Household expenses are high, so he's often stretched thin.
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From the 《庄子·让王》 description of 曾参 (Zengzi): 十年不制衣,正冠而缨绝,捉襟而肘见, ten years without a new robe, pull the lapels and the elbows pop out. Poverty depicted through tattered clothes.
usage
Covers both money troubles and broader inadequacy, too few staff, too little time, too little anything. The common thread: every fix to one problem opens another.