---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in an age in which saving is…"
description: "\"“We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for spending. No doubt you sincerely believe that there is margarine in your refrigerator because it i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/robert-farrar-capon-4404_food_we-live-in-an-age-in-which-saving-is-sub_2034559.png"
---

#  We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for…

![“We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for spending. No doubt you sincerely believe that there is margarine in your refrigerator because it is more economical than butter. But you are wrong. Look in your bread drawer. How many boxes of cute snack crackers are there? How many packages of…” quote by Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/robert-farrar-capon-4404_food_we-live-in-an-age-in-which-saving-is-sub_2034559.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/robert-farrar-capon-4404_food_we-live-in-an-age-in-which-saving-is-sub_2034559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/robert-farrar-capon-4404_food_we-live-in-an-age-in-which-saving-is-sub_2034559.png)

> ““We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for spending. No doubt you sincerely believe that there is margarine in your refrigerator because it is more economical than butter. But you are wrong. Look in your bread drawer. How many boxes of cute snack crackers are there? How many packages of commercial cookies reeking of imitation vanilla badly masked with oil of coconut? How many presweetened breakfast cereals? Tell me now that you bought the margarine because you couldn't afford butter. You see - you can't. You bought the bread drawer of goodies because you were conned into them; and you omitted the butter because you were conned out of it. The world has slipped you culinary diagrams instead of food. It counts on your palate being not only wooden, but buried under ten coats of synthetic varnish as well. Therefore, the next time you go to check out of the supermarket, simply put back one box of crackers, circle round the dairy case again, swap your margarine for a pound of butter and walk up to the checker with your head held high, like the last of the big spenders. This is no time for cost-counters: It is time to be very rich or very poor - or both at once.””

[Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/)

## About This Quote

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

Convenient, processed foods mask true costs; choosing real, wholesome foods is an act of resistance against consumer deception.

**In simple terms:** Processed foods hide true cost; choose real food.

Key Takeaway

Choose natural foods over cheap substitutes.

Themes

consumerism food choices authenticity

Mood

thoughtful determined

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- grocery shopping
- meal planning
- budgeting

Key Concepts

processed foods economic deception nutrition

Questions to Reflect On

- What small step can you take toward healthier eating?
- How does awareness of food origins affect your choices?

A Different Perspective

Convenience often outweighs health, making change hard.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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