[Idiom] YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. - Understanding Why Choices Matter

You cannot simultaneously retain and consume something.

This idiom is used when someone wants to have two incompatible things at the same time. It's like wanting to save your cake for later but also wanting to eat it now - once you eat it, it's gone. This phrase is often used in contexts where choices must be made between two appealing options, each of which excludes the other.

Example Sentences

1. If you spend all your savings now, remember you can't have your cake and eat it too.

   Spending all your savings now means you won’t have them for future needs.

2. He wants both high pay and free time, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.

   He desires both high pay and free time, but it's unrealistic to expect both simultaneously.

3. You can't expect to party all night and do well on the test; you can't have your cake and eat it too.

   Partying all night and doing well on the test are mutually exclusive goals.