What does 'laughing all the way to the bank' mean?

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

I'm Feifei.

Rob: And hello, I'm Rob.

Feifei: Something funny, Rob?

Rob: Not really… Well, yes actually. I've

had some luck.

Feifei: Tell me more.

Rob: Well, I bought loads of shares in that

new chain of burger restaurants and

guess what?

Feifei: You've got a free burger?

Rob: No, Feifei – the price of the shares

has risen and I've doubled my money. I'm

laughing all the way to the bank! For the

first time in my life I'm rich!

Feifei: Calm down, Rob! I think you'd get

some strange looks if you went to the

bank laughing – the bank has all your

money - there's nothing to laugh about.

Rob: Seriously, Feifei! If I 'laugh all the way

to the bank', it just means I have made

lots of money very easily.

Feifei: Of course!

Rob: Let's hear some more examples.

The florist laughed all the way to the bank

when she signed a deal to supply all the

hotels in the chain with flowers.

Since we bought it, the price of our house

has greatly increased. So when we come

to sell it, we'll be laughing all the way to

the bank.

Now the two companies have merged,

shareholders will be laughing all the way

to the bank!

Feifei: This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English and we're looking at

the funny phrase 'laughing all the way to

the bank', which means 'to make lots of

money very easily'.

But, Rob, buying shares is no laughing

matter.

Rob: Why's that?

Feifei: Shares can go down in value as

well as up – and I've just read that

because someone got food poisoning at

one of those burger restaurants, the share

price has gone down.

Rob: Oh, so my get-rich-quick plan hasn't worked.

Feifei: Can you cry all the way to the bank as well?

Rob: Cry all the way to the bank? Yes, I

think you can – and I'm going to do that

right now. I need to borrow some money. Bye.

Feifei: I can lend you a fiver! Bye.