on a shoestring

prepositional phrase

On a very tight budget; with few resources or little money.

“The first year after we bought the house, we lived on a shoestring, but we survived.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticOn a very tight budget; with few resources or little money.

    The first year after we bought the house, we lived on a shoestring, but we survived.

Translations

Finnish vähin varoin
  • vähin varoinon a very tight budget
French avec des bouts de ficelle
  • avec des bouts de ficelleon a very tight budget
Hungarian fillérekből, kis költségvetésből
  • fillérekbőlon a very tight budget
  • kis költségvetésbőlon a very tight budget
Italian fare le nozze coi fichi secchi
  • fare le nozze coi fichi secchion a very tight budget
Polish budżetowo
  • budżetowoon a very tight budget
Russian на мели́
  • на мели́ (na melí)on a very tight budget
Cite this entry
APA

on a shoestring. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20a%20shoestring

MLA

“on a shoestring.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20a%20shoestring. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on a shoestring,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20a%20shoestring.

Source: on a shoestring on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.