idiom · informal
live paycheck to paycheck
UK/lɪv ˈpeɪtʃek tə ˈpeɪtʃek/US/lɪv ˈpeɪˌtʃɛk tə ˈpeɪˌtʃɛk/live·PAY·check·to·PAY·check
to have no savings so you use each paycheck to pay bills until the next one
Examples
“Many young people today live paycheck to paycheck because rent is so high.”
“After the company cut her hours she started living paycheck to paycheck.”
“Even with a full-time job, they were still living paycheck to paycheck.”
Band 8 sentence
“Despite earning a reasonable salary, many young professionals still live paycheck to paycheck because of soaring housing costs and student debt.”
Collocations
- live paycheck to paycheck
- be forced to live paycheck to paycheck
- still live paycheck to paycheck
Word family
Common mistakes
I live on a paycheck to paycheck.→I live paycheck to paycheck.
I live from pay check to pay check.→I live paycheck to paycheck.
Say it for a higher band
5have no savings→6live from paycheck to paycheck→7+live paycheck to paycheck
Synonyms
have no savings
live from paycheck to paycheck
Easily confused
have a tight budget
“Since the rent went up, our household has had a tight budget.”
Related words
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In Hardship
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