head above water
勉力维持生计；艰难度日；身不由己地维持工作或生活的基本需求
口语·形容勉强应付困难
英文释义
to manage to stay out of debt or other trouble, especially in difficult financial or personal circumstances
例句
With all these bills, I'm barely keeping my head above water this month.
典故来源
源自游泳时头部露出水面避免溺水的场景，比喻在困境中勉强维持生存或财务稳定。