pay one's own way

English

Verb

pay one's own way (third-person singular simple present pays one's own way, present participle paying one's own way, simple past and past participle paid one's own way)

1. (of persons and their activities) To pay for oneself, not relying on the generosity of others.

   Synonym: pay one's own freight

   He paid his own way through community college and then transferred to a state university.

2. (of inanimate things or processes) Synonym of pay for itself.

   Any in-house product development must pay its own way.