Text:

Nothing in life is free, cause you’ll pay some other way

Context:

My informant uses this proverb with her friends and family. She gave the scenario of her friend flirting with a stranger at the bar to get a free drink. My informant said this proverb to her friend after she returned with her free drink.

Analysis:

When my informant gave me this proverb, I recognized the first part (“Nothing in life is free”). However, I was not familiar with the latter half of the proverb. I have heard variations of this proverb, such as “Everything has a cost,” and I have always found it interesting. Even if someone does not have to use their money to get something, they have to pay for the thing with their time and energy instead. In the case of my informant’s friend, although she did not have to use her money to buy herself a drink, she “paid” the other person with her time and energy talking to them. It makes people reflect on what form of payment is more valuable: money or time and energy.