shoestring budget
5
3.9
- noun
- /ˈʃuːstrɪŋ ˈbʌdʒɪt/
- Informal
:
presupuesto ajustado
- Agencies, even child care agencies operating on shoestring budgets, are expected to include this expense in their budgets as a reasonable and necessary cost of doing business.
- operate on a shoestring budget
Examples
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Opposing them, you have people working on a shoestring budget.
Blog text (34) -
Moyes has operated on a shoestring budget in the last decade, which makes his achievements even more remarkable.
Blog text (32) -
Women start more businesses than men on a shoestring budget.
Blog text (10) -
How on a very shoestring budget can I move my business and myself to Austin?
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- Made on a shoestring budget and released entirely independent of major studio involvement, the movie was an instant success in the local region.
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Honestly, that's not something I could choose to do on a shoestring budget.
Blog text (12) -
The key to marketing a special genre book on a shoestring budget is to have your sales plan in place before the first draft is written.
Academic text (2009) -
Foundations operate on a shoestring budget, as many non-profits do.
Blog text (30) -
After Forrest's departure, the task force continued to operate on a shoestring budget.
Academic text (2011) -
The charity managed to organize the event on a shoestring budget, relying on donations from local businesses.
Synonyms
24
4.3
A very small amount of money to live on
10
2.9
A situation with only a little money to spend
A very small amount of money to spend on things
Antonyms
How Much
∞
2.1
- Informal
5
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a very small budget' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'shoestring' (a very small amount of money) with 'budget' (a plan of money to spend). This compositional metaphor (small amount + budget) follows ordinary English compounding and has clear parallels in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Shoestring budget comes from the picture of a thin shoe string—something very small that only just holds a shoe together. So it means 'a very small' amount of money to do something.