Live tightly

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

I am looking for a verb or expression to describe a family with a low income. If I am not mistaken 'a tight budget' exists in the English language but can 'tightly' be used as an adverb in such context? 'They live tightly.'

 

[GoesStation]

They scrape by. There are many possibilities, but that's the only one that's occurred to me after just a little consideration.

 

[Rachel Adams]

They scrape by. There are many possibilities, but that's the only one that's occurred to me after just a little consideration.

What about 'she lives on a tight budget?'

 

[GoesStation]

What about 'she lives on a tight budget?'

That's a good one, yes.

 

[Yankee]

And another, "She/He lives from paycheck to paycheck".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

She lives frugally.
She's frugal.
She's thrifty.

 

[probus]

And another, "She/He lives from paycheck to paycheck".

An older and slightly idiomatic one: "lives from hand to mouth "