ganarse la vida a duras penas

(v.) = eke out + a living, scratch (out) + a living, scrape + a living, eke out + an existence

Ex. He represents not only hard-pressed immigrants and their plight but also everyone else eking out a living on the street corners of cities.

Ex. David keeps at his pushcart, scratching out a living even in the dead of winter -- meanwhile, Rose secretly visits Sammy to watch out for him.

Ex. A recent report finds that small business owners who employ five or less staff are, on average, barely scraping a living from all their effort.

Ex. In thus eking out an existence, however, the washerwoman was very important for the survival of her family.

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(v.) = eke out + a living, scratch (out) + a living, scrape + a living, eke out + an existence

Ex: He represents not only hard-pressed immigrants and their plight but also everyone else eking out a living on the street corners of cities.

Ex: David keeps at his pushcart, scratching out a living even in the dead of winter -- meanwhile, Rose secretly visits Sammy to watch out for him.

Ex: A recent report finds that small business owners who employ five or less staff are, on average, barely scraping a living from all their effort.

Ex: In thus eking out an existence, however, the washerwoman was very important for the survival of her family.