"why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free" meaning in English

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          "ref": "2005, Steven Gordon, The Future of the Music Business:",
          "text": "The whole idea of why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free relates to offering only a very brief sample of your music online. I have intellectual property, and I treat that intellectual property very seriously as an artist.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Elina Furman, Kiss and Run:",
          "text": "In the past, women who wanted to move in with a boyfriend would get a strict talking-to about a common male mentality: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Inge Auerbacher, Highway To New York: A Lady Truck Driver Adventure, page 38:",
          "text": "I can get plenty of dames, so why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free...ya know what I mean?",
          "type": "quote"
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      "glosses": [
        "Do not expect somebody to make a costly commitment if it will give them nothing they do not already have; used especially as a warning against having sexual intercourse before marriage."
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      "id": "en-why_buy_the_cow_when_you_can_get_the_milk_for_free-en-proverb-6ukyvKcV",
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          "costly",
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          "commitment",
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          "sexual intercourse",
          "sexual intercourse"
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          "marriage",
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      "related": [
        {
          "word": "why buy a book when you can join a library"
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  "word": "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free"
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  "lang_code": "en",
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      "word": "why buy a book when you can join a library"
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          "ref": "2005, Steven Gordon, The Future of the Music Business:",
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          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Elina Furman, Kiss and Run:",
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        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Inge Auerbacher, Highway To New York: A Lady Truck Driver Adventure, page 38:",
          "text": "I can get plenty of dames, so why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free...ya know what I mean?",
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  "word": "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free"
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