proverb · Words worth keeping
Who will not save a penny, shall never have many.
Who will not save a penny, shall never have many.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Care for modest resources may contribute to having more available later. The saying exaggerates that connection when it makes a single saving habit necessary for prosperity.
Example
A group avoids a small repeated expense that serves no useful purpose and keeps the resource for an agreed need.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The penny stands for a small amount that might otherwise be dismissed. It can encourage avoiding a repeated unnecessary loss. It does not show that people with little have failed to save, or that retaining small sums will overcome inadequate resources. A useful reading identifies a realistic choice without making thrift the whole explanation of financial circumstances.
When to use it
Use it to consider a modest avoidable loss.
Keep in mind
Thrift does not guarantee wealth, and limited means do not prove poor choices.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English