Who first said "pay now or pay later, but you always have to pay"?

July 5, 2018 12:58 AM

Google comes up with John C. Maxwell for this, but I am sure I read of a much earlier version, possibly from a scientist or literary figure. Similar sentiments or earlier variations of this would be much appreciated!
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators to Writing & Language (4 answers total)

Robert A. Heinlein, TANSTAAFL, 1966.
What's the date of your Maxwell citation?
posted by JimN2TAW at 2:18 AM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Mid-1980s is the earliest possibility, I guess.
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 2:39 AM on July 5, 2018

The Heinlein excerpt conveys the idea but doesn't use the specific phrase. This 1972 commercial for Fram oil filters states it directly. I'd be surprised if the phrase originated here, but it's a data point.
posted by Longtime Listener at 4:49 AM on July 5, 2018

Here's a citation for the phrase "Pay Now or Pay Later" from 1962. It appears in the context of financing highway construction in the Proceedings of the Forty-Seventh Annual Highway Conference.
posted by mhum at 1:56 PM on July 6, 2018