As September draws to a close, this proverb is a useful reminder to separate hoped-for gains from what is already secure.
捕らぬ狸の皮算用 Toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō English equivalent: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Traditional Japanese proverb
The image is of calculating what a tanuki's skin will sell for before catching the animal. The proverb cautions against making plans that depend on gains you have not secured.
Literal image: Calculating the price of a tanuki’s skin before catching it.
捕らぬ (toranu) means not caught. 狸 (tanuki) is a raccoon dog. 皮算用 (kawazan'yō) pictures gains before they are secured.
Keep a little space between what you hope for and what you can rely on.
Practice: まだ決まっていない収入は、当てにしない。 Mada kimatte inai shūnyū wa, ate ni shinai. Don't count on income that isn't confirmed yet.
Sources: Kanjipedia: https://www.kanjipedia.jp/kotoba/0006304700 Shogakukan dictionaries via Kotobank: https://kotobank.jp/word/取らぬ狸の皮算用-586148