be (either) feast or famine

To be characterized by either an excess or a dearth of something. The team won their first six games handily, and now they've lost seven in a row. I swear, it's either feast or famine with these guys! Freelance work always seems to be feast or famine, unfortunately—either you have too many projects to stay on top of, or barely enough to get by. The economies of these coastal towns are feast or famine, propped up entirely by tourists who only come in the warmer months of the year.