just making ends meet

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "just making ends meet" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe a situation where someone is managing to cover their basic expenses but not much more, often in the context of financial struggles. Example: "With the rising cost of living, many families are just making ends meet each month."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

"We're just making ends meet.

The New York Times

"I'm just making ends meet," he said.

The New York Times

Enter Jack Till, a retired homicide detective just making ends meet as a private investigator.

The New York Times - Books

"We are not making money we are just making ends meet".

The Guardian

"I get the impression Nomura was just making ends meet," Mitsushige Akino, an investment manager in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

The New York Times

Spending time with family and friends over the Christmas holidays makes you realise that life is more than just making ends meet from month to month.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

"At $550 a month, we could just make ends meet," said Guadalupe Flores, 50, a Guatemalan who supports three family members as a baker.

The New York Times

"I think the everyday gets between us and our voice," says Gates. "The need to just make ends meet, the constant hustle to maintain some adequate sense of normalcy keeps us from hearing ourselves.

Independent

I work very hard and just make ends meet, but i know in the end it will be woth [sic] every penny, my children will be given opportunities that I just couldnt [sic] have as a child".

The Guardian

If I could just make ends meet and play my music, I could imagine being here forever".

Huffington Post

She says that many are working as hard as they can, but are just not making ends meet.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about economic issues or personal finance, "just making ends meet" adds a human dimension by highlighting the challenges faced by individuals and families struggling to manage their resources.

Common error

Avoid using "just making ends meet" when describing situations where individuals are comfortable or have disposable income. The phrase specifically implies a struggle to cover essential expenses.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "just making ends meet" functions as a descriptive idiom. It typically appears in narrative or expository writing to depict the financial state of individuals or entities. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a common way to express financial struggle.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "just making ends meet" is a common phrase used to describe a situation where an individual or entity is barely able to cover their basic expenses. Ludwig AI confirms that it is a valid and usable phrase in English. It's often used in news, media, and business contexts to convey a sense of financial struggle or precarity. While grammatically correct and widely understood, it's important to use it accurately to reflect a genuine difficulty in covering essential costs. Alternative phrases like "barely making ends meet" or "scraping by" can provide similar nuances depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely making ends meet

This alternative emphasizes the narrow margin by which expenses are being covered.

hardly making ends meet

Similar to 'barely', this highlights the difficulty in covering expenses.

struggling to make ends meet

Directly states the difficulty in covering basic needs.

scraping by

This phrase suggests a struggle to survive financially with very limited resources.

having difficulty covering expenses

A more formal way to express the challenge of paying for necessities.

getting by

A more general term for managing to survive, but implies a lack of comfort or extra resources.

living paycheck to paycheck

This specifies that income is only sufficient to cover expenses until the next paycheck arrives.

on a tight budget

Focuses on the limited amount of money available.

eking out a living

Suggests a meager existence and significant effort to survive.

living hand to mouth

Implies extreme poverty and a daily struggle for survival.

FAQs

What does it mean to say someone is "just making ends meet"?

It means they are having a difficult time covering their basic expenses with their income, and likely have little to no money left over for savings or non-essential items.

What can I say instead of "just making ends meet"?

You can use alternatives like "barely making ends meet", "scraping by", or "struggling to make ends meet" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "just making ends meet"?

Yes, the phrase "just making ends meet" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English to describe a state of financial difficulty.

What's the difference between "just making ends meet" and "living comfortably"?

"Just making ends meet" implies a struggle to cover basic expenses, while "living comfortably" suggests a financial situation where expenses are easily covered and there is money for luxuries and savings.