40 saving money quotes to inspire smart habits

Looking for the perfect quote to spark a money conversation with your child? Whether you want to inspire better saving habits or just bring up the value of a dollar, these saving money quotes can help.

They won’t magically turn your kid into a financial genius, but they can give you a jumping-off point. Maybe it’s something to say when they ask for a toy, or a line you drop while setting up a new savings goal.

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Here are some of our favorite saving money quotes to get you started:

Founding wisdom

1. “A penny saved is a penny earned.” — Benjamin Franklin

2. “Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” — Benjamin Franklin

3. “If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.” — Benjamin Franklin

4. “Never spend your money before you have it.” — Thomas Jefferson

5. “The way to wealth depends on just two words, industry and frugality.” — Benjamin Franklin

6. “Thrift is not an affair of the pocket, but an affair of character.” — S.W. Straus

7. “The habit of saving is itself an education.” — T.T. Munger

8. “Try to save something while your salary is small; it’s impossible to save after you begin to earn more.” — Jack Benny

9. “A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.” — Samuel Johnson

10. “Money makes money. And the money that money makes, makes money.” — Benjamin Franklin

Modern money minds

1. “Balancing your money is the key to having enough.” — Elizabeth Warren

2. “By definition, saving – for anything – requires us to not get things now so that we can get bigger ones later.”— Jean Chatzky.

3. “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” — Dave Ramsey

4. “Saving must become a priority, not just a thought. Pay yourself first.” — Dave Ramsey

5. “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” — John C. Maxwell

6. “Financial freedom is available to those who learn about it and work for it.” — Robert Kiyosaki

7. “Someone who starts saving 15% of their income by age 25 and keeps at it, will be in good shape decades from now.” — Suze Orman

8. “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” — Joe Biden

9. “A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life.” — Suze Orman

10. “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” — Warren Buffett

11. “Saving is the gap between your ego and your income.” — Morgan Housel

Family-focused quotes

1. “Saving is a fine thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.” — Winston Churchill

2. “Use this simple rule of thumb: “Save a quarter for every dollar you get.” — Beth Kobliner

3. “We know parents who tell their kids that they have saved for the kids’ college … those kids are three times more likely to go to college regardless of how much money is in the account.”— Beth Kobliner

4. “An allowance is the best hands-on tool for teaching children how to manage money. ” — Janet Bodnar

5. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffett

6. “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” — Albert Einstein  

7. “I make myself rich by keeping my needs low.” — Henry David Thoreau

Cultural proverbs

1. “Save money and money will save you.” — Jamaican proverb

2. “He who buys what he does not need, steals from himself.” — Swedish proverb

3. “The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.” — English proverb

4. “He who does not economize will have to agonize.” — Confucius

5. “Frugality is the mother of all virtues.” — Latin proverb

6. “Cut your coat according to your cloth.” — English proverb

7. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Chinese proverb

Teen motivators

1. “The question isn’t at what age I want to retire, it’s at what income.” — George Foreman

2. “Overcome the fear of missing out by learning to value what you already have.” — Rachel Cruze

3. “Live below your means, but within your needs.” — Suze Orman

4. “Money looks better in the bank than on your feet.” — Sophia Amoruso

5. “Save for retirement. Start from your first paycheck.” — Chanda Kaushik  

Make saving a habit

Here are a few ways families can turn inspiration into real savings habits:

• Post a quote of the week on your fridge or family whiteboard — something to spark quick chats.

• Ask your kids to pick their favorite and talk about how it could apply to real life.

• Set a small savings goal together inspired by a quote, like matching each other’s savings for a month.

• Use the quote as a reminder during weekly allowance or chore check-ins.

• Keep the conversation going — saving isn’t one-and-done, it’s a habit built over time.

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This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.