On a Shoestring?

“On a Shoestring” Phrase Explained

This expression may come from faro, but it isn’t recorded until 1904, although shoestring gambler, for a”pretty tinhorn gambler,” is attested to ten years or so earlier.  Meaning to start a business with a small amount of money or capital, on a shoestring suggest that one’s resources are limited to the shoestrings on one’s shoes.

Ever Lived on a Shoestring?

And we know there’s a lot you can do with shoestrings!  Just like using what you have in a multitude of ways, we find all you need is imagination.  If you’re on a shoestring budget, you make the best of left overs, thinking outside the box, hand-me-downs, outfit makeovers, and all the resale shops and thrift stores.  Personally, I grew up this way and really enjoyed using my imagination for what I wanted or needed.

This style of living does leave its mark on you….it’s hard to pay full price whenever you have the finances.  But then, who really wants to ever pay full price!  If you’re interested in a place to find a lot of those imaginative ideas for a shoestring budget, go to Pinterest.com and search under ‘budget’.

taken from The Henry Holt Encylopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson