live paycheck to paycheck
To have the entirety of one's earnings consumed by living expenses, thus having nothing left over to save; to make just enough (money, etc.) to survive; to scratch by.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Many families live paycheck to paycheck these days.”
“You live paycheck to paycheck when you spend all your money on bills.”
“Because rent is so expensive, she has to live paycheck to paycheck to cover her basic needs.”
“If my car breaks down, I will be in trouble because I live paycheck to paycheck and have no emergency fund.”
“Despite working two jobs, the rising cost of living forces the couple to live paycheck to paycheck, leaving them with no savings for emergencies.”
First appearing in the mid-20th century, the phrase describes a cycle of consumption in which an individual’s earnings are fully expended before the arrival of the subsequent payment. The construction is a literal reference to the timing of industrial and clerical wages, marking the precise point at which a lack of savings meets the necessity of the next scheduled deposit.
- 01
die the way one lived
To die because of or after doing something characteristic of oneself, especially something that one enjoyed doing.
- 02
live a lie
To conceal something about oneself, without the knowledge of which others cannot know one's true character or perspective.
- 03
live and die by
Be completely reliant upon.
- 04
live and let live
To be tolerant; to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities which life offers and to allow others to do the same.
- 05
live beyond one's means
Have a lifestyle where one's spending regularly exceeds one's income.
- 06
live down
To cause others to forget about something embarrassing that happened to oneself.
- 07
live in sin
To cohabit as if husband and wife without being married.
- 08
live in the past
To dwell on and ruminate about past events.
Last updated August 10, 2026