nickel-and-dime

[nik-uh l-uh n-dahym] /ˈnɪk əl ənˈdaɪm/
adjective
1.
of little or no importance; trivial; petty:
a nickel-and-dime business that soon folded.
verb (used with object), nickel-and-dimed or nickeled-and-dimed, nickel-and-diming or nickeling-and-diming.
2.
to expose to financial hardship or bankruptcy by the accumulation of small expenses, bills, etc.:
We're being nickel-and-dimed to death by these small weekly expenses.
3.
to hinder, annoy, or harass with trivialities or nonessentials:
to be nickeled-and-dimed by petty criticisms.
Origin
1965-70
Slang definitions & phrases for nickel and dime

nickel and dime

modifier

Inconsequential; trivial; two-bit: You realize you've smashed a grape with a hammer, whacking some nickel-and-dime guy (1970+)

verb phrase
  1. To drain in small increments; nibble away at: The mack started nickel-and-diming him into the poorhouse/ He said the grizzly habitat was being nickeledand-dimed out of existence (1970s+)
  2. To quibble; niggle; bring up all sorts of trivia: is being nickeledand-dimed, nibbled to death by ducks (1970s+)