travel on a shoestring

Meaning

This phrase means to travel with very little money, spending as little as possible on accommodation, food, and transport. It is commonly associated with backpackers, students, and budget travelers who use clever tricks to save money.

Examples

• During my college years, I traveled on a shoestring across Southeast Asia.

  During my college years, I traveled on a shoestring across Southeast Asia.

• If you want to travel on a shoestring, you should cook your own meals instead of eating out.

  If you want to travel on a shoestring, you should cook your own meals instead of eating out.

• They managed to visit three countries on a shoestring budget by couchsurfing.

  They managed to visit three countries on a shoestring budget by couchsurfing.

• Traveling on a shoestring is challenging, but it forces you to meet more locals.

  Traveling on a shoestring is challenging, but it forces you to meet more locals.

• She wrote a popular blog about how to travel on a shoestring without missing out on the fun.

  She wrote a popular blog about how to travel on a shoestring without missing out on the fun.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am traveling on shoestrings.

  ✓ I am traveling on a shoestring.

  The idiom is always singular: 'on a shoestring', never plural.

• ✗ He travels with a shoestring.

  ✓ He travels on a shoestring.

  The correct preposition is 'on', not 'with'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We didn't have much money, so we had to ___.

  💡 Travel with a very low budget

  Show answer

  travel on a shoestring

• If you're planning on ___, you should look into booking overnight buses to save on hotels.

  💡 Traveling with minimal money (continuous form)

  Show answer

  traveling on a shoestring