He that throws away his estate with his hands, goes afterwards to pick it upon his feet.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Carelessly giving up resources can leave someone working hard to recover even a small amount. The hands discard what the feet must later pursue.

What the words are saying

The contrast turns two ordinary movements into a picture of changing circumstances. Throwing away an estate suggests ease, waste or an unconsidered loss of resources; going afterward to pick things up suggests effort and dependence. The saying warns that present choices can narrow future options. It can prompt care for something entrusted to a person without treating every loss as their fault. Illness, accident and other circumstances can cause hardship too, so the expression should be tied to a specific avoidable action.

Everyday example

Someone wastes materials that could have been reused and later has to make several trips to replace them.

When to use it

Use it when a preventable waste creates harder work later.

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Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.