Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite
1

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.
— Oscar Wilde.

What does living within means mean?

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 8 down vote accepted

In this context, means refers to a person's assets and/or income. So, to "live within your means" refers to not spending out of proportion with your income.

share|improve this answer
2  
Not to be confused with the Ways and Means Committe of Congress, which always lives outside its means. – Robusto Dec 8 '10 at 0:52
up vote 5 down vote

Ask a literary-inspired question, get a literary answer:

Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.

(Mr Micawber, in David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.