con una mano atrás y otra delante — meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  SpainLatin Americacolloquial
  • To be very poor or penniless; to have little or nothing in the way of money or possessions.
  • To be in a state of material deprivation or financial hardship.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Después de perder su empleo, Carlos se quedó con una mano atrás y otra delante, apenas pudiendo cubrir sus gastos.

    After losing his job, Carlos was left penniless, barely able to cover his expenses.

  • Con la crisis, muchos jóvenes viven con una mano atrás y otra delante, sin poder ahorrar nada.

    With the crisis, many young people live with very little money, unable to save anything.

  • No puedo invitarte a cenar esta semana; estoy con una mano atrás y otra delante y no me alcanza para nada extra.

    I can't invite you to dinner this week; I'm penniless and can't afford anything extra.

  • Aunque trabaja mucho, sigue con una mano atrás y otra delante porque sus gastos siempre superan sus ingresos.

    Although he works a lot, he remains penniless because his expenses always exceed his income.