penny-wise and pound-foolish
Thrifty yet wasteful
Penny-wise and pound-foolish describes someone who economizes on small expenses while wasting money on large ones—careful with pennies but careless with pounds.
The phrase criticizes false frugality: She refused to buy quality shoes, then spent hundreds on podiatrist visits. Penny-wise and pound-foolish.
The pounds are British currency, but the expression works anywhere.
- penny-wiseFrugal in minor matters
- counterproductiveHindering intended outcome
- false economySavings that backfire
- frugalSparing with resources
- thriftyPrudent with resources
nickel and dime · cheapskate · opportunity cost · trade-offs · miserly · parsimonious · overspending · cost-benefit analysis · mismanagement · wastefulness · shortsightedness · diminishing returns · rob Peter to pay Paul · cost-cutting · investment strategy · miser · budgeting · myopic
penny-wise and pound-foolishprudent
Exercising sound judgment
economical · shrewd · sensible · judicious · cost-effective
penny-wise and pound-foolishseeing the forest for the trees
Perceiving whole despite parts
penny-wise and pound-foolishkeeping one's eye on the ball
Maintaining focus on essentials
pennies, wisest, wisely, wisdom, unwise, unwisely, pounds, pounded, pounding