The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it.

What it means

Thoreau prices things in hours of life, not dollars. A house that takes fifteen years of labor costs fifteen years. Before you buy, ask how much of your life it will take.

The source

"The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it." Henry David Thoreau said it in Walden (1854), Economy. Written in English: Walden, 1854.

"the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run."

Original English (Walden, 1854), Walden (1854), Economy. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Lived two years in a cabin he built at Walden Pond and wrote Walden about it. His essay Civil Disobedience argued for refusing to cooperate with injustice.

Questions

What does "The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it." mean?

Thoreau prices things in hours of life, not dollars. A house that takes fifteen years of labor costs fifteen years. Before you buy, ask how much of your life it will take.

Who said "The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it."?

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Source: Walden (1854), Economy.

What is the original wording?

the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run (Original English (Walden, 1854)). Written in English: Walden, 1854.

Is "The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Economy, trans. Original English (Walden, 1854)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-cost-of-a-thing-is-the-life