Benjamin Franklin — "There are three faithful friends: an old wife, an old dog, and ready money."
There are three faithful friends: an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
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More from Benjamin Franklin
"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing."
"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."
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
"Wink at small faults; remember thou hast great ones."
About Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Polymath Founding Father, diplomat, and Poor Richard's Almanack author who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Closely associated with John Adams (fellow Founder, Massachusetts statesman) and Thomas Jefferson (fellow Declaration drafter). For an intellectual contrast, see Thomas Hutchinson, last royal governor of colonial Massachusetts — Franklin leaked Hutchinson's loyalist correspondence to Boston in 1772 to inflame revolutionary sentiment — Hutchinson represented the colonial-aristocrat crown-loyalty that Franklin's revolution was organized to dismantle.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
Faithfulness comes from what has been proven over time and what works when actually needed. A long-term spouse has weathered life's hardships beside you. An old dog has earned trust through years of companionship. Ready money — cash immediately available — solves real problems when they arise. Together they represent three things that never abandon you: tested love, unconditional loyalty, and practical financial security you can actually use.
Relevance to Benjamin Franklin
Franklin published this in Poor Richard's Almanack, his wildly popular annual publication blending humor with practical wisdom. As a self-made printer who rose from poverty, he understood liquid assets deeply — his essay 'The Way to Wealth' preaches thrift and cash reserves. His common-law marriage to Deborah Read lasted over 44 years, grounding this in lived experience. His worldview was relentlessly pragmatic: trust what has proven itself, not what merely promises.
The era
In 18th-century colonial America, hard cash was genuinely scarce — the colonies lacked a stable currency, credit was unreliable, and banking institutions were widely distrusted. Ready money meant real security. Marriage was a lifelong legal and economic bond with no easy exit; an old wife implied decades of proven partnership. Dogs were working animals earning their keep daily. Franklin's audience recognized all three as rare commodities worth treasuring in an economically precarious world.
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