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

A person can dispose of property or wealth with little effort, yet face a long, difficult struggle to regain what was lost.

The contrast between hands and feet makes the warning vivid: a careless act of giving up resources may lead to painstaking work afterward.

Use the proverb as a warning against squandering assets or surrendering something valuable without considering how hard it would be to replace. It can also serve as a reproach after such a loss.