feel the pinch

Meaning

This expression means to experience hardship, especially financial difficulties, due to a rise in living costs or a drop in income. It is widely used in casual and journalistic contexts to describe budget constraints. The tone is typically sympathetic or realistic about economic pressures.

Examples

• With inflation rising, many families are starting to feel the pinch at the grocery store.

  With inflation rising, many families are starting to feel the pinch at the grocery store.

• We had to cancel our vacation because we're really feeling the pinch this month.

  We had to cancel our vacation because we're really feeling the pinch this month.

• Small businesses are beginning to feel the pinch as energy prices soar.

  Small businesses are beginning to feel the pinch as energy prices soar.

• Ever since I took a pay cut, I've been feeling the pinch.

  Ever since I took a pay cut, I've been feeling the pinch.

• Even wealthy households are starting to feel the pinch of the new tax laws.

  Even wealthy households are starting to feel the pinch of the new tax laws.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am feeling the pain of my wallet.

  ✓ I am feeling the pinch.

  While 'pain' makes logical sense, the standard idiomatic expression for experiencing financial pressure is 'feel the pinch'.

• ✗ He felt a pinch because of the high rent.

  ✓ He felt the pinch because of the high rent.

  This idiom requires the definite article 'the' instead of the indefinite article 'a'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• With gas prices so high, commuters are really starting to ___.

  💡 experience financial strain

  Show answer

  feel the pinch

• We'll have to cut back on dining out if we begin to ___.

  💡 suffer from budget limits

  Show answer

  feel the pinch