on a shoestring budget(применимо не во всех случаях,
напр., приемлемо говоря о недорогих поездках
: I did all my globetrotting on a shoestring budget at that time, and Vancouver was the hub city that enabled my dirt-cheap travel fixes. (Reddit)ART Vancouver)
take to the cleaners('I like smooth shiny girls, hard-boiled and loaded with sin.' 'They take you to the cleaners,' Randall said indifferently." (Raymond Chandler)ART Vancouver)