寅吃卯粮 live hand to mouth
Explanation
比喻经济困难，入不敷出，提前用掉了以后的收入。
It means that one is in financial difficulties and does not have enough income to cover one's expenses by using future income in advance.
Origin Story
从前，有个名叫小强的农夫，他辛勤劳作，却年年收成不好，粮食总是入不敷出。每到冬季，他都不得不提前吃掉来年春天播种的种子来度过寒冬。来年春天，他又面临着无粮可播的窘境。一年复一年，他始终摆脱不了寅吃卯粮的困境，生活艰难困苦。他尝试过多种方法改善收成，比如改良土壤、改进农具等等，但效果都不理想。最终，他不得不向村里的富户借粮过活，生活依旧很艰难。
Once upon a time, there was a farmer named Xiaoqiang. He worked hard, but his harvests were poor year after year, and he was always short of money. Every winter, he had to eat the seeds for the spring planting in advance to get through the winter. The next spring, he faced the difficult situation of having no grain to sow. Year after year, he could not escape this difficult life. He tried various methods to improve the harvest, such as improving the soil and improving farm tools, but none of them worked. In the end, he had to borrow grain from the rich people in the village to survive, and his life remained difficult.
Usage
常用作宾语、定语；形容经济状况窘迫。
It is often used as an object or attribute to describe a tight economic situation.
Examples
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这几年公司一直寅吃卯粮，勉强维持运营。
zhè jǐ nián gōngsī yīzhí yín chī mǎo liáng, miǎnqiǎng wéichí yúnyíng
The company has been living hand to mouth for the past few years, barely maintaining operations.
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他寅吃卯粮的日子过得十分艰难。
tā yín chī mǎo liáng de rìzi guò de shífēn jianná
He had a hard time living hand to mouth.
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由于收入少支出多，这个家庭不得不寅吃卯粮。
yóuyú shōurù shǎo zhīchū duō, zhège jiātíng bùdébù yín chī mǎo liáng
Due to low income and high expenditure, this family had to live hand to mouth..