食くい繋つなぐ

godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb

ration out and survive on (some food); get by on (limited food)

Focuses on making a small amount of food last, often by eating sparingly or stretching supplies.

• わずかな米こめを食くい繋つないで冬ふゆを越こした。

  We got through the winter by rationing out our small supply of rice.

godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb

eke out a living; scrape by

Broader sense: barely managing to survive financially or in life, not limited to food. Often implies a hand-to-mouth existence.

• 日ひ雇やといの仕し事ごとでどうにか食くい繋つないでいる。

  I'm barely scraping by with day-labor jobs.