细水长流

xì shuǐ cháng liú

a small steady flow lasts longest

Character by character

细xì
thin

水shuǐ
water

长cháng
long

流liú
flow

花钱要细水长流，不能月初就把工资花光。

Spend steadily; you cannot blow your wages at the start of the month.

Tone: positive (praise).

Learn this in Lesson 57 · HSK 6: 存钱、炒股与理财 (Saving, stocks and money management)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.