penny wise and pound foolish
Thrifty yet extravagant
Penny wise and pound foolish describes someone who is careful about small expenses but wasteful with large ones—saving pennies while losing pounds.
The phrase captures a false economy: She refused to pay for a mechanic, then spent thousands when her engine seized.
The British currency reference persists in American usage.
- penny-wiseFrugal in minor matters
- penny wiseFrugal about small amounts
- proverbTraditional saying expressing truth
- maximBrief moral principle
- false economySavings that backfire
short-term · frugal · counterproductive · short-sightedness · saving · adage · cutting corners · miserly · opportunity cost · aphorism · missing the forest for the trees · big picture thinking · expression · cost-cutting · budget cuts · overspending · penny-pinching · robbing Peter to pay Paul
penny wise and pound foolishthrifty
Prudent with resources
prudent · economical · cost-effective · long-term investor · profligate
penny wise and pound foolishkeeping one's eye on the ball
Maintaining focus on essentials
strategic · far-sighted · wise · judicious · discerning
penny wise and pound foolishseeing the forest for the trees
Perceiving whole despite parts
strategic vision · wise · farsighted · judicious · discerning
pennies, wisest, wisely, wisdom, unwise, unwisely, pounds, pounding, pounded