Impractical Planning

He hadn't even proposed, yet he was gathering wood for the wedding feast and asking where to put the stoves.

The saying mocks a man who has not even asked for a bride yet already hauls in fuel for the wedding cooking and wonders where to set up the hearths, temporary stoves for the feast. A variant has him bargaining with the fritter-maker over wedding sweets instead; the image of eagerness skipping the essential first step is the same.

Trying to make money without any money is like carrying water in a sieve.

The saying holds that making money requires money to begin with. It targets a lack of starting capital, not being poor in general. A person with no capital to plant crops, stock goods, or invest has nothing that can grow into profit, so their effort slips away, just as water runs straight through a sieve.

Achievement depends on having the essential abilities, resources, or conditions that make it possible. One cannot reasonably expect a result while lacking what is fundamentally required to produce it.

Imagining an impressive future is easy when there is no need to confront the effort or obstacles involved in achieving it.