Archive for the ‘Frugal History’ Category
A Lesson From A Great Forefather
A Hero From Our Past
Last night I was flipping through some pages of American history. For the last few months, I have been researching our forefathers quite intently. While this country’s economy was being founded, they had to live quite modest. This gave the founders of our country a solid grasp on saving and living frugally.
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most thrifty among them. He was a scholar, a writer, a scientist, an inventor, and a statesman. However I know him as one of the most frugal professors in history. He founded the Poor Richard’s Almanack under a pseudo name. He filled his book full of thrifty ideas and a bit of cynicism towards American’s gluttonous spending habits. This is where the quote, “A penny saved, is a penny earned” famously came from.
Benjamin Franklin was a dubious character for his day. I was under the impression he lived a lavish lifestyle of women and drink. Apparently he revolutionized an American frugality movement. I thought it would be appropriate to give some of Franklin’s best quotes, as an ode to we frugal people. The quote I find the most entertaining is his sixth quote, “Think of saving as well as of getting: the Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes.” If he had any idea the shenanigans our government was playing today, he would be turning in his grave.
Franklin’s Frugality Quotes
“A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last.”
“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”
“Buy what thou hast no need of, and before long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.”
“A fat kitchen makes a lean will.”
“Many estates are spent in the getting, Since women for tea forsook spinning and knitting, And men for punch forsook hewing and splitting.”
“Think of saving as well as of getting: the Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes.”
“Women and wine, game and deceit, Make the wealth small, and the wants great.”
“What maintains one vice, would bring up two children.”
“Who dainties love, shall beggars prove.”
“Fools make Feasts, and wise men eat them.”
“Buy what thou hast no need of, and before long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.”
“Wise men learn by others’ harms, fools scarcely by their own.”
“Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, put out the kitchen fire.”
“A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees.”
“Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom.”
“When the well’s dry, they know the worth of water.”
“If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some.”
“He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.”
“Fond pride of dress, is sure a very curse; E’er fancy you consult, consult your purse.”
“Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy.”
“When you have bought one fine thing you must buy ten more, that your appearance maybe all of a piece.”
“Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”
“Great estates may venture more, But little boats should keep near shore.”
“Pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt.”
“Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy.”
