--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a man spends his own money to buy…" description: "\"When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends and how he spends it. When a man spends his o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png" --- # When a man spends his own money to buy something for… ![“When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends and how he spends it. When a man spends his own money to buy something for someone else, he is still very careful about how much he spends, but somewhat less what he spends it on. When a man…” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png) > “When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends and how he spends it. When a man spends his own money to buy something for someone else, he is still very careful about how much he spends, but somewhat less what he spends it on. When a man spends someone else's money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about what he buys, but doesn't care at all how much he spends. And when a man spends someone else's money on someone else, he does't care how much he spends or what he spends it on. And that's government for you.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People treat money differently depending on ownership, showing self‑interest and moral hazard in spending. **In simple terms:** Ownership changes spending behavior. Key Takeaway Recognize how incentives shape decisions. Themes economics behavioral finance government ethics incentives Mood critical analytical reflective Type aphilosophical political economic When to use this quote - personal budgeting - government spending - corporate finance - charitable donations - policy analysis Key Concepts moral hazard self interest public choice Questions to Reflect On - How does ownership affect your spending choices? - What policies can reduce wasteful use of public funds? A Different Perspective Assumes rational actors; may overlook cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Painting is like having a bad mistress who spends and spends and it's never enough ... I tell myself that even if a tolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/painting-is-like-having-a-bad-mistress-who-spends-and-spends-and-it-s/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Show me where a man spends his time & money, and I'll show you his god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/show-me-where-a-man-spends-his-time-money-and-i-ll-show-you-his-god/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-who-both-spends-and-saves-money-is-the-happiest-man-because-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I don't think so. Anyways, I don't spend money. My wife spends money...sorry wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-grabovski/i-don-t-think-so-anyways-i-don-t-spend-money-my-wife-spends-money/) Mikhail Grabovski > [“Everyone spends money freely that is freely given.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-chase-2/everyone-spends-money-freely-that-is-freely-given/) B.C.CHASE > [Other than that one year, Salon has been very cautious about the way it spends money. For instance, since last year, we've had virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/other-than-that-one-year-salon-has-been-very-cautious-about-the-way/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [I'm not someone who spends my money frivolously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/i-m-not-someone-who-spends-my-money-frivolously/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [“The way a person spends his money and time can tell a lot about the things he or she values.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-tse/the-way-a-person-spends-his-money-and-time-can-tell-a-lot-about-the/) [Sarah Tse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-tse/) > [To understand someone, find out how he spends his money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-understand-someone-find-out-how-he-spends-his-money/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I'm not really the type that spends money on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-osaka/i-m-not-really-the-type-that-spends-money-on-myself/) [Naomi Osaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-osaka/) > [I can't influence or impact where the NRA goes and spends money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-burr/i-can-t-influence-or-impact-where-the-nra-goes-and-spends-money/) [Richard Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-burr/) > [One just spends as much money as one has. Very peculiar that! You never actually have any money. You think, If I had this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/one-just-spends-as-much-money-as-one-has-very-peculiar-that-you-never/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You can tell more about a person by how he spends his money and time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/you-can-tell-more-about-a-person-by-how-he-spends-his-money-and-time/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [A man spends the first half of his life learning habits that shorten the other half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/a-man-spends-the-first-half-of-his-life-learning-habits-that-shorten/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [“Never trust a man who spends too much time on his hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridie-clark/never-trust-a-man-who-spends-too-much-time-on-his-hair/) [Bridie Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridie-clark/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends and how he spends it. When a man spends his own money to buy something for someone else, he is still very careful about how much he spends, but somewhat less what he spends it on. When a man spends someone else's money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about what he buys, but doesn't care at all how much he spends. And when a man spends someone else's money on someone else, he does't care how much he spends or what he spends it on. And that's government for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-something-for-himself-he-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-something-for-himself-he-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/154/milton-friedman-616_care_when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-s_2280018.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a man spends his own money to buy something for himself, he is very careful about how much he spends…” — Milton Friedman", "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": "Milton Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When a man spends his own...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-something-for-himself-he-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-a-man-spends-his-own-money-to-buy-something-for-himself-he-is/#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 } } ] } ```