paltry sum; small change; pittance
Refers to a very small, often negligible amount of money; can be used dismissively or to emphasize insignificance.
You can't buy anything with such a paltry sum.
He isn't working for chicken feed.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
Kanji spelling using 端 for 'fraction/odd'.
Less common variant with 端た.
Compound of はした (fraction, odd amount) and 金 (money). The exact origin of はした is uncertain, but it conveys the idea of something incomplete or leftover.