live paycheck to paycheck
idiom
US
: to spend all of the money from one paycheck before receiving the next paycheck
Examples of live paycheck to paycheck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Housing costs have outstripped incomes; student debt remains heavy; and too many Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
—
Bobby Turner, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But lower earners increasingly live paycheck to paycheck and look for discounts — or curtail their spending to cope with rising prices.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
The reduction in benefits will end in hunger for SNAP families who live paycheck to paycheck and, in some cases, hand to mouth, said Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, an economist at Georgetown University.
—JosÉ Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Many active duty troops live paycheck to paycheck and survive on only one income.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live paycheck to paycheck
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bobby Turner, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But lower earners increasingly live paycheck to paycheck and look for discounts — or curtail their spending to cope with rising prices.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
The reduction in benefits will end in hunger for SNAP families who live paycheck to paycheck and, in some cases, hand to mouth, said Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, an economist at Georgetown University.
—JosÉ Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Many active duty troops live paycheck to paycheck and survive on only one income.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live paycheck to paycheck
Cite this Entry
“Live paycheck to paycheck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20paycheck%20to%20paycheck. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share