budget-friendly alternative
- noun
:
alternativa económica
- For students, a budget-friendly alternative to the usual textbooks is to use online resources.
Examples
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The restaurant offers a budget-friendly alternative to its gourmet menu with daily specials.
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During the pandemic, many people searched for budget-friendly alternatives to expensive vacations.
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It's a particularly tough time for families across the US right now, so we thought we'd try to find some budget-friendly alternatives for the holiday season.
Blog text (32) -
As I wipe the drool from my chin, I'm going to look for some more budget-friendly alternatives or start a penny jar.
Blog text (28)
How Affordable
365
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
budget-friendly + alternative
Both constituents are semantically transparent: 'budget-friendly' is interpretable as 'friendly to a budget' (i.e. inexpensive/affordable) and 'alternative' means a choice or option. The combined phrase simply denotes an option that is affordable, a regular compositional pattern that a B1 learner who knows the parts can readily derive.
Etymology
The phrase budget-friendly alternative comes from a simple picture: something that is kind to your money. Budget means your plan for money, friendly means kind, and alternative means a different choice, so the phrase describes 'an affordable substitute'.