just surviving

• barelyOnly just, almost not
• scraping byBarely having enough
• getting byBarely managing adequately
• hanging onContinuing despite difficulty
• strugglingExperiencing serious difficulty

coping · enduring · making ends meet · paycheck to paycheck · treading water · afloat · subsisting · persevering · holding on · day by day · managing · existing · grinding · scrappy · resilient · tough times · hardship · meager

• povertypoverty line, poor, poverty rate, impoverished, generational poverty