From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsomebody’s keepsomebody’s keepEARNthe cost of providing food and a home for someoneearn your keep (=do things in return for the things that are provided for you) It’s time you got a job and started earning your keep. → keep
Examples from the Corpus
earn your keep• Philip lived in the attic and earned his keep by tutoring the officer's son.• Certainly each of the six crab apples planted in my garden earn their keep in wildlife and ornamental terms.• No longer did I have to drive other people around the animals as a way of earning my keep.• The police earned their keep with arrests 20 percent up at 5,006, but figures highlighted a varying police approach.• NatWest's subsidiaries will have to earn their keep while technology will be deployed to lift service levels.• As the illustration above shows, even if you just use the Family Rail Card once, it will earn its keep.• All are interesting shrubs which will earn their keep through the year. 