--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Expense, and great expense, may be an…" description: "\"Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy. If parsimony were to be considered as one of the kinds of that virtue, there is, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg" --- # Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in… ![“Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy. If parsimony were to be considered as one of the kinds of that virtue, there is, however, another and a higher economy. Economy is a distinctive virtue, and consists not in saving, but in selection.” quote by Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg) > “Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy. If parsimony were to be considered as one of the kinds of that virtue, there is, however, another and a higher economy. Economy is a distinctive virtue, and consists not in saving, but in selection.” [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True economic virtue lies in discerning valuable choices, not merely frugality; selection is a higher form of prudence. **In simple terms:** Economy is about choosing wisely, not just saving. Key Takeaway Prioritize thoughtful selection over mere thrift. Themes economics virtue selection prudence philosophy Mood analytical thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical economic When to use this quote - budgeting - investment strategy - policy making - personal finance Key Concepts decision theory value theory resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance selection with necessary savings? - When is frugality more virtuous than selection? A Different Perspective The concept may undervalue the importance of saving in certain contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distinctive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinctive/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Economy Parsimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy-parsimony-2556185/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Expense Essential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expense-essential-2556188/) [Expenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Parsimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parsimony/) [Parsimony Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parsimony-considered-2556186/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Selection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selection/) [True Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-economy-2556187/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Mere parsimony is not economy. Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/mere-parsimony-is-not-economy-expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Economy is a distributive virtue, and consists not in saving but in selection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/economy-is-a-distributive-virtue-and-consists-not-in-saving-but-in/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Economy is a distributive virtue, and consists not in saving but selection. Parsimony requires no providence, no sagacity, no powers of combination, no comparison,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/economy-is-a-distributive-virtue-and-consists-not-in-saving-but/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear the old clothes a little longer if necessary; dispense with the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/true-economy-consists-in-always-making-the-income-exceed-the-out-go/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [What is the good of life if its chief element, and that which must always be its chief element, is odious? No, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/what-is-the-good-of-life-if-its-chief-element-and-that-which-must/) [Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/) > [True economy consists in always making the income exceed the outgo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/true-economy-consists-in-always-making-the-income-exceed-the-outgo/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Disinformation has become the world's true economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/disinformation-has-become-the-world-s-true-economy/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [The true - the true economy has got to come back into balance with the very biosphere that sustains us. And I think a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/the-true-the-true-economy-has-got-to-come-back-into-balance-with-the/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Evolutionary biologists often appeal to parsimony when they seek to explain why organisms "match" with respect to a given trait. For example, why do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/evolutionary-biologists-often-appeal-to-parsimony-when-they-seek-to/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [It is more parsimonious to assume that the sun goes around the Earth, that atoms at the smallest scale operate in accordance with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/it-is-more-parsimonious-to-assume-that-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth/) [David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/) > [It really comes down to parsimony, economy of explanation. It is possible that your car engine is driven by psychokinetic energy, but if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-really-comes-down-to-parsimony-economy-of-explanation-it-is/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [My father died when I was two years old. But my mother was quite capable. She raised three children with his war pension which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-andreotti/my-father-died-when-i-was-two-years-old-but-my-mother-was-quite/) [Giulio Andreotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giulio-andreotti/) > [With parsimony a little is sufficient; without it nothing is sufficient; but frugality makes a poor man rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/with-parsimony-a-little-is-sufficient-without-it-nothing-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [There is nothing worse than being ashamed of parsimony or poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/there-is-nothing-worse-than-being-ashamed-of-parsimony-or-poverty/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [While society cannot provide employment for its members, the production/work/income nexus has to be abandoned as a justification for our present parsimony to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/while-society-cannot-provide-employment-for-its-members-the/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) ## More by Edmund Burke > [It is the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/it-is-the-interest-of-the-commercial-world-that-wealth-should-be/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“Many of the greatest tyrants on the records of history have begun their reigns in the fairest manner. But the truth is, this unnatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/many-of-the-greatest-tyrants-on-the-records-of-history-have-begun/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“Wise men will apply their remedies to vices, not to names; to the causes of evil which are permanent, not to the occasional organs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/wise-men-will-apply-their-remedies-to-vices-not-to-names-to-the/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“A man full of warm, speculative benevolence may wish his society otherwise constituted than he finds it; but a good patriot, and a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-man-full-of-warm-speculative-benevolence-may-wish-his-society/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [My vigour relents. I pardon something to the spirit of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/my-vigour-relents-i-pardon-something-to-the-spirit-of-liberty/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [A speculative despair is unpardonable where it our duty to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-speculative-despair-is-unpardonable-where-it-our-duty-to-act/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The great must submit to the dominion of prudence and of virtue, or none will long submit to the dominion of thegreat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-great-must-submit-to-the-dominion-of-prudence-and-of-virtue-or/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though but for one year, never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/those-who-have-been-once-intoxicated-with-power-and-have-derived-any/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [What is it we all seek for in an election? To answer its real purposes, you must first possess the means of knowing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/what-is-it-we-all-seek-for-in-an-election-to-answer-its-real-purposes/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Society is indeed a contract. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/society-is-indeed-a-contract-it-is-a-partnership-in-all-science-a/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [You can never plan the future by the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/you-can-never-plan-the-future-by-the-past/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The great inlet by which a colour for oppression has entered into the world is by one man's pretending to determine concerning the happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-great-inlet-by-which-a-colour-for-oppression-has-entered-into-the/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [By the disposition of a stupendous wisdom, moulding together the great mysterious incorporation of the human race, the whole, at one time, is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/by-the-disposition-of-a-stupendous-wisdom-moulding-together-the-great/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Religion, to have any force upon men's understandings,--indeed, to exist at all,--must be supposed paramount to law, and independent for its substance upon any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/religion-to-have-any-force-upon-men-s-understandings-indeed-to-exist/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Explore all 595 Edmund Burke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) ## More Distinctive quotes > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [I don't think that we really know a whole lot about Barack Obama at all that you would really call distinctive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-mcwhorter/i-don-t-think-that-we-really-know-a-whole-lot-about-barack-obama-at/) [John H. McWhorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-mcwhorter/) > [I have always considered The Merry Wives one of the worst plays, if not altogether the worst, that Shakespeare has left us. The wit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/i-have-always-considered-the-merry-wives-one-of-the-worst-plays-if/) [George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/) > [There are some weaknesses that are peculiar and distinctive to generous characters, as freckles are to a fair skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/there-are-some-weaknesses-that-are-peculiar-and-distinctive-to/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [For a human being, to possess a consciously experienced first-person perspective means to have acquired a very specific functional profile and distinctive level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/for-a-human-being-to-possess-a-consciously-experienced-first-person/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [While cities are distinguished by their architecture and physical appearance, Bell and de-Shalit make a compelling case that many major world cities--and their inhabitants--also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witold-rybczynski/while-cities-are-distinguished-by-their-architecture-and-physical/) [Witold Rybczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witold-rybczynski/) > [God has spoken very boldly about his desire to be a presence in our lives. If I want to heal the ache and loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/god-has-spoken-very-boldly-about-his-desire-to-be-a-presence-in-our/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [There's a guy in the audience with a distinctive laugh. I hope that guy is miked. The only problem with having a distinctive laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-s-a-guy-in-the-audience-with-a-distinctive-laugh-i-hope-that/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I have not been on any river that has more of a distinctive personality than does the Missouri River. It's a river that immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/i-have-not-been-on-any-river-that-has-more-of-a-distinctive/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [Psychosynthesis brings the matter to a point of extreme simplicity, seeing the self as the most elementary and distinctive part of our beings -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-ferrucci/psychosynthesis-brings-the-matter-to-a-point-of-extreme-simplicity/) [Piero Ferrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-ferrucci/) > [Its really good to have so distinctive a name as an actress. No one ever forgets it. My sister and brother are called Perdita…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honeysuckle-weeks/its-really-good-to-have-so-distinctive-a-name-as-an-actress-no-one/) [Honeysuckle Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honeysuckle-weeks/) > [“A distinctive appearance and a simple set of characteristics lead to an extremely flexible brand. (pg. 38)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-phoenix/a-distinctive-appearance-and-a-simple-set-of-characteristics-lead-to/) [Woodrow Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-phoenix/) > [Having Alexei Ratmansky create a new Romeo and Juliet for The National Ballet of Canada to mark our 60th anniversary is a dream come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kain/having-alexei-ratmansky-create-a-new-romeo-and-juliet-for-the/) [Karen Kain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kain/) > [A great man need not be virtuous, nor his opinions right, but he must have a firm mind, a distinctive luminous character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/a-great-man-need-not-be-virtuous-nor-his-opinions-right-but-he-must/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Although skin color is undoubtedly the most salient signal of racial identity in America, other actual or imagined bodily features have also been seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-kennedy/although-skin-color-is-undoubtedly-the-most-salient-signal-of-racial/) [Randall Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-kennedy/) [Browse all 250 Distinctive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinctive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy. If parsimony were to be considered as one of the kinds of that virtue, there is, however, another and a higher economy. Economy is a distinctive virtue, and consists not in saving, but in selection.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edmund Burke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-essential-part-in-true-economy-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Distinctive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-essential-part-in-true-economy-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/edmund-burke-400_distinctive_expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-esse_1867646.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy. If parsimony were to be considered as…” — Edmund Burke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edmund Burke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Expense, and great expense, may be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-essential-part-in-true-economy-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/expense-and-great-expense-may-be-an-essential-part-in-true-economy-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```