--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was born I owed twelve dollars." description: "\"When I was born I owed twelve dollars.\" — George S. Kaufman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/george-s-kaufman-29397_born_when-i-was-born-i-owed-twelve-dollars-26_2630300.jpg" --- # When I was born I owed twelve dollars. ![“When I was born I owed twelve dollars.” quote by George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/george-s-kaufman-29397_born_when-i-was-born-i-owed-twelve-dollars-26_2630300.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/george-s-kaufman-29397_born_when-i-was-born-i-owed-twelve-dollars-26_2630300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/george-s-kaufman-29397_born_when-i-was-born-i-owed-twelve-dollars-26_2630300.jpg) > “When I was born I owed twelve dollars.” [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker humorously notes that at birth they were already in debt, highlighting life's early financial burdens. **In simple terms:** Even at birth, we may start with debt. Key Takeaway Plan finances early and avoid unnecessary debt. Themes money debt humor Mood lighthearted serious Type financial humorous When to use this quote - personal finance - family budgeting - student loans Key Concepts financial responsibility early life challenges Questions to Reflect On - What early habits can prevent debt? - How does humor help discuss money? A Different Perspective Debt can be a social construct; not all start with debt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Owed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-owed-2183537/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Owed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owed/) [Owed Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owed-dollars-1471603/) [Twelve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twelve/) ## Related quotes > [My father once told me that anyone who worked for three dollars an hour owed it to himself to put in four dollars' worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-russell/my-father-once-told-me-that-anyone-who-worked-for-three-dollars-an/) [Bill Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-russell/) > [Lawyers-they get together all day and say to each other, "What can we postpone next?" The only thing they don't postpone, of course, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/lawyers-they-get-together-all-day-and-say-to-each-other-what-can-we/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [“The only thing you can justifiably claim that life owes you is an equal measure of what you have given out. And even that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/the-only-thing-you-can-justifiably-claim-that-life-owes-you-is-an/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“You’re a young man now, not a child. Question is, what are you gonna do to earn your keep? To pay back what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/you-re-a-young-man-now-not-a-child-question-is-what-are-you-gonna-do/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [“And to make the matter worse, rich as they were, they never were able to pay anybody anything that they owed. They continued to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/and-to-make-the-matter-worse-rich-as-they-were-they-never-were-able/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Thus you are just not because you give what is owed, but because you do what is appropriate to you as the highest good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/thus-you-are-just-not-because-you-give-what-is-owed-but-because-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [“and for the company to which he owed everything. But events took a couple”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/and-for-the-company-to-which-he-owed-everything-but-events-took-a/) [J.C. 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Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [“I didn’t like the play, but than I saw it under adverse conditions – the curtain was up. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/i-didn-t-like-the-play-but-than-i-saw-it-under-adverse-conditions-the/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [“Grandpa Martin Vanderhoff: Penny, why don't you write a play about Ism-Mania? Penny Sycamore: Ism-Mania? Grandpa Martin Vanderhoff: Yeah, sure, you know, Communism, Faschism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/grandpa-martin-vanderhoff-penny-why-don-t-you-write-a-play-about-ism/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [Office hours are from 12 to 1 with an hour off for lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/office-hours-are-from-12-to-1-with-an-hour-off-for-lunch/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [Lawyers-they get together all day and say to each other, "What can we postpone next?" The only thing they don't postpone, of course, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/lawyers-they-get-together-all-day-and-say-to-each-other-what-can-we/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [You can't fool me. There ain't no Sanity Clause!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/you-can-t-fool-me-there-ain-t-no-sanity-clause/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [I like terra firma; the more firma, the less terra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/i-like-terra-firma-the-more-firma-the-less-terra/) [George S. 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Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [“(Popular singer Eddie Fisher, appearing on This is Show Business, told Kaufman that women refused to date him because he looked so young.) Mr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/popular-singer-eddie-fisher-appearing-on-this-is-show-business-told/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [God finally caught his eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/god-finally-caught-his-eye/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [I understand your new play is full of single entendres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/i-understand-your-new-play-is-full-of-single-entendres/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [“KIRBY: A man can't give up his business. GRANDPA: Why not? You've got all the money you need. You can't take it with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/kirby-a-man-can-t-give-up-his-business-grandpa-why-not-you-ve-got-all/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) > [You've heard of people living in a fool's paradise? Well, Leonora has a duplex there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-kaufman/you-ve-heard-of-people-living-in-a-fool-s-paradise-well-leonora-has-a/) [George S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-kaufman/) [Explore all 18 George S. 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