节衣缩食 to tighten one's belt
Explanation
节衣缩食，指节省衣食，形容生活俭朴。
To save on clothes and food, describing a simple and frugal life.
Origin Story
从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位名叫阿福的年轻人。他家境贫寒，父母年迈体弱，弟妹尚幼。为了让家人过上稍微好一点的生活，阿福每天起早贪黑地劳作，省吃俭用，节衣缩食。他常常将自己仅有的食物分给家人，自己则吃些粗茶淡饭。即使如此，他也从不抱怨，因为他知道，只要一家人能在一起，即使再苦再累也是值得的。 村里人看他如此勤劳节俭，都很敬佩他。有一天，村里来了位富商，他看到阿福如此贫困却依然乐观向上，便被他的精神深深感动。他决定帮助阿福，给他提供一些资金，让他能够改善家里的生活条件。 阿福并没有被眼前的财富冲昏头脑，他依然保持着节衣缩食的习惯，只是将多余的钱财用来帮助村里其他的贫困人家。他深知，财富不是万能的，但勤劳节俭却是通往幸福生活的重要途径。他的故事在村里传为佳话，激励着人们要勤劳致富，努力生活。
Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived a young man named A Fu. His family was poor, his parents were old and frail, and his younger siblings were still young. To give his family a slightly better life, A Fu worked hard from dawn till dusk every day, saving and eating little. He often shared his only food with his family, while he himself ate simple tea and rice. Even so, he never complained, because he knew that as long as his family was together, it was worth it, no matter how hard or tiring it was. The villagers admired him for his diligence and thrift. One day, a wealthy merchant came to the village. Seeing how poor A Fu was, yet still optimistic and positive, he was deeply touched by his spirit. He decided to help A Fu by providing him with some funds so that he could improve his family's living conditions. A Fu was not blinded by the wealth before him. He still maintained his habit of living frugally, only using the extra money to help other poor families in the village. He knew that wealth is not everything, but diligence and thrift are important paths to a happy life. His story became a legend in the village, inspiring people to work hard, become wealthy and strive for a better life.
Usage
形容生活俭朴，节省开支。
Describes a simple and thrifty life.
Examples
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为了供孩子读书，他们不得不节衣缩食。
wèile gōng háizi dúshū, tāmen bùdébù jiéyīsuōshí
They had to tighten their belts to send their children to school.
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家境贫寒，他们只能节衣缩食，省吃俭用。
jiā jìng pín hàn, tāmen zhǐ néng jiéyīsuōshí, shěng chī jiǎnyòng
Their poor family situation forced them to live a simple and thrifty life