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What does “tighten your belt” mean?
Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.
B2
To spend less money than before, usually because you have to
“We had to tighten our belts after I lost my job.”
Say it smoothly: “tigh-ten-yer-belt”
From the B2 lesson Tightening the Belt (money idioms).
Quick check
What does “tighten your belt” mean?
Teaching this phrase?“tighten your belt” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks B2 Pack 3 (Money, Food, Work and Travel).
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Related phrases
- be strapped for cashto have very little money available
- cost a fortuneto be very expensive
- break the bankto cost more money than you can really afford
- a rainy day fundmoney saved for emergencies or unexpected expenses
- pay through the nose for (something)to pay much more for something than it's really worth
- money doesn't grow on treessaid to remind someone that money is limited and shouldn't be wasted
- penny-pinchingbeing extremely careful, sometimes excessively so, with money
- every penny countssaid when even small amounts of money matter
- be in the redto owe money; to have spent more than you have