prepositional phrase · neutral
on a tight budget
UK/ɒn ə taɪt ˈbʌdʒɪt/US/ɑn ə taɪt ˈbʌdʒɪt/on a TIGHT BUD·get
having only a small amount of money to spend
Examples
“As a student I live on a tight budget, so I cook at home most nights.”
“We wanted to go on holiday but we were on a tight budget.”
“When you're on a tight budget, it's smart to plan meals in advance.”
Band 8 sentence
“During my first year at university I was on a tight budget, so I learned to cook simple meals and avoid eating out.”
Collocations
- stick to a budget
- cut costs when on a tight budget
Word family
Common mistakes
have a tight budget→be on a tight budget
on low budget→on a low budget
Say it for a higher band
5have no money→6on a low budget→7+on a tight budget
Synonyms
short on money
on a low income
Easily confused
on a low budget
“We travelled Europe on a low budget and stayed in hostels.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Shopping & Money
Learn it with its set