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economy

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false economy

An initial attempt to save money that ends up costing a person more money in the future. Although people often join wholesale clubs for the discounts, it ends up being a false economy because they spend more there than they would at a regular grocery store. Not getting regular oil changes might save you money in the short term, but it's a false economy because you'll ruin your engine.

See also: economy, false

a false economy

something that you think will save you money but which means you will have to spend a lot more money later She told me that buying a cheap washing machine was a false economy because it was more likely to break down.

See also: economy, false