Hi Mike,  I  guess Churchill was right we really are separated by a common
language.  But in this case all is well . On this side of Atlantic  " on a
shoestring "  also means without enough money.

That's an interesting slant. To me it means "for very little money", not
necessarily TOO little. Whether it is enough or not is another matter.
Many very large businesses were started "on a shoestring" and are now worth
billions.

Bob VE7BS