1
general::
Ward off starvation or financial ruin. For example, In many countries people are working simply to keep the wolf from the door, and owning a car or washing machine is just a dream, or Gail would take any job now, just to keep the wolf from the door. This term alludes to the wolf's fabled ravenousness. [Mid-1500s]
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): keep the wolf from the door
Fig. to maintain oneself at a minimal level; to keep from starving, freezing, etc. • I don’t make a lot of money, just enough to keep the wolf from the door. • We have a small amount of money saved, hardly enough to keep the wolf from the door.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs