Live paycheck to paycheck

Definition

To have no savings and spend all income on immediate expenses, leaving no financial cushion between pay periods.

Etymology

This phrase emerged in mid-20th century America as regular wage employment became the norm and workers began receiving standardized bi-weekly or monthly paychecks. The expression reflects the reality of many working-class families who exhausted their entire paycheck before the next one arrived.

Kelly Says

The phrase captures a uniquely modern form of economic anxiety that didn't exist before industrialization, when most people were either wealthy landowners or subsistence farmers. It represents the precarious nature of wage labor, where even employed people can be just one missed paycheck away from financial crisis.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ከስንት እስከ ስንት መኖር
keh-sint eh-skeh sint meh-nohr
ARالعربية
العيش من راتب إلى راتب
al-ee-shu min rāteb ilā rāteb
BNবাংলা
বেতন থেকে বেতন পর্যন্ত বাঁচতে
beton theke beton porjonto banchte
CACatalà
viure de sou a sou
vee-OH-reh deh SOO ah SOO
CSČeština
žít od mzdy do mzdy
ZHIT oht MUHZ-dee doh MUHZ-dee
DADansk
at leve fra løn til løn
ah LEH-vah frah LOHN teel LOHN
DEDeutsch
von Gehalt zu Gehalt leben
fahn GAY-alt tsoo GAY-alt LAY-ben
ELΕλληνικά
ζωή από μισθό σε μισθό
zoh-EE ah-poh mee-STHOH seh mee-STHOH
ESEspañol
vivir al día
bee-VEER ahl DEE-ah
FAفارسی
زندگی از حقوق تا حقوق
zendegi az hoquq ta hoquq
FISuomi
elää palkasta toiseen
EH-lah PAH-kah-stah TOH-ee-seh-n
FRFrançais
vivre au jour le jour
vee-VREH oh ZHOOR leh ZHOOR
GUGU
પગારથી પગાર સુધી જીવવું
pah-GAH-rthee pah-GAH-r soo-dee jee-vum
HAHA
rayuwa daga albashi zuwa albashi
rah-YOO-wah dah-gah ahl-BAH-shee zoo-wah ahl-BAH-shee
HEעברית
לחיות משכר לשכר
lah-KHY-oot meh-SHAH-khar leh-SHAH-khar
HIहिन्दी
वेतन से वेतन तक जीना
vetan se vetan tak jina
HUMagyar
fizetésről fizetésre élni
fee-zeh-teh-shrool fee-zeh-teh-shreh EHL-nee
IDBahasa Indonesia
hidup dari gaji ke gaji
hee-doop dah-ree GAH-jee keh GAH-jee
IGIG
ịba ụgwọ ọrụ site na ụgwọ ọrụ
ee-bah oo-gwoh oh-roo see-tay nah oo-gwoh oh-roo
ITItaliano
vivere di stipendio in stipendio
vee-VEH-reh dee stee-PEHN-dee-oh ehn stee-PEHN-dee-oh
KKKK
жалақыдан жалақыға дейін өмір сүру
zhah-lah-kyh-dahn zhah-lah-kyh-gah deh-een ooh-MEER soo-roo
KMKM
រស់នៅពីប្រាក់ខែមួយទៅប្រាក់ខែមួយ
roh-sah nah pee prahk khae muoy toh prahk khae muoy
MRMR
वेतनापासून वेतनापर्यंत जगणे
vetana-pa-soon vetana-paryant jaga-neh
MSBahasa Melayu
hidup dari gaji ke gaji
hee-doop dah-ree GAH-jee keh GAH-jee
MYမြန်မာ
လုပ်ခတို့မှ လုပ်ခတို့ထိ နေထိုင်ခြင်း
lote-kha-toh hpeh lote-kha-toh hti nay-hdein-hkyin
NLNederlands
van salaris tot salaris leven
vahn sah-LAH-ris toh sah-LAH-ris LAY-ven
NONorsk
å leve fra lønn til lønn
oh LEH-vah frah LOHN teel LOHN
PAPA
ਤਨਖਾਹ ਤੋਂ ਤਨਖਾਹ ਤਕ ਜੀਊਣਾ
tun-khah tohn tun-khah tak jee-oo-nah
PLPolski
żyć od pensji do pensji
ZHOO-ee oht PEHN-shee doh PEHN-shee
PTPortuguês
viver de salário em salário
vee-VEER deh sah-LAH-ee-oh ehm sah-LAH-ee-oh
RORomână
a trăi de la salariu la salariu
ah TRAH-ee deh lah sah-LAH-ree-oo lah sah-LAH-ree-oo
RUРусский
жить от зарплаты до зарплаты
zheet ot zah-rpLAH-tee doh zah-rpLAH-tee
SVSvenska
leva från lön till lön
LEH-vah frohn LOHN teel LOHN
SWKiswahili
kuishi kwa mishahara hadi mishahara
koo-EE-shee kwa mee-SHAH-hah-rah hah-DEE mee-SHAH-hah-rah
TAதமிழ்
ஊதியம் முதல் ஊதியம் வரை வாழ்வது
oothiyam muthal oothiyam varai vazhuvathu
TEతెలుగు
జీతం నుండి జీతం వరకు బతకడం
jeetam nunDi jeetam varaku batukaDam
THไทย
ใช้ชีวิตจากค่าจ้างไปค่าจ้าง
chai chee-wit jahk khaa-jang bpai khaa-jang
TLTL
mabuhay sa sahod sa sahod
mah-BOO-hay sah SAH-hod sah SAH-hod
TRTürkçe
maaştan maaşa yaşamak
mah-AH-shahn mah-AH-shah yah-shah-MAHK
UKУкраїнська
жити від зарплати до зарплати
zheety vid zah-rpLAH-tee doh zah-rpLAH-tee
URاردو
تنخواہ سے تنخواہ تک گزارا کرنا
tan-khwa se tan-khwa tak guzara karna
VITiếng Việt
sống từ lương đến lương
sung tuh LUH-ong dah LUH-ong
YOYO
igbe ayelujara lati ayelujara
ee-gbeh ah-yeh-LOO-jah-rah lah-tee ah-yeh-LOO-jah-rah
ZUZU
ukudla kuzolunga kuzolunga
oo-koo-dlah koo-zoh-LOON-gah koo-zoh-LOON-gah

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