“On a shoestring” means doing something with very little money. You might use it when talking about travelling, starting a business, or organising an event with limited funds.
The expression developed in American English. A shoestring is a shoelace: a simple, inexpensive item. That image fits the idea of a very small amount of money. However, the exact origin is uncertain, so it is better not to present a colourful story about a particular person or event as established history.
Today, the expression describes the money available for an activity, not necessarily someone’s overall financial situation. A person can choose to travel cheaply even if they could afford to spend more.
- We organised the community festival on a shoestring.
- She started her online shop on a shoestring.
In both examples, there was very little money available. The phrase does not mean that the activity cost nothing; it means that spending had to stay low.
You will also see a shoestring budget. Here, shoestring describes the budget directly:
- The students made their film with a shoestring budget.
Both forms are natural. Use on a shoestring to describe how something is done, or a shoestring budget to describe the limited money available. The expression often suggests finding practical ways to make limited funds go further, but it does not guarantee success.