Belt-Tightening
Budget cuts, at wardrobe scale. Folksy framing that makes reduced funding feel like a shared family sacrifice, distributed with notably unequal tailoring.
Heard in the wild
“It's belt-tightening season — the training budget went first, as always.”
Tone check: Euphemism
Training, travel, and tools go first; they're also the cheapest morale to lose. Note what never tightens.