Waste not, want not

Cultural  

1. If we don't waste what we have, we'll still have it in the future and will not lack (want) it.

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waste not, want not Idioms  

1. Wise use of one's resources will keep one from poverty. For example, I just hate to throw out good food—waste not, want not. This proverbial saying was first recorded in 1772 but had an earlier, even more alliterative version, willful waste makes woeful want (1576).

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Example Sentences

The Massier family was able to survive by adopting the philosophy of “waste not, want not,” “use it up or wear it out” and “make do or do without,” she said.

From Washington Times

Controlling waste is something everyone can do to help the planet, she said, in a column called "Waste not, want not".

From BBC

Amanda Mackenzie, chief executive of Business in the Community, said: “The old adage ‘waste not want not’ has never been more relevant.

From BBC

“Waste not, want not,” Lance said.

From Washington Times

McMurdie, P. J. & Holmes, S. Waste not, want not: why rarefying microbiome data is inadmissible.

From Nature