Misparen

Misparen is a neologism used in discussions of economics, public policy, and organizational behavior to denote a specific error in saving or resource allocation. The term describes situations in which actions intended to conserve resources lead to higher costs or reduced value because of misprioritization, misallocation, or flawed planning. By combining mis- (indicating error) with sparen (to save in German and Dutch), misparen signals the idea of “saving badly.”

Origins: The term emerged in online debate and policy commentary in the 2010s and has since appeared in several non-peer-reviewed sources. It is not widely adopted in formal economics or management literature, and its usage remains informal or speculative.

Usage and examples: In practice, misparen can occur when a government cuts preventive maintenance to reduce expenses, only to incur larger repair or replacement costs later. It can also describe a company that trims staff in one department while relying on expensive contractors to fill the gaps. The concept highlights the importance of considering long-term total costs and the opportunity costs of alternative investments, rather than focusing solely on short-term savings.

Relation to other concepts: Misparen overlaps with budgeting biases toward short-termism, the sunk cost fallacy, and the opportunity cost framework in economic decision making. It is sometimes discussed as a reminder of the potential disconnect between present actions and future value.

See also: Opportunity cost, Budgeting, Sunk cost, Planning fallacy, Behavioral economics.