Skip to main content

20 Money Quotes That Will Inspire You

By U.S. News & World Report

Sometimes, the most powerful inspiration we can find for the goals in our life comes expressed in the words of a wise person — one who has found the success we dream of and the right words to articulate it, or one who has lived a long and varied life and has experienced many things along the path.

On the road to financial independence, I’ve found many such words of wisdom that have provided great inspiration. Here are 20 such quotes. Find a few that inspire you, copy and paste them, and put them in places that will keep you inspired.

“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” ? Benjamin Franklin

“As a woman you are better off in life earning your own money. You couldn’t prevent your husband from leaving you or taking another wife, but you could have some of your dignity if you didn’t have to beg him for financial support.” ? Ayaan Hirsi Ali, “Infidel”

“Our life is frittered away by detail … simplify, simplify.” ? Henry David Thoreau

[Read: 4 Personal Finance Books That Will Inspire You.]

“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.” ? Calvin Coolidge

“He who will not economize will have to agonize.” ? Confucius

“Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one’s self?” ? Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A man wants to earn money in order to be happy, and his whole effort and the best of a life are devoted to the earning of that money. Happiness is forgotten; the means are taken for the end.” ? Albert Camus

“The way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything.” ? Benjamin Franklin

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like.” ? Will Rogers

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ? Epictetus

“Every time you borrow money, you’re robbing your future self.” ? Nathan W. Morris

“Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.” ? Elise Boulding

[See: 10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time.]

“Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.” ? Samuel Johnson

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ? Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The amount of money you have has got nothing to do with what you earn. People earning a million dollars a year can have no money. People earning $35,000 a year can be quite well off. It’s not what you earn, it’s what you spend.” ? Paul Clitheroe

“My stove is old. My wallpaper is old. It’s the same wallpaper from when I moved here, and I never changed it. Why would I change it? I just keep it clean. If you take better care of things, you can hold onto them longer. That’s how I still run things. If it works, I keep it. If it doesn’t, I see if I can use it for something else. If I can’t, and I usually can, I toss it.” ? Clara Cannucciari

[See: 12 Millennial-Inspired Ways to Spend Less.]

“I make myself rich by making my wants few.” ? Henry David Thoreau

“Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 19 [pounds], 19 [shillings] and six [pence] result happiness. Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 20 pounds ought and six, result misery.” ? Charles Dickens

“Don’t think money does everything, or you are going to end up doing everything for money.” ? Voltaire

More from U.S. News

12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget

10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time

9 Ways to Invest on a Small Budget

20 Money Quotes That Will Inspire You originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote