Trash and trumpery is the highway to beggary.

The proverb warns that repeatedly spending money on things of little value can erode a person's means. Poverty is pictured as the destination of those choices.

Its point is not that one small purchase causes ruin, but that a habit of valuing trifles over necessities can have serious financial consequences.

Use it to caution against a pattern of spending on things that offer little lasting value, especially when that spending puts essential needs or financial security at risk.