on a shoestring budget

Meaning

This expression means doing something with a very small amount of money or resources. It is commonly used in business contexts, especially when talking about startups, marketing campaigns, or small projects that have tight financial constraints. While casual, it is highly common in professional yet relaxed discussions about funding.

Examples

• We launched our first mobile app on a shoestring budget, relying mostly on word-of-mouth marketing.

  We launched our first mobile app on a shoestring budget, relying mostly on word-of-mouth marketing.

• If you're operating on a shoestring budget, you have to get creative with your social media strategy.

  If you're operating on a shoestring budget, you have to get creative with your social media strategy.

• The founders managed to bootstrap the company and run it on a shoestring budget for the first two years.

  The founders managed to bootstrap the company and run it on a shoestring budget for the first two years.

• We can't afford expensive software right now because we're working on a shoestring budget.

  We can't afford expensive software right now because we're working on a shoestring budget.

• Even on a shoestring budget, they managed to pull off a highly successful product launch.

  Even on a shoestring budget, they managed to pull off a highly successful product launch.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We had to start the project with a shoestring budget.

  ✓ We had to start the project on a shoestring budget.

  The idiom always uses the preposition 'on' (to do or run something 'on' a shoestring budget), not 'with' or 'by'.

• ✗ Our company is currently in a shoestring budget.

  ✓ Our company is currently operating on a shoestring budget.

  You cannot be 'in' a shoestring budget; you must use active verbs like 'operating on', 'working on', or 'running on' it.

• ✗ We need to cut costs because we have a shoestring money.

  ✓ We need to cut costs because we are on a shoestring budget.

  The word 'shoestring' specifically modifies 'budget' or stands alone as 'on a shoestring'. It cannot be used to modify 'money' directly.

Related Expressions

Practice

• When we started the marketing agency, we were running everything ___.

  💡 Think of a tiny budget, using the shoe-related idiom.

  Show answer

  on a shoestring budget

• You can still create great video content even if you are working ___.

  💡 A phrase meaning with very little money.

  Show answer

  on a shoestring budget