The Way to Wealth: Ben Franklin on Money and Success

by Benjamin Franklin

Friends, said he, the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement.

If dost thou love life, then Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of,

Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry makes all things easy; and He that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee; and Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,

Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industry.

Plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. Work while it is today, for you know not how much you may be hindered tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrows, as Poor Richard says; and further, Never leave till tomorrow, which you can do today. If you were a servant, would you not

be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you then your own master? Be ashamed to catch yourself idle, when there is so much to be done for yourse...

Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure; and Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.

With our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eye and not too much to others; for, as Poor Richard says,

I never saw an oft-removed tree, Nor yet an oft-removed family, That throve so well as those that settled be.

If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting. The Indies have not made Spain rich, because

her outgoes are greater than her incomes.

Beware of little expenses;

A small leak will sink a great ship,

Remember that time is money.

Remember that money is of a prolific generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more, and so on.

the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words: industry and frugality. Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. He that gets all he can honestly, and saves all he can, will certainly become rich.

I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method.

Temperance.

Silence.

Order.

Resolution.

Frugality.

Industry.

Sincerity.

Justice.

Moderation.

Cleanliness.

Tranquility.

Chastity.

Humility.

And conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to solicit his assistance for obtaining it;

“O powerful Goodness! bountiful Father! merciful Guide! increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest! strengthen my resolutions to perform what that wisdom dictates. Accept my kind offices to thy other children as the only return in my power for thy continual favors to me.”