put the cart before the horse

phrase

: to do things in the wrong order
People are putting the cart before the horse by making plans on how to spend the money before we are even certain that the money will be available.

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“Put the cart before the horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20the%20cart%20before%20the%20horse. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.

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