What does it Mean to be ‘On a Shoestring’?

To be on a shoestring means —

• to be on a very tight budget;
• with few resources or little money.

This phrase probably comes from the physical appearance of a shoelace. It is a very thin, slender piece of cord. Thus, metaphorically, the limited resources are like a shoestring — minimum, very thin, and stretched to their limit.

Let’s see an example —

“When I arrived in Mumbai, I lived on a shoestring for the first few years.”

I lived on a very tight budget for the first few years after arriving in Mumbai.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.