idiom · neutral
living paycheck to paycheck
UK/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈpeɪtʃek tə ˈpeɪtʃek/US/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈpeɪtˌtʃek tə ˈpeɪtˌtʃek/LIV·ing PAY·check to PAY·check
to have just enough income to cover expenses until the next pay; with no savings
Examples
“Many young families are living paycheck to paycheck despite having jobs.”
“When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, a minor car repair can be a crisis.”
“Policymakers worry about households living paycheck to paycheck during inflation.”
Band 8 sentence
“A significant portion of the workforce is effectively living paycheck to paycheck, which amplifies economic vulnerability.”
Collocations
- live/living paycheck to paycheck
- be forced to live paycheck to paycheck
Word family
Common mistakes
living pay check to pay check→living paycheck to paycheck
live from paycheck to paycheck→live paycheck to paycheck
Say it for a higher band
5have no savings→6live on a tight budget→7+living paycheck to paycheck
Synonyms
have no savings
Easily confused
in the red
“After overspending, the family found their accounts in the red.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Money
Learn it with its set