live within means
Spend below income
To live within one's means is to spend no more than one earns, avoiding debt by keeping expenses at or below income level.
The phrase implies financial discipline and sustainability: After years of credit card debt, she finally learned to live within her means.
The opposite—living beyond one's means—describes spending more than one can afford.
- budgetPlan for spending
- make ends meetManage financially, just barely
- frugalSparing with resources
- thriftyPrudent with resources
- penny pincherExcessively frugal person
savings · rainy day fund · nest egg · modest · prudent · debt-free · financial freedom · sensible · restrained · tighten belt · economize · cut corners · affordable · simple · careful · practical · stretch · stay afloat
- money managementsaving, savings, budgeting, budget planning, expense tracking
- thrift sayingspenny saved, penny wise, pinch pennies, penny pincher, make ends meet
live within meansoverspend
Spend beyond means
live beyond one's means · overspending · deficit spending · live paycheck to paycheck · splurge
live within meansprofligacy
Reckless, wasteful extravagance
extravagance · prodigality · wastefulness · conspicuous consumption · keeping up with the Joneses
live, lives, lived, living, lively, livelihood, alive, outlive, relive