Waste not, want not

Meaning: Using things carefully and avoiding waste prevents future need and scarcity.

Origin: English proverb first recorded in 1772; Benjamin Franklin included similar ideas in Poor Richard's Almanack.

Translations

• French: Rien de perdu, rien de manqué (literally: Nothing lost, nothing missed)
• Spanish: No desperdicies, no pasarás necesidad (literally: Don't waste, you won't be in need)
• Japanese: 無駄をなくせば欠乏もない (Muda wo nakuseba ketsubō mo nai) (literally: If you eliminate waste, there is no want)

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