be sparing with

To all dads of teenage girls, please, be sparing with those ‘light teasing’ remarks.

“Okay, guys, be sparing with the ink, so everyone gets enough. Share. But don’t take too long either, or it might all dry all up.”

If your plant is in a pot that doesn’t drain, you might understandably be sparing with the water you apply.

Because BuildingIQ's clients are keen to save money on electricity, the system can't just try to keep consumption low and forget about context - it also has to be sparing with those microchanges when energy prices are higher.

Even then, be sparing with details.