I have never understood the expression "A penny saved is a penny earned."
Never understood it. I just don't get it. I realize it is an expression to encourage you to save money, but it doesn't make sense. If I save a penny in my savings account, it doesn't mean I earn a penny in interest. Shoot, you need to save $600 to earn a penny's interest it seems.
Maybe I am looking at the expression too deeply or something. Or maybe not deep enough. But if I choose NOT spend it, does some one GIVE me a penny? NO. It just means that the penny I would have spent on NOTHING(which is what a penny buys these days) stays my penny. Do I put it in a "Magic" pocket and it becomes two pennies? Don't think so. Nope. Doesn't happen. It is the SAME PENNY, no less no more.
In fact, now that a penny is pretty much useless, why NOT spend it and get something valuable, instead of just having a piece of money collecting lint in my car's floorboard?
Bottom line: a penny saved is the same penny as you had before. No more, and no less. And that expression needs to be struck from the English language.
1 comment:
You know, the way I see it, this aphorism used to mean something a long time ago, back when that penny could buy you a nice candy bar, but it has since lost it's meaning. Fortunately for Poor Richard's Almanac buffs, this saying is about to make a second coming. With the new tax plans by our savior elect, things should cost less, and people can spend more as the government finds this money for new programs in its very own "Magic" pocket. The penny will have so much value that all of the nation's fountains, couches, and cup holders will be completely change free. The days of Take A Penny Leave A Penny are at their end. It is all about change.
Post a Comment