken literally it makes no sense, so why did you use it?

Here's a thought... Maybe idioms aren't meant to be taken literally?