Money problems · Money and prices
live hand to mouth
survive day-to-day
To live hand to mouth is to have only enough money for immediate needs.
This vs that
They live hand to mouth.
They make ends meet.
Hear it in real life
Have you managed to save anything?
No, we’re living hand to mouth at the moment.
They were living hand to mouth after the factory closed.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The idiom conveys the precarious situation naturally and succinctly.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
live hand to mouth
Many families live hand to mouth on irregular wages.
He lived hand to mouth until he found a permanent job.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about money problems.
be short of money
We’re a bit short of money until payday.
fall into debt
Many people fall into debt after losing their jobs.
Money problems words
Money and prices · Money problems: the words around “live hand to mouth”.
More connectionsEasy to mix up · More money problems words7
More money problems words
Your turn: say it out loud
They've been living hand to mouth for months.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
live hand to mouth
survive day-to-day
“They were living hand to mouth after the factory closed.”
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