Benjamin Franklin was a very frugal man and had some extremely wise words on the subject. His frugal wisdom still apply to today’s times despite being over 200 years old!

(Benjamin Franklin also wrote a book called The Way To Wealth and there is a link at the bottom of this post to an online version of the book.)

I can relate to: #1, #5, #10, #13, #14, #16, #17, #19, #20 (SO wise), #24, #25 (YES!), #27, #30, #31, #32 (love it), #33, and #36 (touché). So, pretty much all of them. Which ones do you relate to?

Frugality (40-78) – Prudent economy; that careful management of anything valuable which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; thrift; — opposed to extravagance

1. 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

• 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

• But what madness must it be to run in debt for these superfluities!

• When you run in debt; you give to another power over your liberty

• The second vice is lying, the first is running in debt

• Lying rides upon debt’s back

• Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue: ’tis hard for an empty bag to stand upright

• Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set days and times

• Those have a short Lent who owe money to be paid at Easter

• The borrower is a slave to the lender, and the debtor to the creditor

• Disdain the chain, preserve your freedom; and maintain your independency: be industrious and free; be frugal and free

• For age and want, save while you may; No morning sun lasts a whole day

• Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, expense is constant and certain

• Tis easier to build two chimneys than to keep one in fuel

• Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt.

• Get what you can, and what you get hold; ’Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into go

Here’s a free online version of Benjamin Franklin’s book The Way To Wealth if you’re interested in reading more.

How many of Ben Franklin’s frugal ways can you relate to?

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