--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we can't be free at least we can be…" description: "\"If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.\" — Frank Zappa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg" --- # If we can't be free at least we can be cheap. ![“If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.” quote by Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg) > “If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.” [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If freedom isn’t possible, affordability can be a viable alternative, reflecting a pragmatic stance on liberty. **In simple terms:** When free isn’t possible, cheap is the next best. Key Takeaway Seek cost-effective solutions when ideal options are unavailable. Themes freedom affordability pragmatism choice economics Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - budget budgeting - open-source alternatives - community sharing - DIY projects Key Concepts political philosophy economic theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - When is affordability insufficient without freedom? - How can societies ensure both liberty and accessibility? A Different Perspective The view may ignore the importance of autonomy beyond cost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cheap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Cheap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-cheap-239165/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [If we cannot be free, we can at least be cheap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-we-cannot-be-free-we-can-at-least-be-cheap/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Grace is free, but it's not cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/grace-is-free-but-it-s-not-cheap/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [People are free or cheap. Marketing: using Twitter or blogs. Cheap or free. Infrastructure: call up Amazon, call up Rackspace, terabytes of data in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/people-are-free-or-cheap-marketing-using-twitter-or-blogs-cheap-or/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Why is Wi-Fi free at cheap hotels but $14 a night at expensive ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pogue/why-is-wi-fi-free-at-cheap-hotels-but-14-a-night-at-expensive-ones/) [David Pogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pogue/) > [If you love anything set it free unless it is a tiger..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshitij-roshan/if-you-love-anything-set-it-free-unless-it-is-a-tiger/) [Kshitij Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshitij-roshan/) > [Love doesnt stake claims. It is free for the giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/love-doesnt-stake-claims-it-is-free-for-the-giving/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/) [Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/) > [My work is a love for me; I'd do it for free, but don't tell my bosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chick-hearn/my-work-is-a-love-for-me-i-d-do-it-for-free-but-don-t-tell-my-bosses/) [Chick Hearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chick-hearn/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [On stage you're free. You can say and do things that if you said and did any place else, you'd be arrested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/on-stage-you-re-free-you-can-say-and-do-things-that-if-you-said-and/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [The point is to be free, not to be crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/the-point-is-to-be-free-not-to-be-crazy/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [“...you are strong only as long as you don't deprive people of everything . For a person you've taken everything from is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/you-are-strong-only-as-long-as-you-don-t-deprive-people-of-everything/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“She felt wild and unruly, determined and free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/she-felt-wild-and-unruly-determined-and-free/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [In Free, we managed ourselves, and it was too tough for us to handle all of what that entailed when we got to touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/in-free-we-managed-ourselves-and-it-was-too-tough-for-us-to-handle/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) ## More by Frank Zappa > [If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-you-want-to-get-laid-go-to-college-if-you-want-an-education-go-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [While your children are sleeping, your puppy is crappin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/while-your-children-are-sleeping-your-puppy-is-crappin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Very few people do covers of my tunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/very-few-people-do-covers-of-my-tunes/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Cocaine decisions that you make today, will mean nothing later on when you get nose decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/cocaine-decisions-that-you-make-today-will-mean-nothing-later-on-when/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/government-is-the-entertainment-division-of-the-military-industrial/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Do your job and do it right, life's a ball, TV tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/do-your-job-and-do-it-right-life-s-a-ball-tv-tonight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Fact of the matter is, there is no hip world, there is no straight world. There's a world, you see which has people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/fact-of-the-matter-is-there-is-no-hip-world-there-is-no-straight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Broken hearts are for assholes, are you an asshole?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/broken-hearts-are-for-assholes-are-you-an-asshole/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Anyone who is disturbed by the idea of newts in a nightclub is potentially dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/anyone-who-is-disturbed-by-the-idea-of-newts-in-a-nightclub-is/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/the-bigger-the-cushion-the-better-the-pushin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Give me the enchilada with the pickle sauce shoved up between the donkey's ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/give-me-the-enchilada-with-the-pickle-sauce-shoved-up-between-the/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Sit and spin 'til you rot on the cosmic utensil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/sit-and-spin-til-you-rot-on-the-cosmic-utensil/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [To me absurdity is the only reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/to-me-absurdity-is-the-only-reality/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Is this something new, having people stomp on you? Is it what I need to do for your pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/is-this-something-new-having-people-stomp-on-you-is-it-what-i-need-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/look-here-brother-who-you-jivin-with-that-cosmik-debris/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) [Explore all 400 Frank Zappa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## More Cheap quotes > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [In cloths cheap handsomeness, doth bear the bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-cloths-cheap-handsomeness-doth-bear-the-bell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The only way to learn on a zero dollar budget is to talk to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-only-way-to-learn-on-a-zero-dollar-budget-is-to-talk-to-people/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/there-s-a-whole-generation-of-women-who-never-really-heard-the-word/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [If cheap immigrant labor is made unavailable, employers can hire Americans at a higher wage, or replace low-wage immigrant workers with technology and automation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/if-cheap-immigrant-labor-is-made-unavailable-employers-can-hire/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [“Many great opportunities are not cheap; but some cheap opportunities are so great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iveta-cherneva/many-great-opportunities-are-not-cheap-but-some-cheap-opportunities/) [Iveta Cherneva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iveta-cherneva/) > [“Sorry is so cheap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/sorry-is-so-cheap/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There would be weeks when I'd just go to Paris on a cheap ticket, sleep on my friend's floor, and just do a show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skepta/there-would-be-weeks-when-i-d-just-go-to-paris-on-a-cheap-ticket/) [Skepta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skepta/) > [Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-buy-what-you-do-not-want-because-it-is-cheap-it-will-be-dear-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The United States has the best, deepest, widest, and most transparent capital markets in the world which give you, the investor, the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-united-states-has-the-best-deepest-widest-and-most-transparent/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [This MeToo is bothering me much, making me shun TV and newspapers. They are making such wild charges for cheap publicity, claiming something happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sowcar-janaki/this-metoo-is-bothering-me-much-making-me-shun-tv-and-newspapers-they/) [Sowcar Janaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sowcar-janaki/) > [I'm sad that my childhood came just slightly before the lithium-ion-battery boom, because I would've killed for the cheap radio-controlled helicopters they have now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/i-m-sad-that-my-childhood-came-just-slightly-before-the-lithium-ion/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [Grace is free, but it's not cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/grace-is-free-but-it-s-not-cheap/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [I was a cheap criminal; I did many, many wrongs. I admit that. Of course, if I could tell each person I'm sorry, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/i-was-a-cheap-criminal-i-did-many-many-wrongs-i-admit-that-of-course/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) [Browse all 618 Cheap quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Zappa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-cheap/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cheap" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-cheap/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/frank-zappa-702_cheap_if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-c_2427655.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.” — Frank Zappa", "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": "Frank Zappa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we can't be free at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-cheap/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-we-can-t-be-free-at-least-we-can-be-cheap/#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 } } ] } ```