penny wise, pound foolish
Small savings, big losses
Penny wise, pound foolish describes someone who saves small amounts while wasting larger ones—careful with minor expenses but careless with major ones.
The phrase captures a common irrationality: obsessing over a few dollars while ignoring thousands.
He refused to pay for proper maintenance, then spent a fortune on repairs—penny wise, pound foolish.
- spendthriftReckless with money
- maximBrief moral principle
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- budget cutsPlanned spending reductions
- frugalityEconomical resource management
shortsightedness · false economy · economizing · cheap and cheerful · cutting corners · proverb · adage · aphorism · thriftiness · bargain · nickel and dime · saying · opportunity cost · bill · cash · motto · idiom · coin
penny wise, pound foolishprudent
Exercising sound judgment
thrifty · frugal · economical · shrewd · sensible
penny wise, pound foolishseeing the forest for the trees
Perceiving whole despite parts
pennies, wisest, wisely, unwisely, unwise, pounds, pounding, pounded, foolish