kept one's head above water
Stayed financially solvent
To keep one's head above water is to manage to survive or stay solvent, especially under financial pressure or overwhelming circumstances.
The image is of someone struggling not to drown: Between the mortgage and medical bills, we're barely keeping our heads above water.
The phrase implies effort and precariousness—staying afloat, but just barely.
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
- tight budgetSeverely limited funds
- stress managementHandling psychological tension
- frugalityEconomical resource management
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
solvency · rainy day fund · perseverance · paycheck to paycheck · resourcefulness · thriftiness · cutting corners · grit · saving · fortitude · support networks · treading water · tenacity · optimism · adaptability · debt management · cost-cutting · financial planning
kept one's head above waterwent under
Failed financially
sank · drowned · went bankrupt · crashed and burned · hit rock bottom
kept one's head above waterdrowned
Died by submersion
went under · succumbed · fell apart · burned out · collapsed
keeper, keepers, headed, header, headers, headless, waters, watered, watering