A penny saved is a penny earned is a proverb that has been in use for hundreds of years. We will examine the meaning of the proverb a penny saved is a penny earned, where the expression came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.
A penny saved is a penny earned means accumulating wealth through thrift is just as gratifying as accumulating wealth that one has earned. The expression can be traced to George Herbert, who published Outlandish Proverbs in 1633: “A penny spar’d is twice got.” The current iteration of the phrase, a penny saved is a penny earned, is attributed to Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard’s Almanack, published in the 1750s, though more specifically, he said: “A penny saved is two pence clear.” Most scholars believe the current proverb was in use prior to that time.
Examples
Lockdown lessons: A penny saved is a penny earned (Hindustan Times)
They wrote: “Learn the prices of things in the stores around you – a penny saved is a penny earned!” (Daily Express)
Boomers had lots of disposable income to spend on items such as cars, clothes and homes, and unlike their “a penny saved is a penny earned” parents, who had lived through the Great Depression and World War II, they were looking for something unique from a new vehicle. (Forbes Magazine)