We all know that saving money is a good thing, but for many of us the urge to spend is one of the most uncontrollable vices we have. They say money can’t buy happiness but it can sure buy a whole lot of things that feel like it. Everything costs money and so the temptation to spend is omnipresent. You have advertisements on every corner taunting you with whatever you don’t have, peer pressure from friends and family who make you feel like you’ll miss out on the next best thing, and fast food on every corner serving up quick snacks scientifically designed to be addictively delicious. Sometimes, our own willpower just isn’t enough and we need to rely on some of the guidance and wisdom of others to help us put down the credit card and start saving some money! Here are 50 of the greatest quotes about saving money to help you start stacking that cash:
1) “A penny saved is a penny earned.” – Benjamin Franklin
Perhaps one of the most classic quotes about frugality of all time, we have to give special mention to American founding father Benjamin Franklin. Everyone needs to start somewhere and a penny a day can really add up over time, especially when combined with the power of compound interest!
2) “Do not save what is left after spending; instead, spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffet
3) “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” – Steve Jobs
4) “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” – Dave Ramsey
5) “Know what you own, and know why you own it.” – Peter Lynch
6) “Never spend your money before you have it.” – Thomas Jefferson
7) “If you’re saving, you’re succeeding.” – Steve Burkholder
8) “The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind.” – T.T. Munger
9) “A budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.” – John C. Maxwell
10) “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” – James W. Frick
11) “It takes character to sit there with all that cash and do nothing. I didn’t get to where I am by going after mediocre opportunities.” – Charlie Munger
12) “It’s never too late to encourage long-term savings” – Ron Lewis
13) “If you do not know how to care for money, money will stay away from you.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki
14) “If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.” – Warren Buffet
There is often a temptation to priorities the wants of today instead of thinking ahead towards what may be best for our future. Oftentimes it is important to note that building wealth isn’t necessarily about being a genius investor, getting insanely lucky, or working 24/7 for your entirely life; sometimes, it’s as simple as patience, discipline, and making sound financial decisions like saving money over time.
15) “Before investing or starting a company, make sure you have enough money saved for at least six months to pay bills or anything else that might come up financially.” – John Paul DeJoria
16) “Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.” – Donald Trump
17) “By definition, saving for anything requires us to not get things now so that we can get bigger ones later.” – Jean Chatzky
18) “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Rogers
19) “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Henry David Thoreau
20) “Save your money. Save as much money as you possibly can. Save every penny you can.” – Mark Cuban
21) “There is nothing wrong with having nice things. But, when you are trying to buy nice things to be happy, you are going to hurt. It’s not going to work.” – Dave Ramsey
22) “Once you get into debt, it’s hell to get out. Don’t let credit card debt carry over. You can’t get ahead paying eighteen percent.” – Charlie Munger
23) “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
24) “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” – Benjamin Franklin
25) “The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind.” – T.T. Munger
26) “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.” – Edmund Burke
One thing that it is easy to lose sight of is the fact that we control our finances, they do not control us. Saving is always an option – even if its only a little bit at a time whenever we’re able. Remember, making more money doesn’t always mean you have to spend more! Getting a raise, an unexpected financial windfall, or lowering your bills isn’t a signal to spend more, it’s a signal to save more!
27) “Frugality includes all the other virtues.” – Cicero
28) “Focus on all four of your net worth factors: increasing your income, increasing your savings, increasing your investment returns, and decreasing your cost of living by simplifying your lifestyle.” – T. Harv Eker
29) “Every time you borrow money, you’re robbing your future self.” – Nathan W. Morris
30) “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
31) “More people should learn to tell their dollars where to go instead of asking them where they went.” – Roger Babson
32) “It’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for.” – Robert Kiyosaki
33) “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” – Socrates
34) “If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money; but it takes a wise man to save and dispose of it to his own advantage.” – Brigham Young
It’s important to note that saving money isn’t solely about getting rich and building wealth. Having money saved is also imperative to help relieve financial stresses which will help you make better more clear-headed decisions; It allows you a cushion in case of unfortunate circumstances like job loss or medical emergencies; and it gives you a stash to draw upon whenever any financial oppurtunties do arise (like a surprise bear market!).
35) “Once you really accept that spending money doesn’t equal happiness, you have half the battle won.” – Ernest Callenbach
36) “To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones.” – George Washington
37) “If you work only for money, you will never be happy.” – Tim Cook
38) “Enough is better than too much.” – Dutch Proverb
39) “Save up six months income. If you don’t like you job at some point or get fired or you have to move or something goes wrong, you’re going to need at least six months income.” – Mark Cuban
40) “Try to save something while your salary is small; it’s impossible to save after you begin to earn more.” – Jack Benny
41) “He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.” – Swedish proverb
42) “Without frugality none can be rich and with it very few would be poor.” – Samuel Johnson
43) “Look everywhere you can to cut a little bit from your expenses. It will all add up to a meaningful sum.” – Suze Orman
44) “Avoid the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts.” – George Washington
45) “Wealth can only be accumulated by the earnings of industry and the savings of frugality.” – John Tyler
46) “Many folks think they aren’t good at earning money, when what they don’t know is how to use it.” – Frank A. Clark
47) “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
48) “Earn as much as you can, save as much as you can, invest as much as you can, give as much as you can.” – John Wesley
49) “Wise spending is part of wise investing. And it’s never too late to start.” – Rhonda Katz
50) “In fact, what determines your wealth is not how much you make but how much you keep of what you make.” – David Bach
To finish with one final well-known quote: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. No matter where you are in your savings journey, remember that everyone starts somewhere. Even just setting aside a small amount each month can have an incredible cascading impact on your future. Remember it’s not just about how much money you make – but how much you keep!
