cut (one's) coat according to (one's) cloth

cut (one's) coat according to (one's) cloth

To shop or act in accordance with one's financial limitations. You'll go bankrupt unless you start cutting your coat according to your cloth.

See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

cut one's coat according to one's cloth

 and cut one's coat to suit one's cloth

Prov. to plan one's aims and activities in line with one's resources and circumstances. We would like a bigger house, but we must cut our coat according to our cloth. They can't afford a vacation abroad—they have to cut their coat according to their cloth.

See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

cut your coat according to your cloth

undertake only what you have the money or ability to do and no more. proverb

See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut, to

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

ˌcut your ˈcoat acˌcording to your ˈcloth

(saying) do only what you have enough money to do and no more: This has not been a good year for us financially, and we must be prepared to cut our coat according to our cloth.

See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut, to

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017