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100 Words On: Why a Penny Saved Is More Than a Penny Earned

By Len Penzo

I think it was the Quaker Oats guy who famously declared that a penny saved is a penny earned. However, because of taxes, a penny saved is actually worth more than a penny earned. To illustrate, if you happen to be in the 10% tax bracket, every taxed dollar you earn is worth only $0.90; tack on FICA, state and other taxes and it’s worth even less.

The bottom line: Although striving to continually increase your income should always be your first goal, finding ways to save by cutting your spending is actually more cost effective than earning money.

Photo Credit: stevendepolo

34 Comments December 1, 2016

Comments

  1. 1

    Nona says

    Good point! Never thought of it… but it’s completely true!

    Reply
  2. 2

    Everyday Tips says

    Very interesting Len. What if I earn my penny under the table though? 🙂

    Some people earn (or win) a lot of money, and find themselves penniless because they never learned the art of saving.

    Reply
  3. 3

    Squirrelers says

    Interesting, Len. So basic but surprisingly not obvious to many.

    Best 100-word post I’ve seen:)

    Reply
  4. 4

    Bret @ Hope to Prosper says

    Len,

    You forgot about Sales tax.

    A penny spent is only .9125 cents here in Cali.

    Reply
  5. 5

    Budgeting in the Fun Stuff says

    LOL. I thought you were going to mention interest, not taxes. Either way, a penny saved is more than a penny earned. 🙂

    Reply
  6. 6

    Joe Plemon says

    I had to read this just to see if it was really a 100 word post. You proved that you are able to save words as well as pennies. Tax free.

    Reply
  7. 7

    Mr Credit Card says

    that may be true. But you can only save on what you spend (so there is a cap). While earnings could theoretically be infinite (or at least the potential)

    Reply
  8. 8

    krantcents says

    Saving for me is a given! I make a game out of spending, finding better ways to increase its value and spend less.

    Reply
  9. 9

    Barb Friedberg says

    Len, Personally, I like to earn more and save more. That way I’m definitely covered. This article was beautifully written.

    Reply
  10. 10

    Len Penzo says

    @Nona: Hola, Nona! Si, es verdad! Gracias!
    @Everyday: If you earn your penny under the table, consider yourself fortunate — just don’t tell the IRS. Wait, you just did.
    @Squirrelers: Thanks, Wise Squirrel! This is going to be a weekly feature here.
    @Bret: I know, but I only had 100 words. 😉
    @BIFS: Fooled ya!
    @Joe: Oooh, I like that! Eloquently said, as always, Joe.
    @Mr.CC: Yep. That’s why I said it we should strive to earn money first! I wanted to get your point in, but that 100 word limit is a real pain. LOL
    @krantcents: I like you, krantcents. For some reason you remind me of another blogger whose initials are FS.
    @Barb: Me too. Thank you for the kind words, Girlfriend. 🙂

    Reply
  11. 11

    Khaleef @ KNS Financial says

    Great point! This is why it pays to take care of huge gaps in your finances. Then once you hit that cap, ramp up the income!

    Reply
  12. 12

    Jenna says

    Plus, you can do cool stuff with pennies, like this: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/tile-stone-countertops/penny-tile-floor-at-the-standard-hotel-notcotcom-088953

    Reply
  13. 13

    Marie@familymoneyvalues.com says

    Impressive – I have trouble saying anything in 100 words!

    Saving is good, but savings can be taxed. Some states have (or used to have) an intangibles tax (tax on money sitting in savings). Nasty stuff!

    Reply
    • 14

      Bobbo says

      I actually found this more entteriainng than James Joyce.

      Reply
  14. 15

    Len Penzo says

    @Khaleef: Well said. While it’s better to ramp up your income, sometimes it may be very difficult to do so and out of our control (to some extent). The nice thing is cutting expenses is *always* within our control.
    @Jenna: That’s cool! Thanks for the link! 🙂
    @Marie: I know. Never underestimate the power of politicians to tax something.

    Reply
  15. 16

    Jennifer Barry says

    Nice post, Len! It’s hard for me to say anything in less than 500 words. 😉 It’s important to not be “penny wise and pound foolish” though. I sure hope Bernanke doesn’t come up with a savings tax to spur consumption!

    Reply
    • 17

      Len Penzo says

      Ha! It’s tough for me too. I think a savings tax would be really cruel to folks on a fixed income.

      Reply
  16. 18

    ChrisCD says

    First time visitor. Came from a post by Oblivious Investor.

    The sales tax only comes into question if you spend the savings on a taxable item. :O)

    Savings and earnings are correlated, but if you drop your energy bill, you can put that in the bank. :O)

    Finally, you included a picture. Since a picture is worth a 1000 words, you are at 1100 words. :O)

    Good stuff.
    cd :O)

    Reply
  17. 19

    technopeasant says

    A penny saved is only better than a penny earned when your future ISNT A HOWLING BLACK HOLE!

    Reply
  18. 20

    Doable Finance says

    How true!

    Reply
  19. 21

    Doable Finance says

    Yap! the concept gets a lot clearer when you do your own taxes. However, for the rich, there are many loopholes they benefit from when they save what could be going to the Federal Treasury. The tax system is designed such that the so-called 1% can take advantage from.

    Reply
  20. 22

    Jose says

    So true! Len, I think you understate what a penny earned is actually worth. After Federal and State Income taxes, Fica, Medicare and sales tax I think that every dollar I earn is only worth .65 cents. What a depressing thought.

    Reply
  21. 23

    Sassy Mamaw says

    I love this post, Len. It is so true. Between taxes and the interest earned on savings, these 100 words will encourage people to double check that they’re saving as much as possible.

    Reply
  22. 24

    Michael in SoCal says

    Great post – I’m gonna steal it and put it as my facebook status, with a link.

    Reply
  23. 25

    Greg@ClubThrifty says

    Mmmmm….oatmeal….*drool*

    Reply
  24. 26

    Neil Parsons says

    Here in Canada the penny was official withdrawn from service on February 4, 2013. One reason was it cost the Canadian mint more than a cent to produce the coin. I have to say it does make the coin purse a lot lighter. http://www.cp24.com/news/mint-officially-ends-distribution-of-canadian-penny-1.1141740

    Reply
  25. 27

    Cherleen @ My Personal Finance Journey says

    “…finding ways to save by cutting your spending is actually more cost effective than earning money.”

    I definitely agree! Unfortunately, many people do not realize this fact.

    Reply
  26. 28

    My Financial Independence Journey says

    Actually, a penny picked up off the ground is worth more than either a penny saved or earned. And it’s value goes up as your effective tax rate increases. Because at no point has it been subjected to the litany of Federal, State and Local taxes.

    Reply
  27. 29

    joe says

    Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, not some “Quaker Oats guy.”

    Some history on the origin of this term:
    http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-penny-saved-is-a-penny-earned.html

    Reply
    • 30

      Len Penzo says

      Um … that was a joke, joe. But thanks for the link!

      Reply
  28. 31

    Madhushalini says

    Len: I really enjoyed your article. Very clever!

    Reply
  29. 32

    Liz says

    I always look for opportunities to save more!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. You Can Call Me Almost Anything, But Don't Call Me Cheap - Len Penzo dot Com says:
    January 15, 2018 at 4:15 am

    […] cheapskates, frugal people not only understand that a penny saved is worth more than a penny earned, but that those saved pennies are meant to be eventually spent in the pursuit of happiness. […]

    Reply
  2. You Can Call Me Almost Anything, But Don’t Call Me Cheap – Len Penzo dot Com says:
    January 3, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    […] cheapskates, frugal people not only understand that a penny saved is worth more than a penny earned, but that those saved pennies are meant to be eventually spent in the pursuit of happiness. […]

    Reply

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