trim the budget — to reduce or cut expenses in a budget; to make a budget smaller by removing unnecessary costs

a business executive holds large scissors and carefully cuts through a long paper strip filled with expense items. The scissors slice through sections labeled with dollar signs and expense symbols, with cut pieces falling to the table below. As each section gets cut away, the remaining budget document becomes noticeably shorter and more manageable. Other executives around the conference table nod approvingly while pointing at charts showing reduced spending. A financial advisor holds up a calculator displaying lower numbers than before. reducing or cutting expenses in a budget by removing unnecessary costs