--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thrift is the really romantic thing…" description: "\"“Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance... But the thing is true; economy, properly understood, is the more po..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/g-k-chesterton-224_human-soul_thrift-is-the-really-romantic-thing-econ_497052.jpg" --- # Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more… ![“Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance... But the thing is true; economy, properly understood, is the more poetic. Thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it is waste. It is prosaic to throw money away, because it is prosaic to…” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/g-k-chesterton-224_human-soul_thrift-is-the-really-romantic-thing-econ_497052.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/g-k-chesterton-224_human-soul_thrift-is-the-really-romantic-thing-econ_497052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/g-k-chesterton-224_human-soul_thrift-is-the-really-romantic-thing-econ_497052.jpg) > ““Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance... But the thing is true; economy, properly understood, is the more poetic. Thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it is waste. It is prosaic to throw money away, because it is prosaic to throw anything away; it is negative; it is a confession of indifference, that is, it is a confession of failure. The most prosaic thing about the house is the dustbin, and the one great objection to the new fastidious and aesthetic homestead is simply that in such a moral menage the dustbin must be bigger than the house. If a man could undertake to make use of all things in his dustbin he would be a broader genius than Shakespeare. When science began to use by-products; when science found that colors could be made out of coaltar, she made her greatest and perhaps her only claim on the real respect of the human soul. Now the aim of the good woman is to use the by-products, or, in other words, to rummage in the dustbin.”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thrift is portrayed as a creative, poetic act, while waste is unpoetic and indifferent; using all resources reflects true genius. **In simple terms:** Saving is poetic; waste is unpoetic. Key Takeaway Embrace resourcefulness and avoid waste. Themes resourcefulness creativity economy poetry Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - household budgeting - environmental activism - product design - zero waste living Key Concepts conservation sustainability creative reuse Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn waste into value? - What does “bigger dustbin” symbolize in your life? A Different Perspective Thrift may be romantic but can also limit indulgence and pleasure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-woman/) [Human soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-soul/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Thrift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrift/) ## Related quotes > [Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance... thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/thrift-is-the-really-romantic-thing-economy-is-more-romantic-than-2/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“Thrift is poetic because it is creative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/thrift-is-poetic-because-it-is-creative/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it is waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thrift-is-poetic-because-it-is-creative-waste-is-unpoetic-because-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anormal day looks like, you know, shower, put on the same jeans, the same tattered Gucci loafers I got at the thrift store, white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/anormal-day-looks-like-you-know-shower-put-on-the-same-jeans-the-same/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [All you have to do is buy cheap and sell dear, act with thrift and shrewdness, and be persistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hetty-green/all-you-have-to-do-is-buy-cheap-and-sell-dear-act-with-thrift-and/) Hetty Green > [Housing Works is the coolest thrift store in the world, because not only are they the best thrift store - they're not the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-miller/housing-works-is-the-coolest-thrift-store-in-the-world-because-not/) [Ezra Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-miller/) > [Old is unwanted. 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His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/the-clerk-tripped-on-the-carpet-hit-a-window-and-went-through/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) [Browse all 292 Good woman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-woman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance... But the thing is true; economy, properly understood, is the more poetic. Thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is unpoetic because it is waste. It is prosaic to throw money away, because it is prosaic to throw anything away; it is negative; it is a confession of indifference, that is, it is a confession of failure. The most prosaic thing about the house is the dustbin, and the one great objection to the new fastidious and aesthetic homestead is simply that in such a moral menage the dustbin must be bigger than the house. If a man could undertake to make use of all things in his dustbin he would be a broader genius than Shakespeare. When science began to use by-products; when science found that colors could be made out of coaltar, she made her greatest and perhaps her only claim on the real respect of the human soul. Now the aim of the good woman is to use the by-products, or, in other words, to rummage in the dustbin.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.K. 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