やりくり

• Reading: やりくり
• Romaji: yarikuri
• Kanji breakdown: 遣り (yari) — doing, managing; 繰り (kuri) — winding, pulling through
• Pronunciation: /ja.ɾi.kɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Managing; making do; budgeting; juggling limited resources to make things work out.

A noun (also する verb) describing the resourceful management of limited money, time, or resources to meet one's needs. It implies effort and ingenuity in the face of constraint. やりくりが上手い means skilled at making ends meet. Common in discussions of household budgeting, scheduling, and logistics. Typically written in hiragana rather than in the kanji 遣り繰り.

Examples

1. 毎月のやりくりが大変で、外食を控えるようにしている。 Managing month to month is tough, so I've been cutting back on eating out.
2. 限られた予算をやりくりしながら、なんとか旅行費用を捻出した。 By carefully stretching a limited budget, I somehow managed to scrape together the money for a trip.
3. 子育てと仕事のやりくりに追われて、休む暇もない毎日だ。 Every day is a rush of juggling childcare and work, with no time left to rest.

Usage Guide

Context: household, budgeting, time management, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 遣る (yaru, to do/manage) and 繰る (kuru, to wind/pull through repeatedly). The combination evokes the idea of continuously working through limited means to keep things moving.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal