# What does ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ mean?

To “a penny saved is a penny earned” means to frugality is a form of income. Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, though the sentiment is older in English proverbial literature. Brewer's records related maxims of thrift.

## What it means

- Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, though the sentiment is older in English proverbial literature. Brewer's records related maxims of thrift.

## Action steps

1. Standard advice on saving.
2. Example: Skip the coffee out — a penny saved is a penny earned.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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