make ends meet

使收支平衡

讲解：

这里的ends是复数，因为一端是“收入”，一端是“支出”。make ends meet就是让这两端（ends)碰在一起 (meet)，意思是“让收入与支出能相当”，不致入不敷出。

例句：

Those unable to get jobs elsewhere sometimes return as part-time workers to their former employers，where they offer their know-how for substantially less than they had earned before ? ...The practice is especially prevalent among older workers who have been forced into early retirement but still must work to make ends meet (出自:TIME, Jul. 20,1992, p. 64)

没办法在别处找到工作的人，有时会回到原来的公司兼职，贡献他们的技能，赚的钱却比从前少得多。这种作法尤其常见于年纪较大、被迫提早退休，却又必须工作才能平衡收支的人。