- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostA La Carte (10/5)
- Next Post »Becoming a Better Listener
The Heart of Frugality
- 10/05/10
- 27
Over the weekend I came across some video of America’s self-proclaimed cheapest family. They got me thinking about frugality, a topic that is all the rage in Christian circles today (or at least in some Christian circles). I have discussed this issue once or twice in the past but want to return to it today. Why? Because a lot of people put a lot of effort into frugality and I think many of them do so without thinking deeply whether what they are doing is right or wrong. They are saving money and this must be good, right? I’m not entirely convinced. So hear me out.
One reality about frugality is that it is contagious. I think it can be especially difficult issue for women. When one or two women in a church emphasize frugality and talk of all the amazing deals they’ve been able to find—how they managed to find a lifetime’s supply of Baby Aspirin for $4 or how they’ve gotten 180 rolls of toilet paper for the cost of 18 rolls—other women may feel like they are being spendthrifts for paying full price. It is difficult to say, or even to believe, that there may be no inherent virtue in frugality. And yet I want to suggest that very thing: there may be no inherent value in it.
What Is Frugality?
The Bible is clear that money issues are very closely connected to heart issues. Money has the ability to expose all kinds of idols of the heart. This is true whether a person is a miser or a spendthrift. Money can be an idol in want and in plenty; frugality can be done wrong and done right. When we discuss frugality, we must realize that we are talking about the heart more than the home.
The actual definition of frugality can differ from person-to-person. Some see it as meaning little more than economical so that a frugal person is a person who buys things at lower prices than another person might. I think this is what most people mean by the term and how most people live out their attempts at frugality. They feel they are being frugal when they buy things using coupons rather than paying full price and when they purchase clothes or other necessities at thrift stores instead of buying them at regular stores.
Of course there is certainly nothing wrong with saving money on life's necessities and if such a thing is possible, it is usually wise. The problem with this kind of frugality, though, is that a person can still have an irrational or unbiblical love of “stuff” while trying to be frugal. Saving money can be a good thing, but it doesn’t matter much if we are saving money in one area so we can just spend it in another. By saving money on groceries a person may then just use his savings to buy more of other things--more than is unnecessary. Is it really frugal to save fifteen cents on a box of macaroni but to have a house stuffed to the rafters with things purchased at the local Goodwill?
I think the greater ideal with frugality, and something a lot of people miss, is the ideal of not just paying less, but buying less and thus avoiding waste and avoiding becoming captive to stuff. True frugality is not spending less but having less. A truly frugal person doesn't buy just as much stuff at lower prices, but learns to live with less of it. If you find that your efforts in frugality help you spend less but leave you with a house that is equally filled with stuff, you are not being frugal. A kind of frugality that really hits the mark is this one: "It's about a simpler, less complicated lifestyle, not about being cheap. While those who put a frugal lifestyle into practice do tend to be thrifty, there is a method to their madness" (source). It goes on to say "People who practice frugal living tend to look for ways to save time as well as money, and generally prefer a slower, more laid back pace instead of the hectic 'rat race' life so many others lead." Now we’re talking.
So in this article when I discuss frugality, I am talking about it as I believe many live it—involving a great emphasis on saving money, not necessarily on living with less stuff. It’s about the deals and bargains, about the thrill of saving a few pennies here and a few dollars there. It is something that can go from a minor distraction to a passion to a lifestyle and almost to a way people define themselves.
The Heart of Frugality
The first thing I want to point to is the heart. There are few more accurate barometers for our hearts than money. Whether you are spending too much or pinching every penny so hard that it bleeds, your actions and attitudes reflect something in your heart. If you spend more than you have, perhaps you are reflecting greed or a bravado that rejects the fact that God expects us to be in control of our spending. If you pinch every penny, perhaps it shows that you live in fear or that you somehow think God will provide only through what may be excessive control.
The fact is, there is no guarantee that a frugal person is less addicted to money and less under the control of money than a person who spends all he has (and more). And this is really the main thing I want you to take away from this article. Frugal people can be every bit as worldly, as obsessed with money, as those who spend like it’s going out of style. Frugality is not inherently good. It is the kind of thing that can masquerade as good even while it is an idol.
Always we need to remember that it is God who provides for us and that he has promised us our daily bread. He will provide what we need and our confidence must be in him, not in our own efforts. This is true of the great issues like salvation and sanctification, but also of the smaller issues like finances. So always look to the heart! If you find that your frugality has extended too far--that you do not buy what you need even if you have the money, or if you find that you are reluctant or stingy in giving money to the church or to others in need, you can be certain that your frugality has taken you captive.
We need to live in that spot somewhere between confidence in God’s provision and the need for financial self-control. We do not want to presume upon his provision and neither do we want to act as if we do not believe it is true. All the while we want to make sure that we do not make an idol out of stuff and that we do not make an idol out of frugality. We can take as much pride in what we save as what we spend. Both reflect a sinful heart.
A second issue relates to the necessity of frugality. Many people who emphasize frugality could doubtless get along just fine without being frugal. For such people the amount of time it takes to scour the racks of thrift stores, to clip coupons, to read the frugal blogs and to search for deals online could be better spent in other more significant pursuits. The fact is that frugality is a significant investment in time and effort. Many of the most frugal people make a hobby (or more!) out of it.
Here’s the thing. A man who brings in millions of dollars a year probably doesn't need to have his wife work at the local donut store to bring in $300 a month; her time is doubtless better spent in some other pursuit. The same is true for those who don't absolutely need to be frugal. If God has given great blessing, the time it takes to be very frugal can be spent doing something else. Instead of spending days hunting for the perfect and perfectly cheap cake pan so you can bake a cake and have people over to share the gospel with them, it might be best to just buy it for full price and have the people over a couple of weeks earlier. The finances of some families dictate that great time and care must be given to each dollar, but I am concerned that those with lots of money make a mockery of God's abundant provision when they pinch every penny. God doesn’t give us money so it can accumulate in bank accounts. He gives it to us so we can give it away and so we can use it to free ourselves up for other, better things.
God has graciously released some people from imminent concerns over finances. It makes little sense, then, for these people to act as if finances are still an pressing concern and that they must be frugal with each and every dollar. I have known people who, though so rich they could not possibly come to the end of their finances, worry about the expenditure of a single dollar on something that is good and necessary. Surely there is no good reason for a person with such money to be too concerned about one dollar. Is this substantially different from a person with no money using credit to purchase something frivolous and something that will sink him further into debt?
Frugality can have its place and for some people is good and necessary. But doing it well takes time and effort; it may be that for some people that time and effort is best used in other pursuits. Again, somewhere between financial self-control and trust in God’s sovereignty is a sweet spot where we spend not too much and not too little, always trusting in the Lord to care for us.
One more quick note. As I think about frugality I am always drawn to the biblical concept of gleaning. In the Old Testament God commanded that people who pick crops leave gleanings behind. Rather than picking the fields clean they were to leave portions that had fallen so the impoverished could follow behind and gather them. Of course the wealthy landowners would have wanted to pick these up and increase their profits, but God used gleaning as a way to provide for the poor. This makes me think of wealthy people who often pick through thrift stores or who line up first for the big sales and I wonder if the gleaning principles has something to say to us here. If we can easily afford $10 for a t-shirt, should we really take the last marked-down one on the rack when for another person this might make the difference between being able to afford it and not being able to? I realize I am on slightly shaky ground with this one, but it probably bears thinking about. Somehow all of this frugality can become a form of greed if we are not careful.
I guess it comes down to this: money can be as big an idol when you seek not to spend it as it can when you do nothing but spend it. Frugality should not be an end in itself but must be a means to a greater end of bringing glory to God and of serving others. Ever and always it is a matter of the heart.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (27)
I think what you’ve said is true, if frugality is viewed as an end in itself. However, the real reason we should be frugal is in order to give more generously. What you don’t consume on yourself can be used to help those in need and advance the gospel. George Mueller serves as a good example in that respect.
However, it is Jesus himself that Paul points to as our supreme example in the matter of lavish giving for the sake of others, in his discussion of the subject in 2 Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Hey Tim,I agree with most of this. My only clarification would be in the difference between worrying about money to acquire mass amounts and worrying about money to make sure you are using it the best way. If a richer couple worries about that dollar because they give away so much they want to be good stewards of their money I think that is wise. But if it is only a decision between personal savings and buying there is more freedom.
Overall I think we need to be convicted about our expenditures. But yes being frugal can be an idol. My case in point would be home repairs and such. I am not a handyman, nor do I really want to be. :) My wife recently wanted to change our homeschool room so there was a cube system for the toys and such. A friend from church had just built one (dad is a carpenter BTW) and had spent less than the price of one from Lowes or such. So it seemed frugal to build. The problem is I am not a carpenter. So the money saved by doing it myself wasn’t the issue. It would have taken me 3 times the amount of time, plus who knows what it would have looked like! So, I searched for other options and came across finished cabinets on clearance that we bought. Looks great and for even less than the price of the wood. Plus it didn’t take the time away from my family while I wrestled with the project. Your time is valuable as well. Not that everyone has this availibility but if you don’t have a love for the project (you get enjoyment in doing it or doing it with your family) and it takes you hours and hours to finish to save money, you might not have saved at all. I once spent 6 hours trying to build a doghouse (that was so bad my father in law went to a yard sale and bought a real one) to try and save money. The one he bought cost $25. The supplies only cost me $10. So to save $15 dollars I worked 6 hours. That is not savings. I like to think I am worth more than $2.50 an hour. :)
But it is a good thing to feel convicted overall about spending. We have way too much stuff and it should worry us when we can drop hundreds of dollars on comforts without batting an eye. We do need to see what sacrificial giving means as well. If 10% of your check doesn’t even phase you, then maybe that is a sign to give more. But there is freedom in it all. We can’t speak with authority unless it is sin or such as you said above.
Well this is sure to garner a lot of responses.
I don’t know if I completely agree, but I think you’re probably onto something.
I agree with most of what you said too. It is certainly true that anything and very often what seems to be a good thing, like frugality(as an end in itself) can become an idol. There are definitely times when necessity compels some families to practice frugality, and we should be careful to recognize that we may not be privy to the state of anyone’s finances - there may be very good reasons why some people are frugal. But I have personally witnessed frugality and greediness in the same person at the same time. The bottom line is to follow Christ’s exhortation in Matthew 6 to not serve money, but God.
I know people (particularly women) whose families have what I’d consider a very comfortable household income, but they’re always very quick to point out that they bought “such and such” on sale, or “it really wasn’t that expensive” or “I was going to do so and so [thing that I could never even consider], but we have to stick within the budget.” Some of them talk more about that kind of thing than those I know who really have to cut corners — the second group just quietly goes about doing with less or doing it more cheaply.
I honestly think there’s some peer pressure involved here — they don’t want to seem like they’re flaunting their ability to spend a bit more, have a bit more. (In the cases I’m thinking of, there’s no question that they’re also generous, and I’m not talking about extravagant luxuries, just having somewhat “more.”) And maybe, as you’re saying, “frugality” has become such a Christian virtue-in-itself that they want to show that they’re practicing it, too.
But honestly, as someone who has to be quite frugal to make the bills match the income for pretty basic needs, sometimes I wish they’d just shut up and enjoy their affluence. It’s almost worse to see them pretend to have to stick to a budget, and still be able to have and do all kinds of things that are out of the reach of some of us, than it would be to see them just do it and not fuss about it. I know they’re not exactly pretending — they’re not so rich as to not have to make choices, but it comes off like that sometimes.
Thank you for this article. I appreciate the way you take the issue to the heart since all our behaviour flows out of what’s in our hearts. As with anything we do, we need to check our motives. We are called to be stewards and spend our money wisely so that we may be able to provide for ourselves and share with others. So, while saving money can be a worthwhile pursuit for the right reasons, it can also become an idol when we become misers. In our family we have to watch our money carefully - that’s a reality. But I have to guard my heart from becoming miserly and thereby hoarding every last penny while giving little or nothing to those in need. Being frugal can also tempt me to think that we’re poor and create in me a spirit of discontent, envy, and greed. It’s a love of money from a different perspective. Thank you for creating this discussion and providing an opportunity for us to check our hearts!
I love that you point out that even this seemingly good impulse can be turned to idolatry and self-centeredness. It’s something I struggle with for sure.
I think it’s a particular danger for the SAHM who has training in a field that would normally garner a high wage. There are times I find myself glued to the internet, asking the kids to wait just a minute before we build the 90 millionth lego tower, because I want to “at least” save the family a little money on the latest thing we need. It feels more like a contribution than the neverending lego construction when I am (sadly) focusing on money alone. Technically I have the time to visit the top fifty sites and read eleventy product reviews, but of course as you point out it’s time taken from other (often better) pursuits.
I don’t completely agree with everything you’ve written here but I agree that frugality can be an idol for some. I have a friend that prides herself on her wise frugality in every area of her life, however, I know that she struggles with being generous to others and with holding on to her money very tightly. She does not seem “free” to me. She talks about her frugality constantly and it is always to let others know that she is being wise. I believe that this is what you are trying to relay in your article……that this is not necessarily a godly or beneficial thing.
I think, however, that there are a plethora of reasons why people purpose to save money (i.e. because they have to, because it is popular, because it eases their conscience in some way, because it is a game, because they want to bless others with their abundance, etc).
I think that the reason that I didn’t enjoy this article as much is because you seem to have a strong bias (or opinion) as it regards “the reason why people are frugal?” Your bias clouds the article for me. I usually enjoy your articles because they look at an issue from every angle and seem well-balanced. This one seemed different (as if you had an axe to grind). There just seem to be so many reasons why folks would practice frugality.
Still, there are some good points made in the article.
I think that for me, the thought that keeps running through my head is that over 50% of the world’s population lives on less than $2.00/day. How does the knowledge of that fact ever allow ANY of us to revel in what we “have”, or consider it a blessing…or keep buying, period?
This alone helps me to consider what my purchases are.
I think it’s all within reason. I do not think one should brag about their thrifty purchases…but I know that I desire certain things and when we cannot afford them they have been provided at a thrift store or on sale…with coupons. I think that one has to be wise with money. If someone is wealthy they should still spend wisely…there is nothing wrong with them using coupons. As a SAHM I know that this is one of the ways I can help my husband out. We should not judge the rich person (who seems to clip too many coupons) or the poor person (who seems to put too much on their credit card). Because it’s what’s in an individuals heart, and only God knows that.
Proverbs 20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.
Great points, Tim! Thanks for the article!! I especially appreciate your emphasis on it being a heart issue. Being frugal can be an evidence of greed or of wise stewardship. There are many in the former camp, but also many in the latter who live simply in order to give generously for the glory of God.
Most people would consider me frugal. I buy clothes for my kids second hand, shop at garage sales, shop at discount grocery stores, but its just a tool. It serves me, I dont serve it. The things I do to be frugal dont really take a lot of time or effort. I could always do more, but I evaluate weather some money saving activity is worthwhile. I cook a lot of meals from scratch, but I dont bake my own bread, thats just not worth it for me. Living on one income is not easy theses days. Our world and economy have just changed and made it very difficult to do. For me, my frugality is about putting my values in place where they belong. All of the new flashy things I miss out on are not worth the value of being home with my kids. The cost of new brand name clothes is not worth it when I could get exactly the same qualtiy, gently used at consignemt store, just a few years out of style. I get what your saying about gleaning, but used stores never seem low on supply to me, at least not around here, if anything there seems to be over supply, because, even in tough times people in this country would rather spend money they dont have than be seen in clothing that is not the latest style. To me the question is all about motive. And it really is a heart issue.
One issue. I thought of when I was reading this is that, at least to me, some of the methods of the hyper frugal seem to skirt the line of morality. For example, a really good couponer can find a way to take advantage of coupons and sales and end up paying almost nothing for groceries. But something about Christians walking out of a store with a cart full of things they didn’t pay for week after week because they are so clever, seems a little unchristian to me. Nothing wrong with using a coupon of taking advantage of a good sale, but at some point it seems like somebody aught to be getting paid for that stuff.
Tim,
Great article. I have typically been frugal out of fear of not having enough.
I don’t mean buying the lower priced item. I mean trying to fix broken things or make do with wonky bits or hardware, instead of paying 10 bucks for the right part.
For me, spending the full price often works as a reminder that God is in control of my business and He will provide for my needs.That one thought alone helps me to struggle loose from the fear of not having enough.
Frugality is only good when it serves a greater purpose, namely the kingdom of God (Luke 19:11-27).
The bigger issue is debt. The whole reason people are becoming more frugal is to either (1) pay off vast amounts of debt because almost everyone, even Christians, have bought into the lie that debt is a smart thing, or (2) they realize the ‘both parents work until you die for more stuff at the expense of kids myth’ is a complete lie, and therefore many are choosing to cut back to live on one income.
After coming home from spending time in Sudan, I felt extremely guilty to live in a first world country with proper roads and shops and houses. My pastor’s wife at the time wisely told me that when the Bible teaches us to be content, we never think of it to be content with the MUCH we have. But that is wise. When God blesses us with much, we should not have guilt feelings about it, but instead be content and use our abundance for the good of others.
Thank you for the article. It’s a good reminder to myself of why I look for deals.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of young people who are loaded with college and car debt when they graduate. Some of them get married and are now paired with twice the debt. Next comes a baby and then it goes back to a single-income household. Single income, loads of debt, and low wages make a bad combination. I think for some people or certain professions who have higher wages it’s okay to not be frugal, but how do you tell the middle and lower class as well as recent graduates to not be frugal? Can you give the same advice to the millions of families who lost their homes the past 3 years, or the 36 million who live in poverty?
What if you had to personally make minimum wage or even a modest $20/hr and raise your family? Can you still have the same conviction?
Men are called to provide for their family and to hopefully have the wife stay at home to raise the kids. Last time I checked, about 75% of households have both parents working. If cutting coupons and looking in the weekly ads will help the wife stay at home, feed the kids, and cover the mortgage, not only is frugality helpful , but it can also be the responsible thing to do. By being frugal, we still give to the church, cook for others, and give to family. So being frugal and Christian is not to suggest we are hoarding for ourselves.
However, you are right that I need to consider the time being spent. I should invest it more in God’s word and less on deals. Being spiritually fed is much more beneficial.
If someone is using coupons correctly (for the right items and ones that have not expired)…someone is being paid for the items. The store is reimbursed for the full value of the coupons plus a few cents extra by the manufacturer. Manufacturers produce the coupons for the products they choose and they offer them to the public to use. If a company is willing to pay for me to use their product, I will often try it.
I agree with most of what you’ve said, but would like to add one point. That is, that ‘buying cheap’ very often involves purchasing items which are available at such a low cost only because exploitation has taken place somewhere along the production line. Unfair trade practices, sweatshop labour, child labour, poor environmental practices, anti-competetive business behaviour, animal cruelty etc generally all exist as shortcuts to maximise manufacturer and retailer profits - whereas fair trade, organic, locally made etc all tend to cost more to produce and therefore more at the checkout. The question should always be asked, particularly by those who consider ourselves stewards of creation and protectors of the vulnerable - “what is the true cost of this item”? To prioritise our hip pocket at the expense of our conscience or even worse, the lives of others, is simply one more way that frugality masquerades as greed. And even if we are not using our savings for ourselves (e.g. giving it to the church or charity, using increased purchasing power to cook meals for others etc) - is the Lord really pleased with acts of righteousness that cost others far more than they cost us?
Interestingly, in considering the sources of our purchases carefully we may also end up being more genuinely frugal - spending more, but consuming less; and using what we buy more carefully because it is of higher value.
You never know what is going on in someone else’s bank account. We live in a big, nice house. We bought it when we had fewer kids and about 20% more income. We can’t sell it in this economy, and we are managing to make it work, but we look like we have more than we do. It’s tight. People assume we have more than we do, and it effects some of our relationships when people see the house. So don’t be so quick to judge folks - they may be stinging from the judgment/assumptions of others, and may be less well off than you think.But I do hear what you are saying. There is peer pressure. People do want to appear to be frugal, and we should all try to be quiet about it.
Tim, Wow…thank you for your challenging thoughts on frugality. I have never been challenged with the motives for my frugality before . I find that I AM guilty of spending a great deal of time and effort to be frugal in as many areas as I can for the sole purpose of spending money on MORE stuff. A house (and garage) bursting with inexpensive thrift store bargains is probably NOT the most responsible way of stewarding the resources God has given us. The result of my spending “less” to get “more” still nurtures an unbiblical love of “stuff” that is not serving me well as a disciple of Christ. I will be praying and working to change my thinking, heart and behavior in this matter. Thanks again for sharing your less than popular perspective on frugality as it has helped me.
A thoughtful post, Tim, and thoughtful comments that follow! I have indeed been guilty of bragging about cheap purchases or envying prosperiity and purchases of others. Then I beat myself up about not using coupons in a timely manner when we didn’t even need that item!
Studying in detail the ramifications of the tenth commandments has helped. Becoming a senior with a husband diagnosed with Mixed Dementia has also helped me put a lot in perspective as I simplify our living and create an Alzheimer’s appropriate home.
Recently I read Don Aslett’s “Clutter’s Last Stand: It’s Time to De-Junk Your Life!” He values frugality and simplicity, but puts the reason for it in terms I can understand and never really thought about before in our consumer-driver world. Why do I have all these kitchen gadgets I might use once a year and even not at all in the last ten years? Because I got a good deal?! Why do I have to be in style and not content with the useful clothes I have? He says things, even cheap things, “crowd out joy, love, fulfillment.” He quotes Matt. 6 about taking no thought for tomorrow because of our Father’s provision. Ecclesiastes talks a lot about vanity of things, maybe even the vanity of cheap things I might say. Aslett ends with Ecclesiastes 3:6 ” a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.”
I know of one coupon/bargain hunter who not only provides for her family of nine, but has a pantry ready for those in need. And she does it quietly. I am having a yard sale for our excess and giving things away freely so I can get ready for the caregiving season of my life.
Thank you for posting this. It was a blessing for me to hear. I was reminded of this verse, right away:
“Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” (Luke 11:45-46)
Thanks so much for being one to HELP me carry my burden. Managing a home for a husband and children — and a God — that I love is a task for which I never quite feel adequate. All the “newsletters,” websites, classes and conversations that promise to help me usually leave me with either a false hope or a guilty fear. But I think you’ve nailed the issue like a stake in the heart.
I’m reminded of yet another verse:
“…it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (Heb. 13:9). Thank you for helping me to give my fullest attention to worthy things. I am so prone to distraction, as well as idolatry!
thanks for that i found your comments helpful and true. Our hearts condition is always at the root of our actions.I am a bargain hunter from the little things (clothes)to the big (house hunting) and although i have always seen it as being wise with money and trying to make the $ go further and even give you a return, I also see that $ is always at the root of my endeavours. Something to work on still, thankfully God is merciful and gracious to me on a daily basis.
Thanks Tim,I have been troubled by the strong frugal theme in our parts of the blogosphere. Your words are very helpful.
I guess gospel shaped economics might = frugal to self, generous to others. This frugality might not always be obvious to others, though.
I wonder if the frugal issue lines up wih the idolatry of home making. Our home is not an entity to be served in itself, but a place to display, and welcome people into, the glory of Jesus. Sometimes that will mean thrift. Other times that will mean being extravagant. Wisdom is discerning what is most loving according to what is needed when.
It would be great if those who genuinely needed to be frugal (to survive) were receiving more of the generosity of the affluent.
You make a good point, that frugality and materialism can coexist, and in fact, become a subtle justification for the materialism of our age. The issue is not how much we get our “treasures on earth” FOR, it’s what we DO with our treasures on earth, and how close our grip is on them. Are we investing in eternity for Christ and the Gospel’s sake?
Tim Keller’s distinction might add to the conversation, between “simple” living and “justice” living - to be frugal, and content with “less” for the sake of bearing another’s burdens.
I never could figure out how people spent $4 on a lifetime supply of baby aspirin or why they’d want to. I have never figured out why buying so much stuff to store for later use just cause it’s cheap was such a great idea. I think of it as hoarding. Sure we should stock up on certain things for a season…like if you live in Alaska and it’s a good chance you’re gonna get snowed in for a few months and you don’t want to run out of toilet paper, or if you are canning fresh tomatoes from your garden for when garden tomatoes aren’t available. But seriously why would I buy a product with a coupon or when it’s on sale when I wouldn’t use it otherwise. I believe frugality can become an idol just like anything else.