Idiom:
to live within one’s means (used
as a verb)

First Example:
Angela is in debt. She hasn’t been living within her means this past year,
using credit cards to pay for everything. Now she has to move back into her
parents’ house so she can save money on rent and use it pay off her credit
cards instead.

Meaning: The expression “to live within one’s means” means
to only spend the money you have.  In the
example above, Angela was not living within her means, so she built up
excessive debt.

Second Example:
    Tim:
Hey, want to hang out tonight? I heard about this great new restaurant
    Brad:
No, I’m trying to save money, so I’m not going out to eat.
    Tim:
But you can go out occasionally.
    Brad:
I’ve been focusing on living within my
means. I paid off all my credit cards, and I don’t want any more debt.
    Tim:
That’s responsible of you. 
    Brad:
But if you want, we can still hang out. We can make dinner at my place.
    Tim:
That sounds cool. What time should I come by? 

Meaning: In the second example, Brad says that he is trying to live
within his means. He has paid off his debts and is trying to avoid any more.  This means that he will only spend what he has.

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