live from paycheck to paycheck
Barely scraping by
To live from paycheck to paycheck is to have little or no savings, spending each pay period's income before the next arrives.
The phrase implies financial precariousness—an unexpected expense could cause real hardship.
Half of American workers live paycheck to paycheck.
Also phrased as live from one paycheck to the next or simply live paycheck to paycheck.
Net money movement
- incomeRegular monetary receipts
- expensesMoney spent on things
- rentPayment for temporary use
- utilitiesEssential infrastructure services
bills · budgeting · allocation · outgoings · accounting · balance · forecasting · debt
What you cannot lack
- barebonesReduced to essentials
- basicsFoundational knowledge of something
- staplesSmall metal paper-binders
- groceriesFood bought at stores
rent · utilities · meager · minimal · rationing · scrimp · economize · stretching
Consuming resources immediately
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- precariousDangerously insecure
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
instability · overdraft · arrears · debts · deficit · shortage · scarcity · tight
Persistent apprehensive distress
- worryTroubled mental state
- pressureForce upon contact
- tensionStretched or strained state
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
exhaustion · burnout · overwhelmed · sleepless · fear · panic · distress · hopelessness
cashflow
Net money movement
bills · utilities · budgeting · allocation · outgoings · accounting · balance · forecasting · debt · savings
necessities
What you cannot lack
- barebonesReduced to essentials
- basicsFoundational knowledge of something
- staplesSmall metal paper-binders
groceries · rent · utilities · meager · minimal · rationing · scrimp · economize · stretching · thrifty
hand-to-mouth
Consuming resources immediately
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- precariousDangerously insecure
vulnerability · instability · overdraft · arrears · debts · deficit · shortage · scarcity · tight · constraints
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
dread · exhaustion · burnout · overwhelmed · sleepless · fear · panic · distress · hopelessness · desperation
working-class
Manual laborers as group
- blue-collarManual labor workforce
- hourlyOnce each sixty minutes
- laborerPhysical task performer
employee · server · retail · contractor · overtime · tips · wage · salary · take-home · payday
live from paycheck to paycheckwealthy
Having abundant financial resources
affluent · rich · well-to-do · prosperous · independently wealthy
paycheck, paychecks, lively, livelihood, payment, checks, checked, checker