be robbing Peter to pay Paul

1. To be borrowing or taking money from one source to fund or repay the debt of another. The phrase refers to the Christian leaders Peter and Paul, who were both prominent figures in the early church. Never use a credit card to pay a debt—that's just robbing Peter to pay Paul! Mr. Hardy's law firm has fallen into arrears of late, and he's been robbing Peter to pay Paul just to keep the business afloat. I moved back in with my parents because I just couldn't afford my apartment anymore—I was pretty much robbing Peter to pay Paul every month.

2. To be shifting resources from one part of an organization or entity to another, often needlessly or inefficiently. When we make each department pay rent for their facilities, it seems a bit like we're robbing Peter to pay Paul—it's all the same organization, after all. I moved back in with my parents because I just have too many medical expenses right now. To cover them, and rent, and utilities, and everything else, I was really robbing Peter to pay Paul. Maybe when the owner finally steps down, somebody will see that we're robbing Peter to pay Paul with the way things are set up right now.

be robbing Peter to pay Paul

If someone is robbing Peter to pay Paul, they are using money that is meant for one thing to pay for something else. I have not starved yet but I am very conscious of failing to pay back debts, of robbing Peter to pay Paul.