---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is rich whose income is larger than…"
description: "\"A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income.\" — Jean de la Bruyere"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png"
---

#  A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses…

![“A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png)

> “A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income.”

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Wealth is defined by spending less than you earn; poverty is the opposite.

**In simple terms:** Earn more than you spend.

Key Takeaway

Live within your means.

Themes

finance personal responsibility wealth

Mood

pragmatic reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal budgeting
- business planning
- retirement saving

Key Concepts

budgeting income‑expense balance financial health

Questions to Reflect On

- Are your expenses truly necessary?
- How can you increase income sustainably?

A Different Perspective

Oversimplifies complex economic factors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/)

## Related quotes

> [I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/i-am-indeed-rich-since-my-income-is-superior-to-my-expenses-and-my/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [Empowering women with greater income opportunities will lift societies at a much faster rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/empowering-women-with-greater-income-opportunities-will-lift/)

[Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/)

> [Work is transformative. It gives you a greater chance of a greater income. You can affect your life while you're of working age, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/work-is-transformative-it-gives-you-a-greater-chance-of-a-greater/)

[Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/)

> [We will have bigger bureaucracies, bigger labor unions, and bigger state-run corporations. It will be harder to be an entrepreneur because of punitive taxes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-brooks/we-will-have-bigger-bureaucracies-bigger-labor-unions-and-bigger/)

[Arthur C. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-brooks/)

> [If it be true that a man is rich who wants nothing, a wise man is a very rich man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/if-it-be-true-that-a-man-is-rich-who-wants-nothing-a-wise-man-is-a/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [“Or, what does a poor man have, a rich man need, and you would die if you ate it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/or-what-does-a-poor-man-have-a-rich-man-need-and-you-would-die-if-you/)

[R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/)

> [Only laughter makes a man rich, but the laughter has to be blissful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-laughter-makes-a-man-rich-but-the-laughter-has-to-be-blissful/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [An inventor is someone who makes another man rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sarnoff/an-inventor-is-someone-who-makes-another-man-rich/)

[David Sarnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sarnoff/)

> [Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himself to the law of nature, is not only without the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/money-never-made-any-man-rich-but-his-mind-he-that-can-order-himself/)

[Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/)

> [The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/)

[Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/)

> [“No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is in the heart that makes a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-man-can-tell-whether-he-is-rich-or-poor-by-turning-to-his-ledger/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [I have always believed that most large fortunes are made by men...who tumbled into a lucky opportunity. Hard work and attention to business are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-rosenwald/i-have-always-believed-that-most-large-fortunes-are-made-by-men-who/)

[Julius Rosenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-rosenwald/)

> [No man can Become Rich without enriching others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/no-man-can-become-rich-without-enriching-others/)

[Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/)

> [It is a wise man that does know the contented man is never poor, whilst the discontented man is never rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/it-is-a-wise-man-that-does-know-the-contented-man-is-never-poor/)

[Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/)

> [The rich man in goal the poor man in filth. The rich man lay on his lazy boy leather couch. The poor man sits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/the-rich-man-in-goal-the-poor-man-in-filth-the-rich-man-lay-on-his/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

## More by Jean de la Bruyere

> [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/)

[Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

[Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

## More Expenses quotes

> [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/)

William Henry Pickering

> [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/)

[Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/)

> [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/)

[Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/)

> [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [we are beginning to understand that this instinct of sex which has been so great a cause of suffering and shame and has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-royden/we-are-beginning-to-understand-that-this-instinct-of-sex-which-has/)

[Maude Royden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-royden/)

> [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/)

Peter Cohan

> [I love working and I feel satisfied when I know I have literally given all the energy that I have. That being said, work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/i-love-working-and-i-feel-satisfied-when-i-know-i-have-literally/)

[Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/)

> [Distinction is an eminence that is attained but too frequently at the expense of a fireside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/distinction-is-an-eminence-that-is-attained-but-too-frequently-at-the/)

[William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/)

> [He is happy in his wisdom who has learned at another's expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/he-is-happy-in-his-wisdom-who-has-learned-at-another-s-expense/)

[Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/)

> [ Here at great expense,' \[Colonel Groves\] moaned to Oppenheimer, 'the government has assembled the world's largest collection of crackpots. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sheinkin/here-at-great-expense-colonel-groves-moaned-to-oppenheimer-the/)

[Steve Sheinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sheinkin/)

> [Beyond that is the fear that the United States will end up negotiating and agreeing to a deal with Iran. The Israelis do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trita-parsi/beyond-that-is-the-fear-that-the-united-states-will-end-up/)

[Trita Parsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trita-parsi/)

> [My audience wants to see me beautifully gowned, and I have spared no expense or pains . . . For I feel that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-rainey/my-audience-wants-to-see-me-beautifully-gowned-and-i-have-spared-no/)

[Ma Rainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-rainey/)

> [Human rights' are a fine thing, but how can we make ourselves sure that our rights do not expand at the expense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/human-rights-are-a-fine-thing-but-how-can-we-make-ourselves-sure-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

Browse all 958 Expenses quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean de la Bruyere"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-than-his-expenses-and-he-is-poor/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Expenses"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-than-his-expenses-and-he-is-poor/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_expenses_a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-tha_1575225.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his…” — Jean de la Bruyere",
                "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": "Jean de la Bruyere",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A man is rich whose income...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-than-his-expenses-and-he-is-poor/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-is-rich-whose-income-is-larger-than-his-expenses-and-he-is-poor/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
