Phrase guide

a penny saved is a penny earned

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

A maxim for thrift stating that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: a penny saved is a penny gained

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

First use appears c. 1804. See cite below. Commonly misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, who actually wrote "a penny saved is two pence clear."

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 聚沙成塔 (jùshāchéngtǎ) — a maxim advocating thriftiness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 积水成河 — a maxim advocating thriftiness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 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 — a maxim advocating thriftiness
  • Jamaican Creole: every mikkle mek a mukkle — a maxim advocating thriftiness
  • Swedish: den som spar han har — a maxim advocating thriftiness