We partner with bada$$ companies that offer products that help our readers achieve their goals! If you purchase through our partner links, we get paid for the referral at no additional cost to you! Read our disclosure for more info.
Money can be a powerful motivator and it’s something that many of us strive for in life. We all have our own personal goals, desires, and dreams we want to achieve, as evidenced by the variety of money quotes that exist.
Sometimes we need a little extra push or reminder to help us stay on track with our financial plans, and having some powerful money quotes at your fingertips can be valuable!
They can provide inspiration when you feel like giving up or remind you to stay focused on the bigger picture when times get tough.
Money quotes also serve as great reminders of what is truly important in life – not just material possessions but also relationships, experiences, and peace of mind.
Everyone has a different perspective and relationship with money based on how and where they grew up, what they have achieved, and other factors, but everyone also has the power to shift their perspective.
I love that quotes can impact your feelings towards success and other areas of your life, and they truly do have the power to help change your mindset.
Many of the entrepreneurs, investors, and money gurus featured on this list also make an appearance on our list of best business books!
101 Motivating Money Quotes
The list below is broken up into a few different categories:
Inspirational Quotes About Money
Sometimes, we know that we need to be better with our finances. We just need to hear the right reminder.
These money quotes are all about inspiration and motivation!
1. “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” – Seneca
2. “Time is more valuable than money because time cannot be recovered once lost.” – Anonymous
3. “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” – Ayn Rand
4. “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” – Dave Ramsey
5. “The most important thing for success is knowing how to handle money – both yours and other people’s.” – Robert Kiyosaki
6. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love; Don’t make money your goal.” – Steve Jobs
7. “Trade money for time, not time for money. You’re going to run out of time first.” – Naval Ravikant
8. “Money is not real, it is a conscious agreement on relative value.” – Unknown
9. “In investing money, choose the business or occupation which, if successful, will bring continual happiness throughout life.” – Henry David Thoreau
10. “A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.” – Jonathan Swift
Wealth Quotes
Achieving wealth is a goal that many have but the interesting thing about wealth is that it truly is self-defined.
These money quotes all relate to accumulating (and defining) wealth.
11. “It’s not about how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for.” – Robert Kiyosaki
Robert Kiyosaki is a renowned businessman, investor, author, and motivational speaker who is perhaps most well-known for his best-selling book “Rich Dad Poor Dad.”
He has become an authority in the world of personal finance and investing for his unique approach to financial education and wealth-building.
12. “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” – Henry David Thoreau
13. “No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself.” – Plato
14. “Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.” – Benjamin Franklin
15. The wealthiest man isn’t the one with the most; It’s the one who needs the least.” – Unknown
16. “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
17. “Wealth comes from creating value, not from taking it away from others.” – Robert Kiyosaki
18. “There are a great many people accumulating what they think is vast wealth, but it’s only money.” – Alan Watts
19. “The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.” – Unknown
20. “The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” – Plato
21. “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.” – Edmund Burke
22. “Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options.” – Chris Rock
23. “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” – Henry David Thoreau
24. “Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” – Oprah Winfrey
Money Mindset Quotes
Our attitude and feelings about money are directly connected to our mindset about money.
These money quotes will help you shift your mindset about money and put it into a perspective that you may not have considered before.
25. “It doesn’t matter about money; having it, not having it. Or having clothes, or not having them. You’re still left alone with yourself in the end.” – Billy Idol
26. “I will tell you the secret to getting rich on Wall Street. You try to be greedy when others are fearful. And you try to be fearful when others are greedy.” – Warren Buffett
Warren Buffet is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is considered to be one of the most successful investors in the world and is currently ranked as the fourth-richest person in the United States.
27. “It’s not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It’s the customer who pays the wages.” – Henry Ford
28. “It is a kind of spiritual snobbery that makes people think they can be happy without money.” – Albert Camus
29. “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
30. “Making money is common sense. It’s not rocket science. But unfortunately, when it comes to money, common sense is uncommon.” – Robert Kiyosaki
31. “It’s simple arithmetic: “Your income can grow only to the extent you do.” – T. Harv Eker
32. “Wealth is like sea water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
33. “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” – Zig Ziglar
34. “That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” – Henry David Thoreau
35. “Earn with your mind, not your time.” – Naval Ravikant
36. “I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages.” – Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch was an influential German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Robert Bosch GmbH in 1886, which became one of the world’s largest and most successful engineering companies. He was known for his innovative thinking and commitment to quality and had a strong focus on research and development.
Funny Money Quotes
Sometimes, we simply take money too seriously and that’s all there is to it.
These funny money quotes all add a humorous twist to many different types of financial situations.
37. “Money may not buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus.” – Françoise Sagan
38. “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Rogers
39. “If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?” – Unknown
40. “When I was young I thought money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old, I know it is.” – Oscar Wilde
41. “Money isn’t everything…but it ranks right up there with oxygen.” – Rita Davenport
42. “Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.” – Unknown
43. “I made my money the old-fashioned way. I was very nice to a wealthy relative right before he died.” – Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Forbes was an American media mogul and philanthropist. He was the CEO of Forbes Magazine, which he inherited from his father, and expanded it into a successful international media company. He was also well-known as an entrepreneur, investor, and collector of luxury items.
44. “I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks. Got a fur sink. An electric dog polisher. A gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater. And, of course, I bought some dumb stuff, too.” – Steve Martin
45. “A penny saved isn’t much, but it’s more than most people have after taxes!” – Unknown
46. “Money talks…but all mine says is goodbye!” – Unknown
47. “Save a little money each month and at the end of the year you’ll be surprised at how little you have.” – Ernest Haskins
48. “I’m so poor that I can’t even pay attention.” – Unknown
49. “Money is like muck—not good unless it is spread.” – Francis Bacon
Money Quotes About Achieving Financial Freedom
Financial freedom is a weird term that can turn out to be quite ironic depending on what your journey looks like.
The journey to financial freedom can feel discouraging and even confining at times when we become a prisoner to money in order to achieve this freedom we so desperately want.
These money quotes are all about the power that money has over us and this freedom that we so desire.
50. “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.” – Edmund Burke
51. “If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” – Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist and entrepreneur who is most well known for founding the Ford Motor Company, which revolutionized transportation and manufacturing in the early 1900s.
52. “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you freedom, which sometimes is the same thing.” – Unknown
54. “A sign of wealth: No longer needing an alarm clock to wake up.” – Greg Isenberg
53. “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” – P.T. Barnum
55. “Every time you borrow money, you’re robbing your future self.” – Nathan W. Morris
56. “The money you have gives you freedom; the money you pursue enslaves you.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
57. “Know what you own, and know why you own it.” – Peter Lynch
Peter Lynch is an American investor, fund manager, and author. He is best known for his 13-year tenure as the portfolio manager of the Fidelity Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990 where he achieved an average annual return of more than 29%.
58. “Money often costs too much.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
59. “It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.” – Margaret Thatcher
60. “Money is multiplied in practical value depending on the number of W’s you control in your life: what you do, when you do it, where you do it, and with whom you do it.” – Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and podcast host. He is best known for his book, The 4-Hour Workweek, and for his popular podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. Ferriss achieved success by challenging the status quo with his unconventional approach to life and business.
Money Quotes About Investing
No money quotes article would be complete without a section on investing, of course.
Investing doesn’t have to mean putting away large chunks of money, and success is also often more about the mindset.
61. “Invest in yourself first before investing elsewhere.” – Warren Buffet
62. “The wise person puts all their eggs in one basket and watches the basket.” – Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who became one of the wealthiest businessmen in history. He is best known for founding the Carnegie Steel Company, which was later bought out by J.P. Morgan and evolved into U.S. Steel. At the peak of his career, Carnegie controlled nearly 25% of steel production in the United States.
63. “Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shuts down for ten years.” – Warren Buffett
64. “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
65. “Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.” – Paul Samuelson
66. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn was an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker who achieved success by challenging the status quo with his unconventional approach to life and business. He wrote popular books on wealth and finance, including 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness, The Power of Ambition, and The Art of Exceptional Living.
67. “Successful investing takes time, discipline, and patience.” – John Bogle
68. “The only way to make money is to invest it.” – John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people of his time in history. He founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870, which eventually grew to dominate the oil industry and become one of the first major conglomerates.
79. “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.” – Warren Buffet
70. “The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” – Phillip Fisher
Quotes About Making Money
These days, there are a TON of different ways to make money:
- Blogging,
- Instagram,
- TikTok,
- YouTube,
- side hustles,
- same-day pay jobs,
- and so many other ways to make money online.
These quotes about earning money will help inspire you on your journey – no matter what that looks like.
71. “The only way to become wealthy is to make more than you spend.” – Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey is an American financial author, radio host, and motivational speaker who has gained success by advocating debt-free living and personal finance. His philosophy on money management has resonated with many people across the world who have been able to implement his advice and turn their finances around. His popular books include The Total Money Makeover and Baby Steps Millionaires.
72. “Making money isn’t hard in itself… What’s hard is to earn it doing something worth devoting one’s life to.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
73. “It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.” – George Lorimer
74. “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
75. “If you don’t value your time, neither will others. Stop giving away your time and talents–start charging for it.” – Kim Garst
Kim Garst is a prolific entrepreneur and business strategist who has achieved success in the digital marketing world. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Boom! Social, an international social media marketing firm that helps businesses grow their online presence across multiple platforms.
She is also the author of Will the Real You Please Stand Up.
76. “Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn.” – Miguel de Cervantes
77. “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” – Warren Buffett
78. “To acquire money requires valor, to keep money requires prudence, and to spend money well is an art.” – Berthold Auerbach
79. “Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister, author, and public speaker best known for his books on positive thinking and self-improvement such as The Power of Positive Thinking. He is credited as one of the founding fathers of the modern self-help movement and his teachings have been a source of inspiration to many around the world.
80. “Money grows on the tree of persistence.” – Japanese Proverb
81. “Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.” – Benjamin Franklin
Quotes About Saving Money
Sometimes, making money isn’t the problem, and it’s not the only way to financial freedom. Even low-earners can accumulate wealth fast with the right savings plan.
These money quotes are all about saving money.
82. “A penny saved is a penny earned.” – Benjamin Franklin
83. “Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffet
84. “The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind.” – T.T. Munger
85. “A simple fact that is hard to learn is that the time to save money is when you have some.” – Joe Moore
86. “Rich people have small TVs & big libraries; poor people have small libraries & big TVs.” – Zig Ziglar
87. “Frugality includes all the other virtues.” – Cicero
88. “The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.” – Kin Hubbard
89. “Saving does more than buy peace of mind; It buys options.” – Suze Orman
Suze Orman is an American financial advisor, author, and television host. She is best known for her books on personal finance, such as The Money Book for the Young, Women & Money, and The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+.
90. “If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.” – Ben Franklin
91. “Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” – William A. Ward
Quotes About Spending Money
When it comes to our relationship with money, we must consider our attitude towards making money, saving money, and how we SPEND that money.
After all, if we can spend less, we can save more and therefore earn more.
These money quotes will help you adjust your attitude about spending money.
92. “Don’t tell me where your priorities are show me where you spent your money and I’ll tell you where your priorities are.” – James Wannberg
93. “Never spend your money before you have earned it.” – Thomas Jefferson
94. “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value” – Joe Biden
95. “Many folks think they aren’t good at earning money, when what they don’t know is how to use it.” – Frank A. Clark
96. “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” – Sam Walton
Sam Walton was an American businessman and entrepreneur who is best known for founding the retail chain Walmart. Born in 1918, he grew up in a rural area of southwest Missouri and went on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.
Walton was a pioneer in creating a new model for discount retailing which revolutionized how people shop and how goods are priced.
97. “Spend less than you earn.” – Dave Ramsey
98. “It’s amazing how fast later comes when you buy now.” – Milton Berle
99. “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett
100. “If you buy what you don’t need, you steal from yourself.” – Swedish Proverb
101. “I pity that man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth shall starve in the process.” – Benjamin Harrison
Summary: Money Quotes
We can learn a lot from quotes about money, whether it’s about earning, saving, spending, investing, or mindset.
Everyone has different philosophies about money, and motivational quotes are a great way to get different perspectives from different (and sometimes very successful) people.
Most people tend to believe that “money doesn’t buy happiness,” but many of these money quotes from successful people are a good reminder that financial freedom can buy a certain level of happiness for some people.
Ultimately, it’s important to evaluate your relationship with money and work on understanding it and improving it if you want to find happiness and contentment with it.
It’s a relationship that deserves time and effort just like any other.