When is wasting money a sin?

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Eman_resu

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I’m slightly confused about when wasting money is sinful and what is considered to be wasting money in the first place. Is it when we buy something we don’t need? In that case we’d be sinning all the time. Where is the line between buying something and wasting money?

For example, I want to buy this $30 reindeer ski hat to wear on Christmas. It looks awesome and I’d probably wear it during the winter to keep my head warm. Would this be wasting money? I don’t need the hat, but I’d continue to use it during winter, making it useful.

I’m probably being scrupulous, but for future reference: when is buying something we don’t need, sinful? Is it when we have little, or no use for the item?

Thanks, hopefully I made a bit of sense
 
If you have a job and make your own money, you can spend it however you wish.
 
I don’t have a job. I get money from the government. Does this make it any different?
 
Eman_resu said:
I don’t have a job. I get money from the government. Does this make it any different?
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If it is a benefit you are legitimatley entitled to, such as disability or unemployment or whateever, then no it is not different. If your obligations you may have are being met- rent, etc-- then your discretionary money can be spent on the hat or whatever else you wish.
 
Eman_resu said:
For example, I want to buy this $30 reindeer ski hat to wear on Christmas. It looks awesome and I’d probably wear it during the winter to keep my head warm. Would this be wasting money? I don’t need the hat, but I’d continue to use it during winter, making it useful.
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You have an extra $30 a month to spend on reindeer hats? 25,000 people a day die of starvation. For $30 a month, you can save a whole family. (Google: Save the Children, Christian Foundation for Children and the Aged, Mercy Corps.)

It’s not your money. It’s not your job, your hat or your anything. It all belongs to God, including the body you live in. What kind of steward are you?

Yes, it’s a sin. It’s not scrupulous no matter how many people want to justify it so they can buy a reindeer hat and tell you it’s fine.

It isn’t. Not for any of us.

Store up your treasure in Heaven.
 
I would say that it becomes sinful when you spend so much on your *wants *you don’t have enough money for your needs. For example, you can’t go on a shopping spree at the mall only to come up short on the rent or basic utilities. And you shouldn’t buy a new cell phone if that money is needed to support the basic needs of your family. I’m not sure exactly what sin this is considered (sloth? greed?).

But I don’t see anything sinful if that is extra money you have that you gained legitimately. Of course, it would be nice if you lived moderately and gave plenty to charities, but there is nothing sinful about occasional little luxuries.
 
Julia_Mae said:
You have an extra $30 a month to spend on reindeer hats? 25,000 people a day die of starvation. For $30 a month, you can save a whole family. (Google: Save the Children, Christian Foundation for Children and the Aged, Mercy Corps.)

It’s not your money. It’s not your job, your hat or your anything. It all belongs to God, including the body you live in. What kind of steward are you?

Yes, it’s a sin. It’s not scrupulous no matter how many people want to justify it so they can buy a reindeer hat and tell you it’s fine.

It isn’t. Not for any of us.

Store up your treasure in Heaven.
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Dannnnnnng, Julie Mae. You have an extra bundle of cash that you spent on your computer and whatever you pay monthly for internet service— just to type that comment. Be careful pointing the finger! That was a bit harsh.
 
Julia_Mae said:
You have an extra $30 a month to spend on reindeer hats? 25,000 people a day die of starvation. For $30 a month, you can save a whole family. (Google: Save the Children, Christian Foundation for Children and the Aged, Mercy Corps.)

It’s not your money. It’s not your job, your hat or your anything. It all belongs to God, including the body you live in. What kind of steward are you?

Yes, it’s a sin. It’s not scrupulous no matter how many people want to justify it so they can buy a reindeer hat and tell you it’s fine.

It isn’t. Not for any of us.

Store up your treasure in Heaven.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending $30 on a reindeer hat. The only way it could be wrong is if that was your last $30, and you needed the $30 to buy food for your children. Or maybe you’re so late with the rent that your landlord is threatening to evict you, but you told him you have no money (you just spent the last of your money on the reindeer hat). I would like to point out that the hat could have been knitted by someone in a poor country, and maybe the woman who knitted the hat made enough money to buy a little food for her own children.
 
With all the changes in our Church as of late (the watering down or outright removal of what once were considered fundemental Catholic disciplines), I am trying to keep with the 10% tithing teaching. 10% of what you make (or are entitled to) should go to the Church and to help the poor. (5% church, 5% poor). Of course this is probably a minimal suggested amount. I’d like to think I’m doing more from time to time than simply the bear minimum. To put Julia Mae’s reponse in a bit more charitable light, there would be much merit derived in giving up the hat to feed or clothe a hungry/poor person if you already give what the Church (used to?) suggests. However, if you already tithe an appropriate amount I do not see any incurred guilt of sin. Someone correct me if I’m in the wrong please…
 
Julia_Mae said:
You have an extra $30 a month to spend on reindeer hats? 25,000 people a day die of starvation. For $30 a month, you can save a whole family. (Google: Save the Children, Christian Foundation for Children and the Aged, Mercy Corps.)

It’s not your money. It’s not your job, your hat or your anything. It all belongs to God, including the body you live in. What kind of steward are you?

Yes, it’s a sin. It’s not scrupulous no matter how many people want to justify it so they can buy a reindeer hat and tell you it’s fine.

It isn’t. Not for any of us.

Store up your treasure in Heaven.
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This is not, and has never been, the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Even when tithes were legally enforced, it was 10% of your income. That meant people had 90% to spend at their discretion.

God Bless
 
OK, well first off, good job on managing your money well.

If it were me, in your situation, where you want the hat, but don’t actually need the hat as you already have one, I’d be getting me some business cards printed up and distribute them in the neighborhood advertising my services to cut lawns, clean yards, clean windows, clean houses and offices, collect and dispose of dog doo, walk dogs, repairing computers, whatever … anything realistically available to you that you can do that would get you back earning your own money!

If that wasn’t a realistic possibility for you, I’d be saving it to put toward something essential for the future.

Or saving it toward a piece of equipment that would enable me to go clean houses, offices, windows, cars, walk dogs and so on to get me back working.

If that isn’t applicable in your case, I’d be gifting it to someone, or some organization, in more desperate need, especially at this time of year.

What I wouldn’t be doing, unemployed and on benefit, is squandering any little extra cash I had on something I don’t actually need.

Just my thoughts.

Sarah x 🙂
 
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