lives paycheck to paycheck
No savings buffer
To live paycheck to paycheck is to have little or no money left after covering essential expenses, making each pay period's income necessary for immediate survival.
The phrase suggests financial precarity—one missed paycheck or unexpected expense could mean an unpaid bill or empty refrigerator: Most of her coworkers live paycheck to paycheck.
- making ends meetEarning enough to survive
- tight budgetSeverely limited funds
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
- income inequalityDisparity in earnings distribution
- overspendingExceeding one's budget
financial stress · credit card debt · poverty · debt · no savings · cost-cutting · living wage · inflation · social safety nets · emergency fund · financial cushion · impulse buying · financial literacy · healthcare costs · housing affordability · saving strategies · unemployment rates · prioritization
lives paycheck to paycheckwell-off
Having sufficient wealth
comfortable · affluent · rich · wealthy · prosperous
lives paycheck to paycheckindependently wealthy
Having unearned sufficient means
trust fund baby · set for life · rentier · made it · self-sufficient
lively, livelihood, payment, checks, checked, checking, checker, checkbook, paycheck