Looking for English version of "chicken rib"

[thedaffodils]

There's a Chinese saying -chicken rib. People wouldn't like to eat a chicken rib because there's no much meat; but they wouldn't like to throw it out. It is a metaphor which refers to something/someone is almost valueless, but people wouldn't like to give up.

eg 1 My boss pays me a little money. I think my job is a "chicken rib", however I cannot resign before I get a new job.

eg.2
Mary: Why do you still tolerate your boyfriend? He is lazy and stupid.
Lisa: Well, he is a chicken rib. Anyway, he is the person I can rely on.

I wonder whether there's an equivalence in English saying, idiom or slang.

Many thanks!

[Raymott]

There's a Chinese saying -chicken rib. People wouldn't like to eat a chicken rib because there's no much meat; but they wouldn't like to throw it out. It is a metaphor which refers to something/someone is almost valueless, but people wouldn't like to give up.

eg 1 My boss pays me a little money. I think my job is a "chicken rib", however I cannot resign before I get a new job.

eg.2
Mary: Why do you still tolerate your boyfriend? He is lazy and stupid.
Lisa: Well, he is a chicken rib. Anyway, he is the person I can rely on.

I wonder whether there's an equivalence in English saying, idiom or slang.

Many thanks!

I can't think of one offhand that is similar. This one is a little different:
"My boss doesn't pay me much money, but it's better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick". This is hyperbole.