live from hand to mouth
/lɪv frəm hænd tə maʊθ/
Meaning
This expression means to survive with very little money, spending everything you earn immediately on basic necessities like food and rent without being able to save anything. It describes a stressful financial situation of living paycheck to paycheck. It is often used to talk about poverty, economic hardship, or temporary financial struggles.
Examples
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During his university years, he had to live from hand to mouth, working two part-time jobs just to pay rent.
During his university years, he had to live from hand to mouth, working two part-time jobs just to pay rent.
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Many families are living from hand to mouth because of the rising cost of living.
Many families are living from hand to mouth because of the rising cost of living.
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I'm tired of living from hand to mouth; I need to find a career with better pay and stability.
I'm tired of living from hand to mouth; I need to find a career with better pay and stability.
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Before her business took off, she was living from hand to mouth in a tiny studio apartment.
Before her business took off, she was living from hand to mouth in a tiny studio apartment.
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Without any emergency savings, they are constantly living from hand to mouth.
Without any emergency savings, they are constantly living from hand to mouth.
Common Mistakes
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✗ They live from hand to the mouth because they lost their jobs.
✓ They live from hand to mouth because they lost their jobs.
The idiom is "from hand to mouth." Do not add the definite article "the" before "mouth."
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✗ He lives hand to mouthly.
✓ He lives hand to mouth.
"Hand to mouth" is an adverbial phrase or adjective phrase, not a regular adverb ending in "-ly."
Related Expressions
Practice
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When I was an unpaid intern, I had to ___ just to buy groceries.
💡 Survive on very little money.
Show answer
live from hand to mouth
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It is hard to save for a house when you are constantly living ___.
💡 The phrase starts with "from".
Show answer
from hand to mouth