>Dragan, surely you're not interested in semantic contradictions. ;-) Human history does show that you have to strike while the iron is hot. "Expense" is an efficient description of the reason- not necessarily monetary, either. Whether we be politicians, managers or parents, many of our regrets are not about things we did but about things we didn't do when we had the chance.

We also say "iron is forged while it's hot" - but nobody mentions expense. The word itself has thrown me off on this tangent. Maybe it's not as accidental as it seems; things tend to get more diverse, complicated and elaborate, with many more people trying to make a million or two out of them. I think your expression has hit the spot.