When is spending money a sin

[And1]

When does spending money become sinful and wasteful? Is it when we buy things we want but don’t need? Because in that case something as small as buying a plastic bag to carry home groceries can be sinful, because you could technically carry it by hand (sometimes).
Or is it when spending money puts you or your family in a position where you don’t have enough for neccesities.
I feel like the money I spend on unneccesary things could be better spent on helping the poor. But if I already give to the poor, is it acceptable for me to buy something for myself?
I would highly appreciate your advice!

 

[Dolphin]

Personally I find buying lotto tickets to be wasteful and if done too much can be a sin. It can be an addictive habit too. I only use money I’ve won to buy more tickets because otherwise it can be a pure money drainer.

But really I find it too much and I don’t do it often and am trying to cut down as is. One in a while is fine but when it becomes an urge to do it regularly, that’s when I find it sinful.

 

[Lou2U]

I’m not sure if you’re Catholic or not, but my advice to you if you want to know the Catholic perspective, talk to a Priest. It may be difficult to get hold of one right now, but it’s worth trying.

What concerns me about your post is that it comes across as leaning towards scrupulosity. Please be careful of this. Talk to a Priest, and follow their guidance. Let him help you form your conscience, not well-meaning strangers online.

 

[PetraG]

If you do things with the “am I allowed?” state of mind, you could wind up a nervous wreck.
Cultivate a relationship with the Lord first, and then gradually you will see what to let go of and what to pursue in order to deepen that relationship. If you are choosing a positive instead of acting primarily out of fear of making a mistake, you will be walking on a path that is much more open to grace.

It is kind of like the difference between learning a language because you think it is a theoretically noble thing to want to do instead of learning “the same thing” because you want to be able to have deeper conversations with the person you’re falling in love with. You will actually be learning something totally different and the effect it will have on you will be very different, too.

Or, as Steven Covey used to say, “Begin with the end in mind.”

Short answer: The Lord wants you, not the spare change you spend on grocery bags.

 

[1ke]

please get some spiritual direction from your priest. this sounds really scrupulous.