tighten belt
Cut back spending
To tighten one's belt is to reduce spending or consumption during difficult times, accepting a more austere standard of living: With the recession hitting, we all had to tighten our belts.
The image suggests cinching a belt tighter because you're eating less.
Often appears as belt-tightening: The company announced a period of belt-tightening.
- frugalSparing with resources
- budgetPlan for spending
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- cutbackPlanned reduction in spending
- scrimpSpend very sparingly
cut corners · save · rainy day · economize · make do · sacrifice · lean · pinch · strap · buckle · notch · waist · cinch · restrain · squeeze · recession · hard times · hardship
- frugalityfrugality, thrift, frugal, penny-pinching, economize
- thrift sayingspenny saved, penny wise, pinch pennies, penny pincher, live within means
- money slangbucks, dough, moolah, cheddar, cash
- Reduceshrink, diminish, decrease, lessen, reduce
- spendingspending, shopping, purchases, expenses, bills
tighten beltsplurge
Spend freely, impulsively
loosen the purse strings · live beyond one's means · throw money around · spare no expense · live large
tighten beltprosper
Succeed and flourish
thrive · feast · have it all · strike it rich · hit the jackpot
tighten, belt, tight, tightly, tightness, tighter, tightest, belted, belts