keep body and soul together
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishkeep body and soul togetherkeep body and soul togetherSURVIVEto continue to exist with only just enough food, money etc He’s working at the shop to keep body and soul together. → bodyExamples from the Corpuskeep body and soul together• Struggling peasants they'd be for the most part, trying to keep body and soul together in difficult times.