Just vacuum to your filter. You won't need to backwash it every time either. Just watch your pressure. When it rises 8-10psi over your clean filter pressure, then backwash. (Or if you notice a big drop in the flow at the return.)

The only time someone might vacuum to waste is if they are picking up piles of algae or something like that.

(Go ahead and edit your signature to add your filter info. You can do so by clicking on the link in my signature above.)