poverty

• On the breadline

  Experiencing extreme poverty and having barely enough money for essential food and shelter.

• Strapped for cash

  To have very little money and be in urgent need of more.

• Lose the shirt off one's back

  To lose absolutely everything one owns, typically through financial misfortune or reckless activity.

• As poor as a church mouse

  To be extremely poor, possessing very little or no money or material possessions.

• From hand to mouth

  Living with barely enough money or resources to meet basic daily needs, with no savings or surplus.

• down on their luck

  Experiencing a period of misfortune, poverty, or adverse circumstances.

• Down and out

  To be in a state of extreme poverty and misfortune, without resources or a stable place to live.

• Living hand to mouth

  To live with barely enough money to cover basic necessities, with no savings or surplus.

• Couldn't rub two pennies together

  To be extremely poor, possessing no money whatsoever.

• Not have a penny to one's name

  To be extremely poor, possessing absolutely no money or assets whatsoever.