Meanings
- A maxim for thrift stating that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime.
I have reason to fear, that too many masters of ships forget that good old saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned".
1804, Joseph Huddart (the Elder), Swansea Harbour. Extracts from the [first] report of J. H. ... shewing his plan for the improvement thereof, dated 1794, page 13Synonyms: a penny saved is a penny gained
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA maxim for thrift stating that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime.
Origin
First use appears c. 1804. See cite below. Commonly misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, who actually wrote "a penny saved is two pence clear."
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 聚沙成塔, 积水成河
- 聚沙成塔 (jùshāchéngtǎ)a maxim advocating thriftiness
- 积水成河a maxim advocating thriftiness
- 省一點是一點 /省一点是一点 (shěng yīdiǎn shì yīdiǎn)a maxim advocating thriftiness
Finnish säästetty markka on tienattu markka
- säästetty markka on tienattu markkaa maxim advocating thriftiness
Swedish den som spar han har
- den som spar han hara maxim advocating thriftiness
Cite this entry
a penny saved is a penny earned. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20penny%20saved%20is%20a%20penny%20earned
“a penny saved is a penny earned.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20penny%20saved%20is%20a%20penny%20earned. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a penny saved is a penny earned,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20penny%20saved%20is%20a%20penny%20earned.
Source: a penny saved is a penny earned on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.